View source for Melkite Greek Catholic Church

{{Short description|Eastern Catholic church}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox Christian denomination
| icon                = Patriarch Youssef Absi coat of arms.svg
| icon_width          = 25px
| icon_alt            = Coat of arms of Patriarch Youssef Absi
| name                = Melkite Greek Catholic Church
| native_name         = {{lang|ar|كنيسة الروم الملكيين الكاثوليك}}
| image               = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg
| image_size          = 200px
| alt                 = Exterior of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Damascus
| caption             = [[Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition]], [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]
| type                = [[Church of Antioch|Antiochian]]
| main_classification = [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]]
| orientation         = [[Melkite]]
| scripture           = [[Bible]]
| theology            = [[Catholic theology]]
| polity              = [[Episcopal polity]]
| leader_title        = [[Pope]]
| leader_name         = {{Incumbent pope}}
| leader_title1       = Patriarch
| leader_name1        = [[Youssef Absi]]
| leader_title2       = First Patriarch
| leader_name2        = [[Cyril VI Tanas]]
| area                = [[Egypt]], [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Lebanon]], [[Sudan]], [[Syria]], [[Turkey]], [[Iraq]], [[Argentina]], [[Australia]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Mexico]], [[New Zealand]], [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Venezuela]], [[Sweden]]
| language            = Arabic (diaspora: French, English, Portuguese, Spanish; liturgical: Greek)
| liturgy             = [[Byzantine Rite]]
| headquarters        = [[Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition]], [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]
| founder             = [[Saint Peter]] and [[Saint Paul]] (according to tradition)
| founded_date        = 1st century AD (traditionally)
| branched_from       = [[Church of Antioch]]<ref name="cathenc">{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia |wstitle=Church of Antioch |first=Francis James |last=Schaefer}}</ref>
| separations         = 
* [[Georgian Orthodox Church]] (1010)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ioseliani |first1=P. |title=A Short History of the Georgian Church |date=1866 |publisher=Saunders, Otley and Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cW1BAQAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]] (1724)
| members             = 1,568,239<ref name="cnewa">{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat17.pdf |title=The Eastern Catholic Churches 2017 |access-date=19 May 2019 |last=Roberson |first=Ronald G. |publisher=[[Catholic Near East Welfare Association]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024215818/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat17.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| other_names         = {{ubl|Melkite Church|Melkite Greek Church|Melkite Catholic Church|Catholic Rūm}}
| website             = [http://www.melkitepat.org/ Official website]
}}

The '''Melkite Greek Catholic Church''' ({{lang|ar|كنيسة الروم الملكيين الكاثوليك}}, ''Kanīsat ar-Rūm al-Malakiyyīn al-Kāṯūlīk''; {{lang|el|Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία}}; {{lang|la|Ecclesia Graeca Melchitarum Catholica}}), also known as the '''Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church''', is an [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] church in full communion with the [[Holy See]] as part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]]. Its chief hierarch is Patriarch [[Youssef Absi]], who resides at the [[Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition]] in [[Damascus]], [[Syria]].

The Melkite Church follows the [[Byzantine Rite]] and traces its origins to the early Christian community of the [[Patriarchate of Antioch]] in the 1st century AD, where [[Saint Peter]] is traditionally held to have established a Christian community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://melkite.org/faith/faith-worship/the-melkites |title=The Melkites |website=Eparchy of Newton: Melkite Greek Catholic Church |date=14 August 2010 |access-date=23 March 2019 |archive-date=7 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207103102/https://melkite.org/faith/faith-worship/the-melkites |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Melkite Church shares its Byzantine liturgical, theological, and spiritual heritage with the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch]] and other [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox churches]]. It is primarily centered in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://pgc-lb.org/english/Faith3.shtml |title=Church History |publisher=Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305173504/http://www.pgc-lb.org/english/Faith3.shtml |archive-date=5 March 2007}}</ref> though significant diaspora communities exist worldwide due to historical migration, persecution, and intermarriage.

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church formally re-entered communion with the Roman Pontiff under Patriarch [[Cyril VI Tanas]] in 1724, a move opposed by some members of the Church of Antioch, leading to the establishment of the separate [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]].{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=312}} Today, the Church numbers approximately 1.6 million members worldwide.<ref name="cnewa" />

== Name ==
{{Eastern Catholicism}}
{{Main|Melkite}}
The term ''Melkite'' – from the [[Syriac language|Syriac]] word ''malkā'' for 'king' and the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word ''malakī'' ({{langx|ar|ملكي}}, meaning 'royal', and by extension, 'imperial') – was originally a [[pejorative]] term for Middle Eastern Christians who accepted the authority of the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451 AD) and the [[list of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine Emperor]], a term applied to them by non-Chalcedonians.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=9}}{{sfn | Bailey | Bailey | 2003 | p=86}}{{sfn|Masters|2014|p=49}} Of the Chalcedonian churches, Greek Catholics continue to use the term, while Eastern Orthodox do not.{{sfn|Fortescue|1913}}

The ''Greek'' element signifies the [[Byzantine Rite]] heritage of the church, the liturgy used by all the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox churches]].{{Sfn|Faulk|2007|p=5}}

The term ''[[Catholic Church|Catholic]]'' acknowledges communion with the Church of Rome and implies participation in the universal Christian church. According to Church tradition, the Melkite Church of Antioch is the "oldest continuous Christian community in the world".<ref name=mliles>{{cite web |url=http://www.mliles.com/melkite/history.shtml |first=Martha |last=Liles |work=Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center |title=Unofficial History of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church |access-date=2 December 2006 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110225008/https://www.mliles.com/melkite/history.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[Arabic]], the official language of the church,<ref name=autogenerated1 /> it is called ''ar-Rūm al-Kāṯūlīk'' ({{langx|ar|الروم الكاثوليك|lit=[[Eastern Roman Empire|[Eastern] Roman]] [[Catholic]]}}). The Arabic word ''[[Rum (endonym)|Rūm]]'' means 'Romans', from the Greek word ''[[Romaioi]]'' by which the Greek-speaking Eastern Romans (called "Byzantines" in modern parlance) had continued to identify themselves even when the Western Roman empire had ceased to exist. The name literally means 'Roman Catholic', confusingly for the modern English-speaker, but that refers not to the [[Latin Church]] but to the Greek-speaking Eastern Orthodox "Byzantine" Roman heritage, the centre of gravity of which was the city of "New Rome" ({{langx|la|Nova Roma}}, {{langx|el|Νέα Ρώμη}}), [[Constantinople]].{{cn|date=September 2023}}

