Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka
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Archeparchy of Akka (Melkite Greek) Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Melchitarum |
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| Location | |
| Country | Israel |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Catholics |
(as of 2012) 76,700 |
| Parishes | 33 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Melkite Greek Catholic Church |
| Rite | Byzantine Rite |
| Established | 1753 |
| Cathedral | Saint Elias Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Patriarch | Gregory III Laham |
| Archeparch | George Bacouni |
| Emeritus Bishops | Elias Chacour |
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka (in Latin: Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Melchitarum) is an Eastern Catholic diocese of Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite, Arabic), directly subject to the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch. Its Cathedral episcopal see is St. Elijah Greek-Melkite Cathedral, in Haifa.
The archeparchy extends its jurisdiction to Melkites of Israel, especially of Galilee. Headquarters of archeparchy (archdiocese) is Haifa, where is the Saint Elias Cathedral. Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka counted 76,700 baptized members, and had a territory subdivided in 33 parishes in 2012.
As of 2014 the Melkite Greek Catholic Church was the largest Christian community in Israel, where about 60% of Israeli Christians belonged to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Ancient Ptolemais-Akre was the site of the visit of Paul of Tarsus during his trip described in Acts of Apostles. Soon, the city was a strong Christian community. In the third century was established headquarters of an ancient episcopal see here and the capital of the bishop of the diocese, which is suffragan of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre, referring to the ancient period in Ptolemais in Phoenicia, called Acre in the Crusader period.
In 1753, the see was restored as a Melkite diocese by Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas and attached once again to Tyre, which had become independent from Jerusalem. However, the Melkite bishops of Acre began to reside there only in 1804.
Before 1932, the jurisdiction of Acre included Transjordan. The see became an Archeparchy on November 18, 1964 with the Papal Bull Apostolic constitution of Pope Paul VI and includes all Galilee.
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