Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

*Patriarchatus Antiochenus Maronitarum*

البطريركية الأنطاكية الكاثوليكية المارونية
Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch; Patriarchatus Antiochenus Maronitarum; البطريركية الأنطاكية الكاثوليكية المارونية
Catholic
	Patriarch Béchara-Raï
	Coat of arms
	Incumbent:; Bechara Boutros al-Rahi; Installed 25 March 2011
Location
Country	Lebanon
Headquarters	Bkerké
Coordinates	33°58′05″N 35°38′01″E / 33.9681°N 35.6336°E
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Maronite Church
Rite	West Syriac Rite
Established	7th century
Language	Arabic, Aramaic (Syriac)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Patriarch	Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, OMM
Auxiliary Bishops	Joseph Nafaa; Hanna Alwan, MLM; Paul Abdel Sater; Antoine Nabil Andari;
Bishops emeritus	Samir Mazloum; Guy-Paul Noujaim; Paul Nabil El-Sayah;
Website
	bkerki.org

The Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (Latin: Patriarchatus Antiochenus Maronitarum) is the seat of the Patriarch of the Maronite Church. It is currently governed by the Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, OMM.

The Maronite Church is one of several churches that lay claim to be the canonical incumbent of the ancient see of St. Peter and St. Paul in Antioch. The Syriac Catholic Church, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church make the same claim, all of them Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See. The three mutually recognize each other as holding authentic patriarchates. The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Oriental Orthodox Syriac Orthodox Church claim patriarchates as well. Moreover, the Catholic Church appointed titular Latin rite patriarchs for many centuries, until the office was left vacant in 1953 and abolished in 1964 and all claims renounced.

Territory

The Maronite Patriarchate extends its jurisdiction over all the Maronite faithful wherever they dwell.

The seat of the patriarchate is Bkerké in Keserwan District in Lebanon. Dimane (in Bsharri District) is the summer residence of the Patriarch. The Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh is the eparchy of Maronite patriarch.

From Patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronites also depend directly:^[3]

Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Palestine, erected on October 5, 1996, based in Jerusalem; in 2014^{[needs update]} they were 504 Catholics distributed in three parishes;
Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jordan, erected on October 5, 1996, based in Amman; in 2014^{[needs update]} they were 1,000 Catholics in one parish.

The Maronite Patriarch is a member by right of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East.

Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, pp. 457–458.
Konrad Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, vol. 3, pp. 235–236; vol. 4, pp. 86–87; vol. 5, p. 89; vol. 6, p. 87.