== History ==
According to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, its origins go back to the establishment of Christianity in the Near East.{{Sfn|Tawil|2001|pp=1–3}} As Christianity began to spread, the disciples preached the Gospel throughout the region and were for the first time recorded to be called "Christians" in the city of [[Antioch]] ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 11:26), the historical [[Episcopal See|See]] of the [[Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch|Melkite Catholic Patriarchate]].{{Sfn|Dick|2004|pp=13–15}} Scholars attribute the actual writing of the gospels in [[Koine Greek]] to the Hellenized Christian population of Antioch, with authors such as [[St. Luke]], the author of the [[Gospel of Luke]] and [[Acts of the Apostles|The Acts of the Apostles]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1998 |title=Acts of the Apostles: Translation |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9780300261660.0007 |journal=The Acts of the Apostles |pages=1–44 |doi=10.5040/9780300261660.0007|isbn=978-0-300-26166-0 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>Microsoft Word - ANTIOCHhistoryencyclopedia.doc (najim.net)</ref> By the 2nd century, Christianity was widespread in Antioch and throughout Syria. Growth of the church did not stop during periods of persecution, and by the end of the 4th century Christianity became the official state religion.

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church traces its origins to the Christian communities of the [[Levant]] and [[Egypt]]. The term [[Melkite|Melkites]] was originally referred to those Christian in Egypt who were loyal to the [[Council of Chalcedon]] and was later referred to those in the Levant region as well.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-11 |title=An Introduction: Who are the Melkite Greek Catholics? |url=https://catholicexchange.com/an-introduction-who-are-the-melkite-greek-catholics/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Catholic Exchange |language=en-US}}</ref> The church's leadership was vested in the three apostolic patriarchates of the [[pentarchy|ancient patriarchates]]: [[Alexandria]], [[Antioch]] and [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Melchite {{!}} Eastern Orthodoxy, Byzantine Rite & History {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Melchites |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Fallout of the Fourth Ecumenical Council===
After the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, fifth-century Middle-Eastern Christian society became sharply divided between those who did and those who did not accept the outcome of the council. Those who accepted the decrees of the council, the [[Chalcedonian]]s, were mainly [[Greek language|Greek]]-speaking city-dwellers, and were called ''Melkites'' ('imperials') by the anti-Chalcedonians—who were predominantly [[Armenian language|Armenian]] or [[Coptic language|Coptic]]-speaking provincials.{{Sfn|Tawil|2001|p=21}}

===Fusion with Arabic language and culture===
The [[Battle of Yarmuk]] (636) took the Melkite homeland out of Byzantine control and placed it under the occupation of the Arab invaders.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=21}} Whereas the Greek language and culture remained important, especially for the Melkites of Jerusalem, Antiochene Melkite tradition merged with the Arabic language and culture. Indeed, there was [[Arabic poetry#Pre-Islamic poetry|Arabic Christian poetry]] before the arrival of [[Islam]], but the Antiochene blending with Arabic culture led to a degree of distancing from the [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]].

Despite the Arab invasion, the Melkites continued to exercise an important role in the Universal Church. The Melkites played a leading role in condemning the [[iconoclasm|iconoclast]] controversy when it re-appeared in the early 9th century, and were among the first of the Eastern churches to respond to the introduction of the ''[[filioque]]'' clause in the West.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=21}}

===Communion with the Catholic Church===
[[File:Pius XI with Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.jpg|thumb|Pope Pius XI and Patriarch [[Demetrios I Qadi]] in 1923]]

In 1724, [[Cyril VI Tanas]] was elected new [[Patriarch of Antioch]]. As Cyril was considered to be pro-Western, the [[Patriarch Jeremias III of Constantinople]] feared that his authority would be compromised. Therefore, Jeremias declared Cyril's election to be invalid, excommunicated him, and ordained the Greek [[hierodeacon]] [[Sylvester of Antioch]] as a priest and bishop so as to take Jeremias' place.{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=312}}

Sylvester exacerbated divisions with his heavy-handed rule of the church – considered both "unyielding and uncompromising" by both supporters and opponents – as many Melkites acknowledged Cyril's claim to the patriarchal throne.{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=312}} Sylvester began a five-year campaign of persecution against Cyril and the Melkite faithful who supported him, enforced by Ottoman Turkish troops, forcing Cyril to find refuge in Lebanon.{{sfn | Bailey | Bailey | 2003 | p=86}}{{sfn|Chammas|1960|p=100}}

Five years after the election of [[Cyril VI Tanas|Cyril VI]], in 1729, [[Pope Benedict XIII]] recognized him as Patriarch of Antioch and recognized his followers as being in [[full communion]] with the [[Catholic Church]] and the [[Pope]] of [[Holy See|Rome]].{{sfn|Fortescue|1913}} From this time onward, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church has existed separately from and in parallel to the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch]] in [[Western Asia]]; the latter is no longer referred to as ''Melkite''.{{sfn|Fortescue|1913}}{{sfn | Bailey | Bailey | 2003 | p=86}}

