On March 17, 1968, El-Hage was ordained priest. He studied in
Rome, in the United States and in
Beirut. On 7 June 1997, El-Hage was appointed Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli in
Northern Lebanon. His episcopal consecration took place on 1 November 1997 by the hands of the
Maronite Patriarch of Antioch,
Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, and his co-consecrators were
Roland Aboujaoudé,
Titular bishop of Antioch and
Georges Scandar, Eparch of Zahleh. In Lebanon, he was known as "bishop of the poor" by Christians and Muslims. El-Hage died on May 4, 2005. ==Other activities==