Cyril VI Tanas | |
---|---|
Patriarch of Antioch | |
Church | Melkite Greek Catholic Church |
See | Patriarch of Antioch |
Installed | September 24, 1724 |
Term ended | January 10, 1760 |
Predecessor | Athanasius III Dabbas [1] |
Successor | Maximos II Hakim |
Orders | |
Consecration | October 1, 1724 (Bishop) by Neophytos Nasri |
Personal details | |
Born | Seraphim Tanas 1680 |
Died | January 10, 1760 (aged 79–80) |
Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas, also known as Cyril VI of Antioch (1680, Damascus – January 10, 1760), became the first Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church following the schism of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in 1724. [2] Cyril re-established full communion with the Catholic Church.
Seraphim Tanas was born in Damascus in 1680, and he was the nephew of Euthymios Saifi, bishop of Sidon. On August 3, 1701, he arrived in Marseille, France, and from 1702 to 1710 he studied in the College of the Propaganda in Rome. Returned in Syria he was ordained priest by his uncle, and he was distinguished for his sermons. He was appointed "Preacher of the Patriarchate of Antioch" by Patriarch Cyril V Zaim. [3] : 67
Like many of his fellow clerics, Seraphim Tanas favored re-establishing full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected on September 24, 1724, [4] by the Melkites of Damascus as the new Patriarch of Antioch, and was consecrated as Cyril VI in the patriarchal cathedral of Damascus on October 1, 1724, [5] [6] [7] by Neophytos Nasri, eparch of Saidnaya, assisted by Basile Finas, eparch of Baniyas, and by Euthymius Fadel, eparch of Zahle and Forzol. [3] As Cyril was a prominent pro-Westerner, the Orthodox Patriarch Jeremias III of Constantinople felt his authority was challenged. Jeremias declared Cyril's election to be invalid, excommunicated him, and appointed Sylvester of Antioch [8] (1696–1766), a young Syrian monk, to the patriarchal See of Antioch. Jeremias consecrated bishop Sylvester in Constantinople on October 8, 1724. [6] [9]
The sultan Ahmed III withdrew the recognition initially conferred on Cyril, who was forced to flee as emissaries of Sylvester arrived from Constantinople with a mandate for his arrest. Cyril took refuge at the Holy Savior Monastery near Sidon, located in modern-day Lebanon. Cyril's safety there was guaranteed by the Shehab emirs. Sylvester unleashed a hard persecution against all who elected or supported Cyril: many people were exiled and all churches were taken by Sylvester's party. This persecution strengthened the faith of the Catholic Melkites who, even without a formal hierarchy, continued to increase in number meeting in secret places and celebrating the Divine Liturgy in homes at night. [10] : 327–328
Although the populace of Aleppo was mainly pro-Catholic in sentiment, the people initially supported Sylvester. However, Sylvester exacerbated divisions with his heavy-handed rule of the church, and many Melkites chose to acknowledge Cyril VI as patriarch instead. The people united against Sylvester, forcing him to flee Aleppo. [2] : 33–34 The Greek domination over the Byzantine Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch lasted until 1899.
Notwithstanding the many requests by Cyril for recognition, the Papacy moved with great caution and took six years to recognize Cyril as the legitimate Patriarch of Antioch. The decision was made by Pope Benedict XIII and communicated, almost unofficially, to the Melkites in the synod held on April 25, 1730. [11] From this time onwards, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church has existed separately from and in parallel to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in the Middle East. The pallium, formal recognition of the patriarchal authority, was granted by Rome to Cyril only on February 3, 1744, about twenty years after the 1724 election. [12]
The reasons for this caution and delay by Rome to recognize Cyril as patriarch can be summarized as follows:
Cyril VI Tanas summoned synods in 1736, 1751 and 1756 in order to give a structure to the Melkite Church, but without a full success. Cyril had failed to unite two Melkite Basilian Orders, the Basilian Salvatorian Order and Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist. He renounced in 1759 and died on January 10, 1760, [13] leaving a complicated succession.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Patriarchate is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, designating the office and jurisdiction of an ecclesiastical patriarch. According to Christian tradition three patriarchates were established by the apostles as apostolic sees in the 1st century: Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria. Constantinople was added in the 4th century and Jerusalem in the 5th century. Eventually, together, these five were recognised as the pentarchy by the Council of Chalcedon in 451.