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church has played an important role in the leadership of [[Arab Christians|Arab Christianity]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} It has always been led by Arabic-speaking Christians, whereas its Orthodox counterpart had Greek patriarchs until 1899. Indeed, at the very beginning of her separate existence, around 1725, one lay leader and theologian [[Abdallah Zakher]] of [[Aleppo]] (1684–1748) set up the first [[printing press]] in the [[Arab world]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onefineart.com/en/articles_arts/premiere_imprimerie_liban.shtml|title=Les Origines et le Rayonnement culturel de la première imprimerie à caractères Arabes au Liban (1733) |lang=fr |first=Joseph |last=Abou Nohra |work=One Art |accessdate=2009-04-08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905144656/http://www.onefineart.com/en/articles_arts/premiere_imprimerie_liban.shtml|archive-date=2012-09-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1835, [[Maximos III Mazloum]], Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, was recognized by the [[Ottoman Empire]] as the leader of a ''[[millet (Ottoman Empire)|millet]]'', a distinctive religious community within the Empire. [[Pope Gregory XVI]] gave Maximos III Mazloum the triple-patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, a title that is still held by the leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

===Expansion and participation at the First Vatican Council===
[[Image:Melkite-Christ-the-King.jpg|thumb|300px|left|[[Stained glass]] window at the [[Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral]] in [[Roslindale, Massachusetts]] depicting [[Christ the King|Christ enthroned]] in [[regalia]] of a [[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine emperor]]]]
In 1806, [[Germanos Adam]], the Archbishop of Aleppo, convened the [[Synod of Qarqafe]] which adapted and ratified propositions of the 1786 [[Synod of Pistoia]]. It was formally accepted by the Melkite church, but was formally condemned in 1835 by [[Pope Gregory XVI]] in the bull ''Melchitarum Catholicorum Synodus''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Charon | first= Cyril | title=History of the Melkite Patriarchates: Volume 1: Pre-Modern Period (869–1833) | date=1998 | location=[[Fairfax, Virginia|Fairfax]], [[Virginia|VA]] | publisher=Eastern Christian Publications | pages=110–120 | isbn=1892278014}}</ref>

In 1847, [[Pope Pius IX]] (1846–1878) reinstituted the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the person of the 34-year-old  [[Giuseppe Valerga]] (1813–1872), whom the indigenous hierarchy nicknamed "The Butcher" because of his fierce opposition to the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]] churches of the Holy Land.{{sfn|Coyle|2020}} When he arrived in Jerusalem in 1847, there were 4,200 Latin Catholics and when he died in 1872, the number had doubled.

In 1856, [[Clement Bahouth]] became Patriarch.{{sfn|Chammas|1960|p=132}} Under pressure from the [[Roman Curia]] to adopt [[Latin Church]] practices, he introduced the Gregorian calendar used by the Latin and Maronite Churches in 1857. The act caused serious problems within the Melkite community, resulting in a short-lived schism.<ref>{{multiref|{{harvnb|Dick|2004|p=38}}|{{harvnb|Descy|1993|pp=58–59}}|{{harvnb|Chammas|1960|pp=132–133}}|{{harvnb|Remedios|2021|p=22}}}}</ref> At one point, the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos|Metropolitan of Beirut]], Agapios Riashi, refused to comply and supported two priests, Gabriel Gibara and John Massamiri, who openly revolted and formed dissident groups in Damascus and Egypt. Three bishops – Theodosius Qayoumgi, Basil Chahiat, and Meletius Findi – representing the archeparchies of [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon|Sidon]], [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol|Zahlé]], and [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baalbek|Baalbek]], respectively, sided with the dissidents. In the face of the growing conflict, Clement attempted to abdicate his position as patriarch, but the pope, [[Pius IX]], rejected his resignation. Pius IX summoned Riashi, but was rebuffed, instead sending a letter with the other three bishops. The Vatican condemned the letter and called on Bahouth to claim the support of the [[Sublime Porte]]. Riashi continued to resist and was, as a result, excluded from the [[First Vatican Council]]. The other three bishops eventually resubmitted to the patriarch. Although Massamiri – who had been consecrated as the Orthodox Bishop of Palmyra – was brought back by the next patriarch, [[Gregory II Youssef]], Gibara died in dissidence.{{sfn|Chammas|1960|pp=132–133}} In 1864, Bahouth again requested to be allowed to resign, hoping to retire to monastic life. This time, the pope assented and his resignation was officially accepted on 24 September 1864. On 29 September, the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka|Bishop of Acre]], [[Gregory II Youssef]], was chosen as Patriarch.{{sfn|Chammas|1960|p=133}}

Officially confirmed in 1865,{{sfn|Chammas|1960|p=134}} Gregory initially focused on improving church institutions. During his time as patriarch, Gregory founded both the Patriarchal College in Beirut in 1865 and the Patriarchal College in Damascus in 1875 and he re-opened the Melkite seminary of [[Ain Traz]] in 1866.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=38}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mliles.com/melkite/historyfrjamesbulletin.shtml|title=History of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church|last=Graham|first=James|date=2003-08-24|work=Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center|access-date=2008-12-24|archive-date=11 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011165551/http://www.mliles.com/melkite/historyfrjamesbulletin.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> He also promoted the establishment of Saint Ann's Seminary, Jerusalem, in 1882 by the [[White Fathers]] for the training of the Melkite clergy.{{sfn|Chammas|1960|pp=135–136}}<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Εκκλησιαστικός Φάρος [Ekklēsiastikos Pharos] |date=1970 |title=Patriarcat Grec-Melkite Catholique d'Antioche. Naissance, évolution et orientations actuelles |volume=52 |pages=47–72 |first=Abdallah |last=Raheb |issn=1018-9556}}</ref>

Following the [[Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856]], decreed by Sultan [[Abdülmecid I]], the situation of Christians in the Near East improved. This allowed Gregory to successfully encourage greater participation by the Melkite laity in both church administration as well as public affairs.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=38}} Gregory also took an interest in ministering to the growing number of Melkites who had emigrated to the Americas. In 1889 he dispatched Father Ibrahim Beshawate of the Basilian Salvatorian Order in Saida, Lebanon, to New York in order to minister to the growing Syrian community there. According to historian Philip Hitte, Beshawate was the first permanent priest in the United States from the Near East from among the Melkite, [[Maronite]], and Antiochian Orthodox churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.churchofthevirginmary.net/documents/church_his.html|title=History of the Melkite Community of New York|last=Faraj|first=John|work=The Church of The Virgin Mary Melkite Catholic Church|access-date=2008-12-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908103903/http://www.churchofthevirginmary.net/documents/church_his.html|archive-date=2008-09-08}}</ref>

