Apostolic Administration of Latakia
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The Maronite Eparchy of Latakia or Latakia of the Maronites (in Latin: Eparchia Laodicenus Maronitarum) is a
Maronite Church The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Th ...
ecclesiastical territory or
eparchy Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in Syria. , there were 35,000 members. The current eparch is Antoine Chbeir.


Territory and statistics

It is immediately subject to the
Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch This is a list of the Maronite patriarchs of Antioch and all the East, the primate of the Maronite Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Starting with Paul Peter Massad in 1854, after becoming patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Patriarcha ...
, not part of any
ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...
. The territory includes the city of Latakia, where is located the Our Lady of Latakia Cathedral, in Latakia, the former
Laodicea ad Mare Laodicea ( grc, Λαοδίκεια) was a port city and an important colonia of the Roman Empire in ancient Syria, located near the modern city of Latakia. It was also called Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad mare. For a short period of time ...
. The territory is divided into 32 parishes and in 2011 there were 35,000 Maronite Catholics.


History

Until the eighteenth century the Maronite patriarchate was formally divided into eparchies: in fact the bishops were all considered as auxiliary of the Patriarch, the only true leader of the Maronite nation. The bishops of Laodicea, like other Maronite bishops, in fact, had only the title of their home, and pursues not any real jurisdiction and do not even have a place to reside. The Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736, which at the request of
Propaganda Fide Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
decided the canonical erection of the Maronite diocese, gave no consideration to Laodicea, which therefore continued to be the seat of a titular bishop. The territories that were formally part of Laodicea were subdued by the synod of authority of the Tripoli Eparchs. On April 16, 1954, with the decree Quo aptiori, the
Congregation for the Oriental Churches The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (also called Dicastery for the Oriental Churches), previously named Congregation for the Oriental Churches or Congregation for the Eastern Churches ( la, Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus), is a dicaste ...
decided to steal the territories of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tripoli of the Maronites who were in the Syrian's area under the authority of the archeparch of Aleppo and to entrust them to the administrator apostolic of Latakia (a missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction, directly subject to the Holy See). On August 4, 1977 the Apostolic Administration was raised to the status of Eparchy (Diocese), and the same time was suppressed the
Titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...
.


Titular Bishops

* Jean Estephan (November 1732 - 1743 named eparch of Beirut) * Nicolas Murad (5 December 1843 - 10 January 1863 deceased) * Joseph Foraifer (11 February 1872 - ?) * Paul Akl (22 February 1919 - 19 September 1959 deceased)


Episcopal ordinaries


Apostolic Administrators of Latakia

* ''
Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...
ad nutum Sanctae Sedis''
François Ayoub François Ayoub (born on 11 July 1899 in Aleppo, Syria - died on 2 June 1966) was a Syrian Archbishop of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo and the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus. Life On 16 May 1925, Françoise Ayoub was ordai ...
(16 April 1954 – 2 June 1966), while Archeparch (Archbishop) of
Aleppo of the Maronites Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo of the Maronites (in Latin: Archeparchy Aleppensis Maronitarum) is a seat of the Maronite Church. In 2012 there were 4,000 members. It is currently governed by Maronite archeparch Joseph Tobji. Territory an ...
(Syria) (16 April 1954 – 2 June 1966) * Apostolic Administrator
Joseph Salamé Joseph Salamé (25 December 1914 – 29 March 2004) was a Lebanese apostolic administrator of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia and Archeparch of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo. Life Salamé was born on 25 December 1914 in Ant ...
(24 September 1967 – 4 August 1977 resigned), also while Archeparch of
Aleppo of the Maronites Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo of the Maronites (in Latin: Archeparchy Aleppensis Maronitarum) is a seat of the Maronite Church. In 2012 there were 4,000 members. It is currently governed by Maronite archeparch Joseph Tobji. Territory an ...
(Syria) (15 March 1967 – 9 June 1990)


Non-suffragan Eparchs (Bishops) of Latakia

*
Georges Abi-Saber Georges Abi-Saber, O.L.M. (May 12, 1923 – August 26, 2015) was a Lebanese Hierarch of Maronite Church and former eparch of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia and Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron of Montreal. Life Abi-Saber was b ...
,
Baladites The Baladites, formally known as the Lebanese Maronite Order (; abbreviated OLM), is a monastic order among the Levant-based, Catholic Maronite Church, which from the beginning has been specifically a monastic Church. The order was founded in 1 ...
( O.L.M.) (4 August 1977 – 2 May 1986), later
Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...
of
Aradus ''Aradus'' is a genus of true bugs in the family Aradidae, the flat bugs. It is distributed worldwide, mainly in the Holarctic.Larivière, M. C. and A. Larochelle. (2006)An overview of flat bug genera (Hemiptera, Aradidae) from New Zealand, wit ...
(2 May 1986 – 23 November 1990) while
Patriarchal Vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
of
Antioch of the Maronites The Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (in 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 ...
(Lebanon) (2 May 1986 – 23 November 1990) and finally Eparch (Bishop) of (Saint Maron of) Montreal of the Maronites (Canada) (23 November 1990 – 7 February 1996) * Antoine Torbey (2 May 1986 – 23 June 2001 retired) *
Massoud Massoud Massoud Massoud (born on 28 April 1940 in Al-Kafrun, Syria) is an emeritus bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia. Life Massoud Massoud received on 2 August 1970 his priestly ordination and was incardinated in the clergy of the Aposto ...
(23 June 2001 – 5 June 2011 resigned) *
Elias Khoury Sleman Elias Khoury Slaiman Slaiman (born 16 August 1951 in Hekr Semaan, Syria) is a Syrian emeritus bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia. Life Elias Khoury Slaiman received on 29 August 1987 his priestly ordination. Pope John Paul II appo ...
(16 January 2012 – 14 March 2015 resigned), later President of Patriarchal Appeals Tribunal of the Maronites (since 14 March 2015) * Antoine ChbeirNews.va
/ref> (since 14 March 2015)


See also

*
Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo of the Maronites (in Latin: Archeparchy Aleppensis Maronitarum) is a seat of the Maronite Church. In 2012 there were 4,000 members. It is currently governed by Maronite archeparch Joseph Tobji. Territory a ...
*
Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus ( la, Archeparchy Maronitarum Damascena) is an archeparchy of the Maronite Church The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full commun ...


Sources

* Pontificio Annuario, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, .


References


External links


GigaCatholic with incumbent biography links






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