Neophytos Nasri (1670–1731) was bishop of

Saidnaya Saidnaya (also transliterated Saydnaya, Seidnaya or Sednaya, from the syr, ܣܝܕܢܝܐ, ar, صيدنايا, Ṣaydnāyā) is a city located in the mountains, above sea level, north of the city of Damascus in Syria. It is the home of a Greek ...

of the

Melkite Greek Catholic Church el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...

and took a preeminent part in the 1724 split of the Melkite Church.

Life

Nasrallah Néophytos Nasri was born in Aleppo in 1670. He entered young a monk in the

Balamand Monastery The Balamand Monastery (historically called Belmont, Bellimontis ultra Mare, or Bellus-Mons), is a monastery for the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch founded in 1157 in Balamand (Belmont), the Crusader County of Tripoli, now in the Koura Distric ...

and in 1696 he was one of the founders of the Basilian Chouerite Order. He also served as a preacher in Amid. In 1722 he was appointed bishop of Saidnaya, and consecrated

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in the same year by Patriarch

Athanasius III Dabbas Patriarch Athanasius III Dabbas (1647–1724), sometimes known also as Athanasius IV, was the last Patriarch of Antioch before the final split of 1724 which divided the Melkite Church between the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Greek Ortho ...

. On October 1, 1724 he consecrated

Cyril VI Tanas Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas, also known as Cyril VI of Antioch (born in 1680, Damascus – died on January 10, 1760), became the first Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church followi ...

as bishop and Patriarch of the Melkite Church, so originating the split of the Melkite Church. After persecutions from the Orthodox party, he had to leave Saidnaya and in 1730 he moved to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he died on 21 February 1731 and was buried in the chapel 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 ...

. A biography of Néophytos Nasri was written by his disciple Ignatius Quandalaft.published in French in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasri, Neophytos 1670 births 1731 deaths Converts to Eastern Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Syrian Orthodox Christians Syrian Melkite Greek Catholics Melkite Greek Catholic bishops People from Aleppo