Gregory was also a prominent proponent of Eastern ecclesiology at the First Vatican Council, giving a now oft-lauded speech during its fifty-fourth session regarding the third chapter of ''[[Pastor aeternus]]''.{{sfn|Descy|1993|pp=62–63}} In the two discourses he gave at the Council on 19 May and 14 June 1870, he insisted on the importance of conforming to the decisions of the [[Council of Florence]], of not creating innovations such as [[papal infallibility]], but accepting what had been decided by common agreement between the Greeks and the Latins at the Council of Florence, especially with regard to the issue of papal primacy.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|pp=109–111}} He was keenly aware of the disastrous impact that the dogmatic definition of papal infallibility would have on relations with the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and emerged as a prominent opponent of the dogma at the Council.{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=313}} He also defended the rights and privileges of the patriarchs according to the canons promulgated by earlier ecumenical councils. Speaking at the Council on 19 May 1870, Patriarch Gregory asserted:
<blockquote>
The Eastern Church attributes to the pope the most complete and highest power, however in a manner where the fullness and primacy are in harmony with the rights of the patriarchal sees. This is why, in virtue of an ancient right founded on customs, the Roman Pontiffs did not, except in very significant cases, exercise over these sees the ordinary and immediate jurisdiction that we are asked now to define without any exception. This definition would completely destroy the constitution of the entire Greek church. That is why my conscience as a pastor refuses to accept this constitution.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dick|2004|p=110}}. Dick notes that his source is {{Cite book |first=Constantin |last=Patelos |title=Vatican I et les évêques uniates |location=Louvain |publisher=Nauwelaerts |date=1981}}</ref>
</blockquote>
Patriarch Gregory refused to sign the Council's dogmatic declaration on papal infallibility. He and the seven other Melkite bishops present voted ''non placet'' at the general congregation and left Rome prior to the adoption of the dogmatic constitution ''Pastor aeternus'' on papal infallibility.{{Sfn|Descy|1993|p=64}} Other members of the anti-infallibilist minority, both from the Latin church and from other Eastern Catholic churches, also left the city.{{Sfn|Descy|1993|p=64}}

After the First Vatican Council concluded, an emissary of the Roman Curia was dispatched to secure the signatures of the patriarch and the Melkite delegation. Patriarch Gregory and the Melkite bishops subscribed to it, but with the qualifying clause as used at the Council of Florence attached: "except the rights and privileges of Eastern patriarchs".{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=313}}{{Sfn|Zoghby|1998|p=83}} He earned the enmity of Pius IX for this. According to one account, during his next visit to the [[pontiff]], Gregory was cast to the floor at Pius' feet by the papal guard while the pope placed his foot on the patriarch's head.{{sfn|Parry|Melling|Brady|Griffith|1999|p=313}}{{Sfn|Zoghby|1998|p=83}} This story, however, has been cast into doubt by more recent studies of the First Vatican Council. [[John R. Quinn]] cites [[Joseph Hajjar]] in his book ''Revered and Reviled: A Re-Examination of Vatican Council 1,'': "We have been unable to find any document to provide historical verification for such treatment by the Pope."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Quinn |first1=John R. |title=Revered and Reviled: A Re-Examination of Vatican Council I |date=2017 |publisher=Herder & Herder |isbn=978-0-8245-2329-9 |page=83 }}</ref> Orthodox historian A. Edward Siecienski reports that the historicity of this story "is now deeply suspect."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Siecienski |first1=A. Edward |title=The Papacy and the Orthodox: Sources and History of a Debate |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-024526-9 |page=357 }}</ref> Despite this, Patriarch Gregory and the Melkite Church remained committed to their union with the Church of Rome. Relationships with the Vatican improved following the death of Pius IX and the subsequent election of [[Leo XIII]] as pontiff. Leo's [[encyclical]] ''[[Orientalium dignitas]]'' addressed some of the Eastern Catholic Churches' concerns on [[Liturgical latinisation|latinization]] and the centralizing tendencies of Rome.{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=39}} Leo also confirmed that the limitations placed on the Armenian Catholic patriarch by Pius IX's 1867 letter ''Reversurus'' would not apply to the Melkite Church; further, Leo formally recognized an expansion of Patriarch Gregory's jurisdiction to include all Melkites throughout the [[Ottoman Empire]].{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=39}}

===Vatican II conflicts over Latin and Melkite traditions===
[[File:St. Andrews Melkite church in Akko.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Saint Andrew, Acre]].]]
Patriarch [[Maximos IV Sayegh]] took part in the [[Second Vatican Council]] where he argued against Latinization and championed the Eastern tradition of Christianity, arguing that Latin rite Catholics should be more receptive to the authentic traditions of Eastern Christianity.{{sfn | Bailey | Bailey | 2003 | p=88}} He won a great deal of respect from Orthodox observers at the council as well as the approbation of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, [[Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople|Athenagoras I]], who noted: "You have represented the East at the Council and there you have caused our voice to be heard."{{sfn|Descy|1993|p=81}}
Following the Second Vatican Council the Melkites moved to restoring traditional worship. This involved both the restoration of Melkite practices such as administering the [[Eucharist]] to infants following post-baptismal [[chrismation]] as well as removal of [[Liturgical latinisation|Latinized]] elements such as communion rails and confessionals. In the pre-conciliar days, the leaders of this trend were members of "The Cairo School", a group of young priests centered on the Patriarchal College in Cairo. This group included Fathers [[Maximos V Hakim|George Selim Hakim]], [[Joseph Tawil]], [[Elias Zoghby]], and former Jesuit [[Oreste Kerame]]; they later became bishops and participated in the Second Vatican Council, and saw their efforts vindicated; the work done by the School laid the foundation for Maximos' work at the Second Vatican Council.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Boutros |first=Peter |date=2001 |title=A Brief History of the Patriarchal See of Alexandria |url=https://melkite.org/faith/faith-worship/alexandria |journal=Sophia <!--not to be confused with the Sophia journal with a WP page--> |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages= |access-date=9 June 2024}}</ref>

