Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs (in Latin: Archeparchy Hemesena Graecorum Melkitarum-Epiphaniensis-Iabrudensis) is a nominally Metropolitan Archeparchy (Eastern Catholic archdiocese) of the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church (
Byzantine Rite,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
) in central
Syria. It was established on March 4, 1849 and has no
suffragan, but two merged-in eparchial titles.
Territory and statistics
The archeparchy extends in the central part of Syria, corresponding roughly to the
Hama Governorate and
Homs Governorate
Homs Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حمص / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥimṣ'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its area differs in various sources, from to . It is thus geographic ...
.
Its archeparchial see is the city of
Homs, where is located the Cathedral of
Our Lady of Peace
Our Lady of Peace, Mother of Peace, Queen of Peace or Our Lady Queen of Peace is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. She is represented in art holding a dove and an olive branch, symbols of peace. Her official memoria ...
. In
Yabrud is located the
co-cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen.
It is currently governed by Archeparch
Jean-Abdo Arbach, B.C.
The territory is divided into 21 parishes and there were 30,000 Melkite Catholics in 2010.
History
The archeparchy consists of territories that were once three separate ecclesiastical entities: Homs, Hama and Yabrud.
When in 1724 the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church was established, the three eparchies started gradually merged.
The union ultimately came during the patriarchate of
Maximos III Mazloum and was contextually erected from eparchy of Homs to Metropolitan Archeparchy on March 4, 1849,
as the titles of the
Melkite Catholic Archeparchy of Hama
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs (in Latin: Archeparchy Hemesena Graecorum Melkitarum-Epiphaniensis-Iabrudensis) is a nominally Metropolitan Archeparchy (Eastern Catholic archdiocese) of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite, ...
and Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Jabrud were formally united with the new Metropolitanate.
Episcopal ordinaries
;''Metropolitan Archeparchs of Homs''
* Ignace (mentioned in 1759)
* Jéremie (mentioned in 1790)
*
Gregory Atta
Gregory Atta born Michael Atta (born 14 April 1815 in Zahle, Lebanon - died on 3 December 1899 in Damascus, Syria) was a bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs, church historian and collector of antique manuscripts. He visited E ...
(February 20, 1849 - December 3, 1899 deceased)
*
Flavien Khoury Flavien Khoury also Flavien Kfoury (1859 in Khounshara, Lebanon – 1920) was Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs in Syria.
Life
On November 21, 1901, Khoury became the successor of Gregory Ata and was appointed Archb ...
(November 21, 1901 - 1920 resigned),
Titular Archbishop
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 an ...
of
Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites (1920 – ?)
*
Basil Khoury (November 20, 1920 - October 25, 1938 deceased), Titular Archbishop of
Sergiopolis
Resafa ( ar, الرصافة Reṣafa), also sometimes spelled Rusafa, and known in the Byzantine era as Sergiopolis (in greek Σεργιούπολις, Σεργιόπολις, "city of Saint Sergius") and briefly as Anastasiopolis (Αναστασ ...
(1938.10.15 – death 1941.11.21)
*
Athanasios Toutoungi Athanasios Toutoungi (6 September 1899 in Alexandretta, now İskenderun, Turkey – 20 February 1981) was an archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo in Syria.
Life
Athanasios Toutoungi was on July 20, 1927 ordained to the pr ...
(October 1, 1938 - December 5, 1961), previously
Superior General of
Basilian Alepian Order (B.A.) (1934 – 1940); later Metropolitan Archeparch of
Aleppo of the Greek-Melkites
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo (Latin: Archidioecesis Aleppensis o Beroeensis Graecorum Melkitarum) is an archeparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church located in Syria, based in Aleppo. Its current archeparch is Jean-Clément J ...
(Syria) (1961.12.05 – 1968.03.06),
Titular Archbishop
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 an ...
of
Tarsus of the Greek-Melkites
Tarsus may refer to:
Biology
*Tarsus (skeleton), a cluster of articulating bones in each foot
*Tarsus (eyelids), elongated plate of dense connective tissue in each eyelid
*The distal segment of an arthropod leg see Arthropod tarsus
*The lower le ...
(1968.03.06 – death 1981.02.20)
*
Jean Bassoul Jean Bassoul, BS, also John Bassoul, (7 May 1920 in Maghdouché, Lebanon – 9 August 1977) was an archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol.
Ordination
On 11 July 1943 Bassoul was ordained priest and was appoin ...
, Basilian
Salvatorian fathers
The Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour () abbreviated BS,also known as the Basilian Salvatorian Order, is an Eastern Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for men of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church. The name derives from its motherho ...
(B.S.) (December 5, 1961 - August 21, 1971), later Archeparch of
Zahle and Forzol of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) (1971.08.21 – 1977.08.09)
*
Denys Gaith Denys Gaith, BC (19 March 1910 in Yabroud, Syria – 22 March 1986) was Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs in Syria.
Life
Denys Gaith was ordained on 8 September 1937 and became the Chaplain of the Saint John the Baptist ...
,
Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist (B.C.) (August 21, 1971 - March 22, 1986 deceased)
*
Abraham Nehmé, B.C. (August 20, 1986 - June 20, 2005 withdrawn)
*
Isidore Battikha, B.A. (February 9, 2006 - September 6, 2010 resigned), previously Archbishop of
Pelusium of the Greek-Melkites (1992.08.25 – 2006.02.09),
Auxiliary Bishop of
Antioch of the Greek-Melkites (Syria) (1992.08.25 – 2006.02.09)
*
Jean-Abdo Arbach, B.C., (June 23, 2012 - ), previously Titular Bishop of
Hilta (2006.10.17 – 2006.11.11),
Apostolic Exarch of
Argentina of the Greek-Melkites (2006.10.17 – 2012.06.23), Titular Bishop of
Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites (2006.11.11 – 2012.06.23)
References
Sources and external links
GigaCatholic with incumbent biography links* http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dhomm.html
* http://www.pgc-lb.org/fre/melkite_greek_catholic_church/Metropole-of-Homs-Hama-and-Yabroud
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120419194326/http://www.pgc-lb.org/english/Church3.shtml#Homs
{{coord, 34.7333, N, 36.7167, E, source:wikidata, display=title
1849 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
Homs
Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Syria
Melkite Greek Catholic eparchies