Melkite Greek Catholic Church

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is in full communion with the Holy See (the Pope of Rome and his Roman Congregation for the Eastern Churches), and thus fully affirm and accept the Pope's authority, including Papal infallibility. The Patriarch is represented by his Procurator at Rome, but fully follows the traditions and customs of Byzantine Christianity. The traditional languages of worship are Arabic and 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. The vast majority of the Melkite diocesan priests in the Middle East are married.

Patriarchate

The current Patriarch is Youssef Absi who was elected on 21 June 2017. The patriarchate is based in the Syrian capital Damascus, and it formally remains one of the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs claiming the apostolic succession to the Ancient see of Antioch.

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 chancery.

Current dioceses and similar jurisdictions

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 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 Latin Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Parish of St. John Chrysostom (London, United Kingdom) (subject to the Latin Diocese of Westminster)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Missions in Stockholm and Sollentuna (Sweden) (subject to the Latin Diocese of Stockholm)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Church of Our Lady of Damascus (La Valeta, Malta) (subject to the Latin Archdiocese of Malta)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Church of St. James (Vienna, Austria) (subject to the Ordinariate for Catholics of Byzantine Rite in Austria)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin (Rome, Italy) (under the care of the Patriarch's Procurator in Rome)
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Community of the Church of Saint Basil at the Gardens of Sallust (Rome, Italy) (under the care of the Basilian Salvatorian Order)

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)

Institutes of Patriarchal right

Masculine

• Melkite Missionaries of St. Paul [Society of Missionaries of St. Paul, S.M.S.P.] (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

• Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, a honorific lay order founded in 1979, with the Patriarch of Antioch as Grand Master, which promotes religious, cultural, charitable and social works of concern to the Church
• Order of Saint Nicholas, a regional lay order founded in 1991 by Bishop Ignatius Ghattas of the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton

Other

• Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (OSLJ), a Christian ecumenical lay order under protection of the Patriarch of Antioch since 1910 (some sources claim since 1841)
• Ordo Militiae Christi Templi Hierosolymitani (OMCTH), a Christian ecumenical organisation with 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.

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