These reforms led to protests by some Melkite churches that the de-latinisation had gone too far. During the Patriarchate of [[Maximos IV Sayegh]], some Melkites in the United States objected to the use of the vernacular in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, a movement that was spearheaded by the future archbishop of Nazareth, Father [[Joseph Raya]] of Birmingham, Alabama. The issue garnered national news coverage after Bishop [[Fulton Sheen]] celebrated a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in English at the Melkite National convention in Birmingham in 1960, parts of which were televised on the national news.<ref>{{cite news |last=Keathley |first=Claude |date=27 June 1960 |title=All one church—Bishop Sheen describes Melkite rite at mass here |url=https://montgomeryadvertiser.newspapers.com/image/574945712/?clipping_id=100142128&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjU3NDk0NTcxMiwiaWF0IjoxNzE3NDY1ODA1LCJleHAiOjE3MTc1NTIyMDV9.4_RhqSavXDZ84xEKjpWi3rqk03IKFfwLgDeUsim2rac |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |page=4 |location=[[Birmingham, Alabama]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref>

===Resolution===
In 1960, the issue was resolved by Pope John XXIII at the request of Patriarch Maximos IV in favour of the use of vernacular languages in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Pope John also consecrated a Melkite priest, Father [[Gabriel Acacius Coussa]], as a bishop, using the Byzantine Rite and the [[papal tiara]] as a crown. Bishop Coussa was almost immediately elevated to the cardinalate, but died two years later. His cause for canonization was introduced by his religious order, the [[Basilian Alepian Order]].

Further protests against the de-latinisation of the church occurred during the patriarchate of [[Maximos V Hakim]] (1967–2000) when some church officials who supported Latin traditions protested against allowing the ordination of married men as priests. Today the church sees itself as an authentic Orthodox church in communion with the Catholic Church. As such it has a role as a voice of the East within the western church, a bridge between faiths and peoples.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituaries: Maximos V: Spiritual leader of a million Christians|last=Joffe|first=Lawrence|date=July 28, 2001|work=The Guardian|page=22|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jul/28/guardianobituaries|access-date=3 July 2023|archive-date=3 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703090935/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jul/28/guardianobituaries|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Growth of the Melkite diaspora===
[[Image:Saint-George-Sacramento.jpg|thumb|[[Iconostasis]] at Saint George Greek-Melkite Church in [[Sacramento, California]]]]
Due to heavy emigration from the Eastern Mediterranean, which began with the [[1860 Lebanon conflict|Damascus massacres of 1860]] in which most of the Christian communities were attacked, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church today is found throughout the world and no longer made up exclusively of faithful of Eastern Mediterranean origin. The Patriarchate of Maximos V saw many advances in the worldwide presence of the Melkite Church, called "the Diaspora": [[Eparchy|Eparchies]] (the Eastern equivalent of a diocese) were established in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, [[Argentina]], and Mexico in response to the continued emptying of the Eastern Mediterranean of her native Christian peoples. In 1950, the richest Melkite community in the world was in Egypt.{{sfn|Masters|2014|p=93}} After the establishment of the [[United Arab Republic]] by [[Gamal Abdul Nasser]] in 1958, a combination of factors led several thousand Melkites from Syria – particularly [[Aleppo]] and [[Damascus]] – and Egypt to emigrate to Lebanon.{{sfn|Zabbal|2022}}

In 1967, a native Egyptian of Syrian-Aleppin descent, George Selim Hakim, was elected the successor of Maximos IV, and took the name [[Maximos V Hakim|Maximos V]]. He was to reign until he retired at the age of 92 in the Jubilee Year of 2000. He reposed on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 2001. He was succeeded by Archbishop Lutfi Laham, who took the name Gregory III.

== Demographics ==
[[File:Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus 01.jpg|thumb|Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Cathedral in [[Damascus]]]]
Today, the Melkite Church has around 1.6 million members worldwide.<ref name="cnewa" /> Most Melkite Catholics are of [[Levant|Levantine descent]], with the majority identifying as [[Arab Christians|Arab]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Al-Tamimi|first=Aymenn Jawad|title=Identity Among Middle East Christians|url=https://www.meforum.org/3145/middle-east-christians-identity|access-date=27 March 2021|website=Middle East Forum|date=5 January 2012 |language=en|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227161011/https://www.meforum.org/3145/middle-east-christians-identity|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hartsem.edu/wp-content/uploads/hajjar.pdf|title=Aspects of Christian-Muslim Relations in Contemporary Lebanon|access-date=27 March 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728123124/https://www.hartsem.edu/wp-content/uploads/hajjar.pdf|url-status=live|page=4|quote=In recent years, the Melkites, like the Maronites, have denied affiliation with Arab ethnicity, race and culture.}}</ref> Over the first millennium, Arabic gradually replaced [[Syriac language|Syriac]] and Greek, while [[Arab culture]] and [[Arabic identity|identity]] have increasingly shaped the church’s life and traditions. Today, [[Arabic]] has become the primary language of the Melkite Church, gradually replacing [[Syriac language|Byzantine Greek]] as the dominant liturgical language.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Rioli |first1=Maria Chiara |title=A liminal church : refugees, conversions and the Latin diocese of Jerusalem, 1946–1956 |year=2020 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004423718 |pages=136}}</ref> The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is the largest Catholic community in Syria and Israel, and the second largest in Lebanon. As of 2014, it was also the largest Christian denomination in Israel, with approximately 60% of [[Israeli Christians]] belonging to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.<ref name="MFA2014">{{cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Spotlight/Pages/The-Christian-communities-in-Israel-May-2014.aspx |title=The Christian communities in Israel |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=1 May 2014 |accessdate=3 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017004653/http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Spotlight/Pages/The-Christian-communities-in-Israel-May-2014.aspx |archivedate=17 October 2015 }}</ref> 