The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in Pauline Christianity from its earliest period. This diocese is one of the few for which the names of its bishops from the apostolic beginnings have been preserved. Today five churches use the title of patriarch of Antioch: one Eastern Orthodox ; one Oriental Orthodox ; and three Eastern Catholic.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the RūmOrthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox church within the wider communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity that originates from the historical Church of Antioch. Headed by the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch, it considers itself the successor to the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostles Peter and Paul. It is one of the largest Christian denominations of the Middle East, alongside the Copts of Egypt and the Maronites of Lebanon.
The Church of Antioch was the first of the five major churches of the early pentarchy in Christianity, with its primary seat in the ancient Greek city of Antioch.
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church, or Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Its chief pastor is Patriarch Youssef Absi, headquartered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition in Damascus, Syria. The Melkites, who are Byzantine Rite Catholics, trace their history to the early Christians of Antioch, formerly part of Syria and now in Turkey, of the 1st century AD, where Christianity was introduced by Saint Peter.
The term Melkite, also written Melchite, refers to various Eastern Christian churches of the Byzantine Rite and their members originating in West Asia. The term comes from the common Central Semitic root m-l-k, meaning "royal", referring to the loyalty to the Byzantine emperor. The term acquired religious connotations as denominational designation for those Christians who accepted imperial religious policies, based on Christological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon (451).
The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. It was formed in 1724 when a portion of the Orthodox Church of Antioch went into communion with Rome, becoming an Eastern Catholic Church, while the rest of the ancient Patriarchate continues in full communion with the rest of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Alphabetical list of Eastern Christianity-related articles on English Wikipedia
Maximos IV Sayegh was a Syrian Catholic prelate who served as Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1947 until his death in 1967. One of the fathers of Second Vatican Council, he stirred attendees by urging reconciliation between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. He accepted the title of cardinal in 1965 after Pope Paul VI clarified the significance of that title in the case of an Eastern patriarch.
Justin Najmy, BA was a Syrian prelate who served as the first Eparch of Newton in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1966 to 1968. He served for two years before his death at age 70. He was a member of the Basilian Aleppian Order.
Demetrius I Qadi was Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1919 until 1925.
Euthymios Michael Saifi was the Melkite Catholic bishop of Tyre and Sidon during the early 18th century. A leading proponent of re-establishing communion between the Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Catholic Church, he is often described as the architect of the Melkite Catholic Church.
Clement Michael Bahouth was patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Church from 1856 until his resignation in 1864.
The Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour abbreviated BS, also known as the Basilian Salvatorian Order, is an Eastern Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for men of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church. The name derives from its motherhouse, the Holy Saviour Monastery, at Joun in Chouf near Sidon, Lebanon.
Demandatam coelitus humilitati nostrae is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope Benedict XIV on December 24, 1743, about the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. It is addressed to the Patriarch of Antioch Cyril VI Tanas and to all Melkite bishops under his jurisdiction, and is generally not considered ex cathedra. The subject of this apostolic constitution is the full preservation of the Byzantine Rite in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Patriarch Athanasius III Dabbas (1647–1724), sometimes known also as Athanasius IV, was the last Patriarch of Antioch before the final split of 1724 which divided the Melkite Church between the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. He was shortly, from 1705 to 1707, also regent Archbishop of Cyprus, where he is known as Athanasios II.
Jeremias III was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople twice, in 1716–1726 and 1732–1733.
The Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos is a metropolitan eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church since 1881, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Located in Lebanon, it includes the cities of Beirut and Byblos, and in terms of population, it is the largest Melkite eparchy in the Middle East. Its current Eparch, Georges Wadih Bacouni, S.M.S.P., was elected in November 2018.