Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo
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Archeparchy of Aleppo (Melkite Greek) Archidioecesis Aleppensis o Beroeensis Graecorum Melkitarum |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Syria |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Catholics |
(as of 2012) 18,000 |
| Parishes | 12 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Melkite Greek Catholic Church |
| Rite | Byzantine Rite |
| Established | 1724 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Patriarch | Gregory III Laham |
| Archeparch | Jean-Clément Jeanbart |
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 Jeanbart.
The archeparchy extends its jurisdiction over the Syrian governorates of Aleppo, Idlib, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Hassaké (or Djéziré). Its archeparchial seat is the city of Aleppo, where the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is located.
The territory is divided into 12 parishes and has 18,000 baptized.
The Archeparchy of Aleppo is one of the oldest ones of the Melkite Patriarchate of Antioch. The eparchy of Berea (ancient name of Aleppo) had its origin goes back to the First Council of Nicaea (325), during which Bishop Eustathius of Aleppo was chosen for the first time by Melkite Patriarch of Antioch. The most famous bishop of Aleppo was Acacius, who played 379-433 an important role in the life of the Eastern Churches. After the Council of Chalcedon (451), the Melkite clergy found their headquarters in Aleppo. The eparchy of Aleppo was elevated to the rank of archeparchy in the sixth century.
The Cathedral of Aleppo was rebuilt after the Arab conquest in 637 to the mosque. During the Crusade to 1147, the mosque was cathedral and seat of the Church's Pastors again.
The reoccupation of Aleppo by Mongols and Tatars in 1400 led to the persecution of the Christian community of Aleppo. It was only in the 16th century took the Christian life and the ecclesiastical structure back to his work. Aleppo grew up into a thriving metropolis and with the union of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church, a new religious center was established in Syria.
The Melkite community of Aleppo is one of the oldest in the region. The eparchy of Berea (ancient name of Aleppo) dates back to the fourth century and was elevated to the rank of archeparchy in the sixth century.
The Greek Catholic Archeparchy was officially born by the division which occurred in 1724 between the community who formally declared the union with Rome and the community that instead remained under the influence of Constantinople. Previously the Greek Orthodox community of Aleppo had shown sympathy for Catholicism and some bishops, personally, had made profession of the Catholic faith, among them Gregory in 1698, Gennadio in about 1700, and Gerasimos, the first bishop with whom begins the current series of Aleppinian Catholic Archeparchs was named in 1721, and his tenure lasted from 1721 to 1732. The Greek Catholic Archeparchy finally emerged in 1724.
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