According to 2008 figures from the Holy See, Lebanon now hosts the largest Melkite community in the Middle East, numbering approximately 425,000, followed by Syria with about 234,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1272730/1930_1303127341_syr36307.pdf |title=Syria – SYR36307 – Catholic Christians – Freedom of religion – Islamist groups |date=20 January 2017 |publisher=Australian Government: Refugee Review Tribunal |access-date=30 April 2022 |via=European Country of Origin Information Network |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703090936/https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1272730/1930_1303127341_syr36307.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, there are over 80,000 Melkite Greek Catholics in Israel and Palestine, and approximately 27,600 in Jordan.<ref name="melkite-greek-catholic-church"/>

Before [[1948 Palestine war|1948]], a significant number of Melkites resided in Israel and the Palestinian territories. However, various waves of conflict in the region prompted many to relocate to other parts of the Middle East or emigrate abroad. The [[Lebanese civil war]] also dealt a severe blow to Melkite communities, resulting in the loss of villages and institutions, and the [[Syrian Civil War]] further displaced Melkite communities, forcing many to leave their ancestral homes. Today, the global Melkite population living outside the Middle East surpasses that within the region.<ref name="melkite-greek-catholic-church"/> Historically, [[Egypt]], Damascus, and [[Aleppo]] were home to vibrant, affluent, and highly educated Melkite communities.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gorman |first=Anthony |title=Historians, State and Politics in Twentieth Century Egypt |date=July 29, 2010 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415589345 |edition=1st |location=Oxfordshire |publication-date=2010 |pages=174}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Masters|first=Bruce|title=The 1850 Events in Aleppo: An Aftershock of Syria's Incorporation into the Capitalist World System|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|volume=22|publisher=Cambridge University Press|pages=3–20|date=February 1990|issue=1|doi=10.1017/S0020743800033158|jstor=164379|s2cid=162867038 }}</ref>

As of 2017, due to [[Christian emigration]] from the Middle East, [[São Paulo]] has become home to the largest Melkite community in the diaspora, estimated at around 433,000 members,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Madeira |first1=Fidel |last2=Petterle |first2=Izan |url=https://cnewa.org/magazine/paradise-in-brazil-33557/ |title=Paradise in Brazil |access-date=22 March 2010 |publisher=Catholic Near East Welfare Association |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630100439/https://cnewa.org/magazine/paradise-in-brazil-33557/ |url-status=live }}</ref> followed by [[Argentina]], with approximately 302,800. Significant Melkite populations are also found in [[Australia]] (52,000), [[Canada]] (35,000), [[Venezuela]] (25,400), the [[United States]] (24,000), [[Mexico]] (4,700), and other countries.<ref name="melkite-greek-catholic-church">{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/eastern-catholic-churches/melkite-greek-catholic-church|title=Melkite Greek Catholic Church|access-date=22 March 2010|publisher=Catholic and Culture|archive-date=2 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202005304/https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/eastern-catholic-churches/melkite-greek-catholic-church|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Organization ==
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is in full communion with the [[Holy See]] (the Latin Catholic Pope of Rome and his [[Roman Congregation for the Eastern Churches]]), where the Patriarch is represented by his [[Procurator at Rome]], but fully follows the traditions and customs of [[Eastern Christianity|Byzantine Christianity]].{{Sfn|Faulk|2007|pp=5–7}} The traditional languages of worship are [[Arabic]] and [[Greek language|Greek]], but today, services are held in a variety of languages, depending on the country where the church is located.

The Melkite [[Synod]] of Bishops, composed of all of the church's bishops, meets each year to consider administrative, theological and church-wide issues.<ref name="The Melkite Handbook 2008 p. 12">{{Cite book |title=The Melkite Handbook: Introducing the Melkite Greek Catholic Church |publisher=Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton: Office of Educational Services |date=2008 |page=12}}</ref> The vast majority of the Melkite [[diocesan priests]] in the Middle East are [[Clerical marriage|married]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Galadza|first=Peter|chapter=Eastern Catholic Christianity|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fWp9JA3aBvcC&pg=PA303|page=303|editor1-last=Parry|editor1-first=Kenneth|title=The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4443-3361-9|location=Malden, Massachusetts|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|access-date=17 April 2022|archive-date=1 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801160812/https://books.google.com/books?id=fWp9JA3aBvcC&pg=PA303|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Patriarchate ===
The current Patriarch is [[Youssef Absi]] who was elected on 21 June 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2017/Jun-21/410401-joseph-absi-elected-patriarch-of-the-melkite-greek-catholic-church.ashx |title=Joseph Absi elected patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church |date=2017-06-21 |work=[[The Daily Star (Lebanon)|The Daily Star]] |location=Beirut |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628121028/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2017/Jun-21/410401-joseph-absi-elected-patriarch-of-the-melkite-greek-catholic-church.ashx |archive-date=2017-06-28}}</ref> The patriarchate is based in the [[Syria]]n capital [[Damascus]], but it formally remains one of the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs claiming the [[apostolic succession]] to the Ancient see of Antioch, and has been permanently granted the styles of [[Titular Patriarch]] of Alexandria and Jerusalem, two other patriarchates with multiple Catholic succession.

