Melkite Greek Catholic Church

Part of the series on Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Meaning of church name
History
The Church in modern times
Church traditions
Organization
Video
Article discussion

Melkite Greek Catholic Church
The coat of arms of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Founder	Apostles Peter and Paul
Independence	Apostolic Era
Recognition	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches
Primate	Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, of Alexandria, and of Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Gregory III Laham.
Headquarters	Damascus, Syria
Territory	Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria.
Possessions	Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States, Venezuela.
Language	Arabic, Greek
Adherents	1.3 million.
Website	Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Arabic: كنيسة الروم الكاثوليك‎, Kanīsät ar-Rūm al-Kāṯūlīk) is an Eastern Catholic sui juris particular Church in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. The church's origins lie in the Near East, but, today, Melkite Catholics are spread throughout the world. At present there is a worldwide membership of approximately 1.3 million.[ The Melkite Church has a high degree of ethnic homogeneity but its patriarch, its episcopate, its clergy and many of its faithful, are Arabic, French, English, and Spanish speaking. The church is a product of a schism within the Antiochian Orthodox Church in 1724 triggered when the pro-Western Seraphim Tanas was elected patriarch as Cyril VI in a move which was seen by the patriarch of Constantinople as a pro-Catholic coup. The Melkite Catholic Church retains its Byzantine roots and liturgical practices similar to those of the Eastern Orthodoxy while maintaining communion with Roman Catholicism.

See also

• Melkite
• List of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch
• Patriarch of Antioch
• Eastern Catholic Churches
• Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton
• Gregory III Laham, current Patriarch

References

• Descy, Serge (1993). The Melkite Church. Boston: Sophia Press. 
• Dick, Iganatios (2004). Melkites: Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholics of the Patriarchates of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem. Boston: Sophia Press. 
• Faulk, Edward (2007). 101 Questions and Answers on Eastern Catholic Churches. New York: Paulist Press. ISBN 978-0-8091-4441-9. 
• Parry, Ken; David Melling (editors) (1999). The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity. Malden, MA.: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-23203-6. 
• Raya, Joseph (1992). Byzantine Church and Culture. Allentown, NJ: Allelulia Press. ISBN 0-911726-54-3. 
• Roccasalvo, Joan L. (1992). The Eastern Catholic Churches: An Introduction To Their Worship and Spirituality. Collegeville, MN.: The Liturgical Press. ISBN 0-8146-2047-7. 
• Tawil, Joseph (2001). The Patriarchate of Antioch Throughout History: An Introduction. Boston: Sophia Press. 
• Zoghby, Elias (1998). Ecumenical Reflections. Fairfax, VA.: Eastern Christian Publications. ISBN 1-892278-06-5. 

External links

• Eparchy of Newton, the Melkite Church in the US.
• Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem
• L'Église Melkite/The Melkite Church.
• Melkite Catholic Web Ring.
• Extensive history of the Melkite Church
• Melkite Ambassadors Young Adult Website.
• Article on the Melkite Catholic Church by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website.

---

|}