The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (), also known as the Melkite Catholic Church, and legally as the Rūm Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (), is an autocephalous Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. It originates from the historic Church of Antioch, which according to tradition, was founded by the Apostles Peter and Paul. The church is headed by the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and maintains its own distinct Byzantine liturgical tradition and ecclesiastical governance.

History

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church traces its origins to the ancient Christian community of Antioch, one of the earliest centers of Christianity. After the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Church of Antioch experienced divisions, leading to the formation of multiple branches. The term Melkite (from Syriac malkāyā, meaning "imperial") originally referred to those who accepted Chalcedonian Christology and remained aligned with the Byzantine emperor.

In 1724, a schism occurred within the Chalcedonian Melkite Church when Cyril VI Tanas was elected patriarch and sought communion with Rome. The portion of the Church that rejected communion with Rome remained within the Eastern Orthodox Church, forming the modern Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch.

Structure and leadership

The Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch's complete title is:

Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, incorporating its other titular patriarchates. The patriarchal cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition () in Damascus, Syria. It was visited by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Membership and distribution

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church has approximately 1.6 million members worldwide. Its territorial jurisdiction includes Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and parts of Egypt and Iraq. The Melkite diaspora extends to Europe, the Americas, and Australia, where it has established parishes and eparchies.

The Church continues to maintain its Byzantine heritage while remaining fully Catholic, preserving the traditions of Eastern Christianity within the larger communion of the Catholic Church.

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 (with terms in other relevant languages: ; ; and, locally, ). 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.

, it pastorally served three thousand Catholics in eight parishes and one mission with: nine priests (six diocesan, three religious); three deacons; thirtythree 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:

  • Melkite Catholic Titular Patriarch of Alexandria
  • Melkite Catholic Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem

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:

  • Cyril VI Tanas, – death
  • Athanasius IV Jawhar (or Jaouhar) (), – ; then Eparch of Saida of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1761 – . For Jawhar's , see below
  • Maximos II Hakim BC, (Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist), – death ; previously Archeparch of Aleppo of the Greek-Melkites (Syria), 1732 –
  • Theodosius V Dahan BC, – death ; previously Metropolitan Archeparch of Beirut of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1736 –
  • Athanasius IV Jawhar (), – death . For Jawhar's , see above
  • Cyril VII Siaj BS, – death ; previously Metropolitan Archbishop of Bosra of the Greek-Melkites (Syria), 1763 –
  • Agapius II Matar BS, (Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour), – ; previously the Superior General of his order, 1789–1795; Eparch of Saïdā of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1795 –
  • Ignatius IV Sarrouf, BC, 1812
  • Athanasius V Matar BS, 1813
  • Macarius IV Tawil BS, 1813–1815
  • Ignatius V Qattan, 1816–1833
  • Maximos III Mazloum, 1833–1855
  • Clement Bahouth BS, 1856–1864
  • Gregory II Youssef-Sayur BS, 1864–1897
  • Peter IV Jaraijiry, 1898–1902
  • Cyril VIII Geha, 1902–1916
  • , vacant 1916–1919
  • Demetrius I Qadi, March 29, 1919 – October 25, 1925
  • Cyril IX Moghabghab, December 8, 1925 – September 8, 1947
  • Maximos IV Sayegh SMSP, October 30, 1947 – November 5, 1967; elevated to cardinal in 1965
  • Maximos V Hakim, November 22, 1967 – November 22, 2000
  • Jean Assaad Haddad as Apostolic Administrator, June 6, 2000 – November 29, 2000
  • Gregory III Laham BS, November 29, 2000 – May 6, 2017
  • Jean-Clément Jeanbart as Administrator, May 6, 2017 – June 21, 2017
  • Youssef I Absi SMSP, June 21, 2017 – present

Auxiliary bishops

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

  • François Abou Mokh BS (Salvatorian Fathers), 1996 –
  • Isidore Battikha BA ( –
  • Jean Mansour SMSP, – 1997
  • François Abou Mokh BS, – 1992
  • Elias Nijmé BA, –
  • Saba Youakim BS, –
  • Nicolas Hajj, –
  • Néophytos Edelby BA (Basilian Aleppian Order), –
  • Pierre Kamel Medawar, SMSP (Melkite Paulists), – 1969

<gallery>

File: Maksymos III Mazloum.jpg |Maximos III Mazloum

File:Gregory II Youssef.jpg|Gregory II Youssef

File:Peter IV Geraigiry.jpg|Peter IV Jeraigiry

File:Cyril VIII Geha.jpg|Cyril VIII Geha

File: Demetrius I Quadi.jpg | Demetrius I Qadi

File: George Hakim 1960 (cropped).jpg|Maximos V Hakim

File:Gregorio.III.laham.JPG|Gregory III Laham

File:Bishop Patriarch Youssef Absi june 7th 2018.jpg|Youssef Absi

</gallery>

See also

  • List of Catholic dioceses in Syria
  • Latin Patriarchate of Antioch
  • List of popes
  • Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East

Notes

References

  • List of the Melkite Patriarchs of Antioch from Melkite Church official website
  • GCatholic.org - Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch
  • GCatholic - Patriarchal proper Metropolitan Archeparchy of Damascus
  • History of Melkite Church including Cannons regarding Reunion with Rome and the legal continuation of the See of Antioch.
  • Legal circumstances of union with Rome.
  • Catholic Hierarchy entry