Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

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Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch
Catholic
Bishop Patriarch Youssef Absi june 7th 2018.jpg (cropped).jpg
Patriarch Youssef Absi
Patriarch Youssef Absi coat of arms.svg
Coat of arms
Incumbent:
Youssef Absi
elected June 21, 2017
Location
Headquarters Dormition, Damascus, Syria
Information
First holder Cyril VI Tanas
Denomination Eastern Catholic
Established1724 (Current Form)
Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition
Bishops emeritus Gregory III Laham
Website
www.melkitepat.org

The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, Byzantine Rite). 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.

Contents

The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch's present complete title is Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, incorporating both of the church's other titular patriarchates. [1]

Its archiepiscopal see is the Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady (Arabic : كاتدرائية سيدة النياح للروم الملكيين في دمشق) in Damascus, Syria. It was visited by Pope John Paul II in 2001. [2]

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church claims to be one of five churches that are continuations of the original See of Antioch. Thus, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church believes it traces its existence back to Saint Peter in a line of apostolic succession acknowledged by both Catholic and Orthodox canons. This claim is accepted by the Holy See and is not disputed by the other two Eastern Catholic Churches that also claim descent from the ancient See of Antioch, namely the Maronite Church [3] and the Syriac Catholic Church, [4] which both also have Patriarchs of Antioch.

Proper province and archdiocese

The Patriarch also holds the office of Metropolitan of an empty Ecclesiastical province without an actual suffragan see, actually comprising only his proper Metropolitan Archeparchy of Damascus (of the Melkites) also, in Latin : Damascenus Græcorum Melkitarum (with terms in other relevant languages: Damasco [Curiate Italiano]; Arabic : دِمَشق, romanized: Dimašq; and, locally, aš-Šām). Like the Patriarchate, in Rome it depends only upon the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

During a vacancy in the Patriarchate (such as following the resignation of Gregory III Laham in 2017), the bishop of the permanent synod who is most senior by ordination serves as administrator in chief of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

As of 2014, it pastorally served three thousand Catholics in eight parishes and one mission with: nine priests (six diocesan, three religious); three deacons; thirty‑three lay religious (three brothers, thirty sisters); and ten seminarians.

Titular Patriarchates

In continuation of the earlier Melkite patriarchates of the ancient sees of Alexandria and of Jerusalem, two titular patriarchates exist. These are however simply titles, vested in the residential Patriarch of Antioch, which also have Catholic residential counterparts:

List of eparchs and archeparchs

The following is a list of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem. Those Patriarchs who were born in Syria are indicated with a symbol 'α', those born in Egypt with 'β', and those born in Lebanon with 'γ'. Eparch is equivalent to bishop, and archeparch to archbishop:

Auxiliary bishops

The following is a list of auxiliary bishops of the episcopate of the See of Antioch:

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Born in Syria
  2. 1 2 3 Born in Egypt
  3. 1 2 Born in Lebanon

Related Research Articles

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Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas, also known as Cyril VI of Antioch, 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. Cyril re-established full communion with the Catholic Church.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka is a diocese of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, directly subject to the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch. Its cathedral episcopal see is St. Elijah Greek-Melkite Cathedral, in Haifa.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youssef Absi</span> Head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church since 2017

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References

  1. ↑ "Melkite: Patriarch".
  2. ↑ "Pope John Paul II in Greece, Syria, and Malta (4-9 May 2001) | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network.
  3. ↑ "The Maronites First Patriarch". January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009.
  4. ↑ The Syriac Catholic Church: History Archived 2008-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
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