Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch
Catholic
Patriarch Youssef Absi
Coat of arms
Incumbent: Youssef Absi elected June 21, 2017
Location
Headquarters	Dormition, Damascus, Syria
Information
First holder	Cyril VI Tanas
Denomination	Eastern Catholic
Established	1724 (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.

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.

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.

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 and the Syriac Catholic Church, 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:

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

List of eparchs and archeparchs

For earlier patriarchs, see List of patriarchs of Antioch (before 518) and List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch § Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch from 518 to 1724.

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, October 1, 1724 – death July 8, 1759
• Athanasius IV Jawhar (or Jaouhar) (first term), July 19, 1759 – August 1, 1760; then Eparch of Saida of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1761 – May 5, 1788. For Jawhar's § second term, see below
• Maximos II Hakim BC, (Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist), December 28 – death November 15, 1761; previously Archeparch of Aleppo of the Greek-Melkites (Syria), 1732 – August 1, 1760
• Theodosius V Dahan BC, December 24, 1761 – death April 10, 1788; previously Metropolitan Archeparch of Beirut of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1736 – December 24, 1761
• Athanasius IV Jawhar (second term), May 5, 1788 – death December 2, 1794. For Jawhar's § first term, see above
• Cyril VII Siaj, December 11, 1794 – death August 6, 1796; previously Metropolitan Archbishop of Bosra of the Greek-Melkites (Syria), 1763 – December 11, 1794
• Agapius II Matar BS (Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour), September 11, 1796 – February 2, 1812; previously the Superior General of his order, 1789–1795; Eparch of Saïdā of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon), 1795 – September 11, 1796
• Ignatius IV Sarrouf, 1812
• Athanasius V Matar, 1813
• Macarius IV Tawil, 1813–1815
• Ignatius V Qattan, 1816–1833
• Maximos III Mazloum, 1833–1855
• Clement Bahouth, 1856–1864
• Gregory II Youssef-Sayur, 1864–1897
• Peter IV Jaraijiry, 1898–1902
• Cyril VIII Geha, 1902–1916
• Sede vacante, vacant 1916–1919
• Demetrius I Qadi, March 29, 1919 – October 25, 1925
• Cyril IX Moghabghab, December 8, 1925 – September 8, 1947
• Maximos IV Sayegh, October 30, 1947 – November 5, 1967
• Maximos V Hakim, November 22, 1967 – November 22, 2000
  • Jean Assaad Haddad as Apostolic Administrator, June 6, 2000 – November 29, 2000
• Gregory III Laham, November 29, 2000 – May 6, 2017
  • Jean-Clément Jeanbart as Administrator, May 6, 2017 – June 21, 2017
• Youssef I Absi, 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 – July 27, 1998
• Isidore Battikha BA (66), August 25, 1992 – February 9, 2006
• Jean Mansour MSP, August 19, 1980 – 1997
• François Abou Mokh BS, February 7, 1978 – 1992
• Élias Nijmé BA, August 16, 1971 – December 28
• Saba Youakim BS, September 9, 1968 – December 28
• Nicolas Hajj, July 30, 1965 – November 3, 1984
• Néophytos Edelby BA (Basilian Aleppian Order), December 24, 1961 – March 6, 1968
• Pierre Kamel Medawar, MSP (Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul), March 13, 1943 – 1969

Gallery

• 
  Maximos III Mazloum
• 
  Gregory II Youssef
• 
  Peter IV Jeraigiry
• 
  Cyril VIII Geha
• 
  Demetrius I Qadi
• 
  Maximos V Hakim
• 
  Gregory III Laham
• 
  Youssef Absi

See also

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

External links

• 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