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 St. Elijah Greek-Melkite Cathedral, in Haifa.
Territory and statistics
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.
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.
Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchs (Bishops) of Akka
Macaire Ajemi (1759 - December 25, 1774 resigned)
Michel (Germanos) Adam (December 25, 1774 consecrated - July 1777 appointed Archeparchy of Aleppo)
Makarios Fakhoury (? - 1794?)
Makarios Nahas (1795 - 1809?)
Habib Theodosius (1809 - 1833?)
Michel Clement Bahouth, (B.S.) (August 10, 1836 consecrated - June 16, 1856 confirmed as Patriarch of Antioch)
Hanna (Gregory) Youssef-Sayour (November 13, 1856 consecrated - March 27, 1865 confirmed as Patriarch of Antioch)
Agapio Dumani, B.S. (December 4, 1864 - 1893 deceased)
Grégoire Haggiar (March 24, 1901 - October 30, 1940 deceased)
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchs (Archishops) of Akka
Georges Hakim (March 13, 1943 - November 26, 1967), later Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites (Syria) ([1967.11.22] 1967.11.26 – 2000.11.22), Titular Patriarch of Alexandria of the Greek-Melkites ([1967.11.22] 1967.11.26 – 2000.11.22), Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites ([1967.11.22] 1967.11.26 – 2000.11.22), President of Synod of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church (1969 – 2000.11.22), President of Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in Syria (1969 – 2000.11.22)
Joseph-Marie Raya (9 September 1968 - August 21, 1974 resigned), Titular Archbishop of Scythopolis (1974.08.21 – 2005.06.10)
Maximos Salloum (August 20, 1975 - July 23, 1997 withdrawn)
Pierre Boutros Mouallem, Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul ((S.M.S.P.) (29 July 1998 - July 18, 2003 withdrawn), previously Superior General of Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul (1975 – 1987), Eparch (Bishop) of Nossa Senhora do Paraíso em São Paulo of the Greek-Melkites (Brazil) (1990.04.20 – 1998.07.29)
Apostolic Administrator Georges Nicolas Haddad, M.S.P. (2003.03.21 – 2005.12.10), while Apostolic Exarch of Argentina of the Greek-Melkites (Argentina) (2002.04.20 – 2005.12.19), Titular Bishop of Myra of the Greek-Melkites (2002.04.20 – 2006.10.14); later Archeparch of Baniyas of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) (2006.10.14 – ...)
Elias Chacour (7 February 2006 - January 27, 2014 withdrawn)
Apostolic Administrator Moussa El-Hage, OAM (O.A.M.) (January 27, 2014 - June 21, 2014), while Archeparch of Haifa and Holy Land of the Maronites (Israel) (2012.06.16 – ...), Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine of the Maronites (2012.06.16 – ...), Patriarchal Exarch of Jordan of the Maronites (2012.06.16 – ...)
George Bacouni, (June 21, 2014 - ...), formerly Metropolitan Archeparch of Tyre of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) ([2005.06.27] 2005.10.20 – 2014.06.21)
