Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

Melkite Greek 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.^[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^[update], 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

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,^[α] October 1, 1724 – death July 8, 1759
Athanasius IV Jawhar (or Jaouhar)^[α] (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^[α] BC, (Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist), November 22 – death November 15, 1761; previously Archeparch of Aleppo of the Greek-Melkites (Syria), 1732 – August 1, 1760
Theodosius V Dahan^[α] 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,^[α] 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^[α] (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,^[α] 1812
Athanasius V Matar,^[α] 1813
Macarius IV Tawil,^[α] 1813–1815
Ignatius V Qattan,^[α] 1816–1833
Maximos III Mazloum,^[α] 1833–1855
Clement Bahouth,^[β] 1856–1864
Gregory II Youssef-Sayur,^[β] 1864–1897
Peter IV Jaraijiry,^[γ] 1898–1902
Cyril VIII Geha,^[α] 1902–1916
Sede vacante, vacant 1916–1919
Demetrius I Qadi,^[α] March 29, 1919 – October 25, 1925
Cyril IX Moghabghab,^[γ] December 8, 1925 – September 8, 1947
Maximos IV Sayegh,^[α] October 30, 1947 – November 5, 1967
Maximos V Hakim,^[β] November 22, 1967 – November 22, 2000
- Jean Assaad Haddad as Apostolic Administrator, June 6, 2000 – November 29, 2000
Gregory III Laham,^[α] November 29, 2000 – May 6, 2017
- Jean-Clément Jeanbart as Administrator, May 6, 2017 – June 21, 2017
Youssef I Absi,^[α] 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^{[clarification needed]}), 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 – November 22
Saba Youakim BS, September 9, 1968 – November 22
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