The Catholic Church in Lebanon is particularly complex, given the mix of rite-specific (Latin and Eastern Catholic) branches, yet its entire episcopate is joined in a special Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon.
The Latin pre-diocesan jurisdiction partakes in the Episcopal conference of the Arab region Latin bishops.
Four of the five Eastern Catholic churches (not the Chaldean Catholics) count Lebanese member(s) in their Patriarchal Synods, Antioch/Beirut being thrice a Patriarchal see in name and/or fact:
Synod of the Maronite Church (mainly Lebanese)
Synod of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church
Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (each with a major Lebanese component)
Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church.
There also is an Apostolic Nunciature to Lebanon as papal diplomatic representation (embassy-level), headquartered in Jounieh, but accredited in the national capital Beirut.
Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia, the patriarchal head of the particular church for the whole Armenian rite, with cathedral see in Beirut, Lebanon, as Metropolitan Archeparch (Archbishop), with four suffragan eparchies, including one Lebanese:
Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, with a cathedral see in Beirut, for Lebanon, with a single suffragan, for the same proper eparchy (diocese) of the Patriarch:
The Syriac Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Christian originating in the Levant that uses the West Syriac Rite liturgy and has many practices and rites in common with the Syriac Orthodox Church. Being one of the twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches, the Syriac Catholic Church is a self-governed sui iuris particular church church while it is in full communion with the Holy See and entirety of the Catholic Church.
An exarch was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox church within the wider communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. 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.
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, Damascus, Syria. The Melkites, 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 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.
The Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
Christianity in Lebanon has a long and continuous history. Biblical Scriptures purport that Peter and Paul evangelized the Phoenicians, whom they affiliated to the ancient patriarchate of Antioch. The spread of Christianity in Lebanon was very slow where paganism persisted especially in the mountaintop strongholds of Mount Lebanon. A 2015 study estimates some 2,500 Lebanese Christians have Muslim ancestry, whereas the majority of Lebanese Christians are direct descendants of the original early Christians.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka is an Eastern Catholic diocese of Melkite Greek Catholic Church, directly subject to the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch. Its Cathedral episcopal see is St. Elijah Greek-Melkite Cathedral, in Haifa.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut is a Latin Rite missionary pre-diocesan exempt jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Lebanon, where otherwise Eastern Catholics are far more numerous. In 2010, there were 15,000 baptized. Its current bishop is Cesar Essayan.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre is a metropolitan see of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. In 2009 there were 3,100 baptized. It is currently governed by an Apostolic Administrator, Archbishop Elie Bechara Haddad, B.S., because of the 31 January 2021 removal of Archeparch Michael Abrass, BA.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon is a diocese of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church suffragan of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre. In 2010 there were 32,000 baptized. It is currently governed by Archeparch Elie Bechara Haddad, BS.
The Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias is a Maronite, non-Metropolitan Archeparchy in northern Lebanon.
Joseph Mouawad is the current eparch of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Zahleh in Lebanon.
Maroun Ammar is Bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Sidon (Saida).
Paul Rouhana, OLM is Auxiliary bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh to Sarba.
Catholic dioceses in the Holy Land and Cyprus is a multi-rite, international episcopate in Israel and Cyprus.
The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The current head of the Maronite Church is Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, who was elected in March 2011 following the resignation of Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. The current seat of the Maronite Patriarchate is in Bkerke, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon. Officially known as the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church, it is part of Syriac Christianity by liturgy and heritage.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