The patriarchate is administered by a permanent [[synod]], which includes the Patriarch and four bishops, the ordinary tribunal of the patriarch for legal affairs, the patriarchal [[economos]] who serves as financial administrator, and a [[Diocesan chancery|chancery]].<ref name="The Melkite Handbook 2008 p. 12"/>

=== Current dioceses and similar jurisdictions ===
{{one source|section|date=July 2020}}
In the [[Arab World]] and [[Africa]], the church has [[diocese]]s in:

* [[Egypt]], [[Sudan]] and [[South Sudan]], where the Patriarch of Antioch has the style of Titular Patriarch of Alexandria:
** [[Melkite Catholic Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan]] (administered by a [[Patriarchal Vicar]] or ''[[Protosyncellus]]'', titular Archeparchy of Alexandria)
[[File:St. Elias Cathedral, front view (Haifa, 2012).jpg|thumb|[[St. Elijah Cathedral, Haifa]]: the cathedral of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka]].]]
* The [[Holy Land]], where the Patriarch of Antioch has the style of [[Titular Patriarch]] of Jerusalem:
**[[Israel]]: [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka]] (including [[Haifa]], [[Nazareth]] and all [[Galilee]])
** [[Palestinian territories]]: [[Melkite Catholic Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Jerusalem]] (administered by a Patriarchal Vicar or ''Protosyncellus'', titular Archeparchy of Jerusalem).
** [[Transjordan (region)|Transjordan]]: [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Petra and Philadelphia in Amman]] and all Transjordan
* [[Iraq]]:
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq]]
* [[Arabian Peninsula]]:
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Kuwait]]
* [[Lebanon]]:
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baalbek]]
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baniyas]] and [[Marjeyoun]] (suffragan of Tyre)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos]] (nominally Metropolitan)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon]] and [[Deir el-Kamar]] (suffragan of Tyre)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tripoli]] (suffragan of Tyre)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre]] (Metropolitan see with three Lebanese archiepiscopal suffragans)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol]] and all the [[Bekaa]] (suffragan of Damascus)
[[File:Virgin Mary Greek Catholic Cathedral of Aleppo (3).jpg|thumb|Virgin Mary Cathedral of Aleppo: the cathedral of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo]].]]
* [[Syria]]:
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus]], Patriarchal See of [[Antioch]]
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo]] (nominally Metropolitan)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Bosra and Hauran]] (Archeparchy of [[Khabab]]) (nominally metropolitan)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs]] (united with titular sees [[Hama]] and [[Yabroud]]) (nominally metropolitan)
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Latakia]] (including the Valley of the Christians)
* [[Turkey]] ([[Eurasia]]):<!--The territory of Turkey is jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, although the faithful might be diaspora. See reference and note.-->
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Istanbul]]{{Sfn|Dick|2004|p=39}}{{efn|Pope Leo XIII, through the 1894 encyclical ''<u>Orientalium Dignitas</u>'' (nº XIII), expanded the jurisdiction of the Melkite patriarch to include the whole of the Turkish Empire. (''{{langx|la|Patriarchae Graeco Melchitae iurisdictionem tribuimus in eos quoque fideles eiusdem ritus qui intra fines Turcici Imperii versantur.}}'') (''{{langx|en|We grant the jurisdiction of the Greek Melchite Patriarch over those faithful of the same rite who are within the borders of the Turkish Empire.}}'')}}

Throughout the rest of the world, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church has dioceses and exarchates for its [[diaspora]] in:

* [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] ([[Oceania]]):
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Saint Michael Archangel in Sydney]]
[[File:Templo de Porta Coeli.JPG|thumb|[[Porta Coeli Cathedral, Mexico City|Porta Coeli Church]] (now the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of Mexico City)]]
* [[North America]]:
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Saint-Sauveur in Montréal]] (Canada)
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso in Mexico City]] ([[Mexico]])
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton]] (United States of America)
* [[South America]]:
**[[Melkite Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Argentina]]
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Nossa Senhora do Paraíso em São Paulo]] (Brazil) (''suffragan of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo|Latin Metropolitan of São Paulo]])''
** [[Melkite Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela]], [[Caracas]]

In [[Western Europe]], the Melkite Greek Catholic Church has the following parishes and communities for its diaspora:

* While in some countries the Melkite diaspora is served pastorally by the [[Ordinariate for the faithful of eastern rite|Eastern Ordinariates]], one of the Ordinaries is appointed [[Apostolic visitor]] for the countries without proper ordinariate.
** Melkite Greek Catholic Parish of Saint Julien the Poor (Paris, [[France]]) (subject to the [[Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in France]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Parish of Saint Nicolas of Myra (Marseille, France) (subject to the Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in France)
** Melkite Greek Catholic Parish of St. John Chrysostom (Brussels, [[Belgium]]) (subject to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels|Latin Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Parish of St. John Chrysostom (London, [[United Kingdom]]) (subject to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster|Latin Diocese of Westminster]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Missions in Stockholm and Sollentuna ([[Sweden]]) (subject to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm|Latin Diocese of Stockholm]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Church of Our Lady of Damascus (La Valeta, [[Malta]]) (subject to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta|Latin Archdiocese of Malta]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Church of St. James (Vienna, [[Austria]]) (subject to the [[Ordinariate for Byzantine-Rite Catholics in Austria|Ordinariate for Catholics of Byzantine Rite in Austria]])
** Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the [[Santa Maria in Cosmedin|Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin]] (Rome, [[Italy]]) (under the care of the Patriarch's  Procurator in Rome)
** Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the [[San Basilio agli Orti Sallustiani|Church of Saint Basil at the Gardens of Sallust]] (Rome, Italy) (under the care of the [[Basilian Salvatorian Order]])

=== Titular sees ===

* Four Metropolitan [[Titular archbishopric]]s: Apamea in Syria, Cesarea in Palæstina, Edessa in Osrhoëne, Pelusium
* Six other [[Titular archbishopric]]s: Adana, Cesarea in Cappadocia, Damiata, Hama (united with current [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs]]), Hierapolis in Syria, Myra, Tarsus
* Two Episcopal [[Titular bishopric]]s: Jabrud (united with current [[Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs]]), Laodicea in Syria, Palmyra

=== Religious institutes ===
==== Orders of [[Pontifical right]] ====
'''''Masculine'''''
* [[Basilian Aleppian Order]] [Basilian Aleppine Order of the Melkites, B.A.]
* [[Basilian Chouerite Order]] [Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist of the Melkites, B.C.]
* [[Basilian Salvatorian Order]] [Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour of the Melkites, B.S.]
'''''Feminine'''''
* [[Basilian Aleppian Sisters]] [R.B.A.]
* [[Basilian Chouerite Sisters]] [R.B.C.]
* Basilian Salvatorian Sisters of the Annunciation [C.S.B.A.] ([[:it:Suore salvatoriane dell'Annunciazione|it]])

==== Institutes of Patriarchal right ====
'''''Masculine'''''
* Melkite Missionaries of St. Paul [Society of Missionaries of St. Paul, S.M.S.P.] ([[:it:Società dei missionari di San Paolo|it]])
'''''Feminine'''''
* Melkite Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help [Congregation of Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, C.M.P.S.]

=== Other ===
There are also several patriarchal organizations with offices and chapters throughout the world, including:
* the Global Melkite Association, a group which networks eparchies, monasteries, schools and Melkite associations
* Friends of The Holy Land, a lay charitable organization active in the diaspora which provides clothing, medicine and liturgical items for churches and communities in the [[Holy Land]] (Israel, Palestine, Jordan), Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria.

==== Ecclesiastical decorations ====
[[File:Cross of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|Cross of the [[Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem]].]]
* [[Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem]], a honorific [[laity|lay]] [[Religious order|order]] founded in 1979, with the Patriarch of Antioch as [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Master]], which promotes religious, cultural, charitable and social works of concern to the Church
* [[Order of Saint Nicholas (Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton)|Order of Saint Nicholas]], a regional lay order founded in 1991 by Bishop [[Ignatius Ghattas]] of the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://melkite.org/order-of-st-nicholas|title=The Order of St. Nicholas|website=Eparchy of Newton : Melkite Greek Catholic Church|access-date=5 May 2016|archive-date=3 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603064224/https://melkite.org/order-of-st-nicholas|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Other ====
* [[Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910)|Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem]] (OSLJ), a Christian ecumenical lay [[Order of chivalry|order]] under protection of the Patriarch of Antioch since 1910 (some sources claim since 1841)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/lazarus/history.html|title=Short History of the Order of St Lazarus |website=The British Heraldic Archive |publisher=Key West Telecommunications Limited |date=2003-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030417235752/http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/lazarus/history.html|access-date=2018-08-25 |archive-date=2003-04-17}}</ref>
* {{Interlanguage link|Ordo Militiae Christi Templi Hierosolymitani|lt=Ordo Militiae Christi Templi Hierosolymitani|pl|Ordo Militiae Christi Templi Hierosolymitani|WD=}} (OMCTH), a Christian [[ecumenical]] organisation with ''[[Commander (order)|Generalkommandantur]]'' (general command) in [[Cologne]], Germany, and a seat in [[Jerusalem]], under protection of the Patriarch of Antioch since 22 September 1990. The Grand Priory of [[Poland]] of the OMCTH was granted the Autonomous Statute General on 12 December 2018 by Patriarch [[Youssef Absi]]. Grand Priory of Poland was established as the sole Catholic Chivalric Order with the Grand Prior of Poland as the Vicar General of the Order.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statut Generalny Zakonu |url=http://polscy.templariusze.org.pl/?page_id=76 |access-date=2020-07-03 |publisher=Ordo Militiae Christi Templi Hierosolymitani |language=pl |archive-date=25 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925134321/http://polscy.templariusze.org.pl/?page_id=76 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
* [[Melkite]]
* [[List of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch]]
* [[Patriarch of Antioch]]
* [[Eastern Catholic Churches]]
* [[Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin}}
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  | location = Allentown, New Jersey
  | isbn = 0-911726-54-3 }}
*{{cite journal |last=Remedios |first=Matthew |date=2021 |title=Vatican II and Liturgical Reform in the Eastern Catholic Churches: The Paradox in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church |url=https://saeculumjournal.com/index.php/saeculum/article/view/39948 |journal=Saeculum |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=15–36}}
*{{cite book
  | last = Roccasalvo
  | first = Joan L.
  | title = The Eastern Catholic Churches: An Introduction To Their Worship and Spirituality
  | publisher = The Liturgical Press
  | year = 1992
  | location = Collegeville, Minnesota.
  | isbn = 0-8146-2047-7
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/easterncatholicc00rocc
  }}
*{{cite book
  | last = Tawil
  | first = Joseph
  | author-link = Joseph Tawil
  | title = The Patriarchate of Antioch Throughout History: An Introduction
  | publisher = Sophia Press
  | year = 2001
  | location = Boston
  }}
*{{cite book
  | last = Zoghby
  | first = Elias
  | author-link = Elias Zoghby
  | title = Ecumenical Reflections
  | publisher = Eastern Christian Publications
  | year = 1998
  | location = Fairfax, Virginia.
  | isbn =1-892278-06-5
}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Zabbal |first=John |date=7 January 2022 |title=An Eastern Catholic Community Helped Create Lebanon {{!}} The Melkites did much to shape the contemporary state |url=https://newlinesmag.com/essays/an-eastern-catholic-community-helped-create-lebanon/ |magazine=[[New Lines Magazine]] |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=9 June 2024}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Melkite Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{official|http://www.melkitepat.org/}}
*[http://www.melkite.org Eparchy of Newton, the Melkite Church in the USA]
*[http://www.mliles.com/melkite/index.shtml Melkite Catholic Web Ring]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005449/http://www.melkite.org/Ambassadors/retreat_files/slide0001.htm Melkite Ambassadors Young Adult Website]
*[https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/toc/the-catholic-eastern-churches/from-the-orthodox-church/the-melkite-catholic-church/ Article on the Melkite Catholic Church by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website]
*[http://steliasmelkite.org/music/ Melkite Greek Catholic Chant in Greek, English, and Arabic]

{{Melkite Catholic Church}}
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[[Category:Melkite Greek Catholic Church| ]]
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