Population
- Catholics (as of 2010)
3,100 Rite Byzantine Rite Cathedral Saint Thomas Cathedral Bishop Michel Abrass | Parishes 12 Established 1683 Country Lebanon | |
Denomination Melkite Greek Catholic Church | ||
Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre (Latin: Archeparchy Tyrensis Graecorum Melkitarum) is a metropolitan see of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. In 2009 there were 3,100 baptized. It is currently governed by Archeparch Michael Abrass, BA.
Contents
Territory and statistics
The archeparchy includes the southwestern part of Lebanon, roughly corresponding to the district of Tyre. Its archeparchial seat is the city of Tyre, where is located the Cathedral of Saint Thomas.
The territory is divided into 12 parishes and has 3,100 Melkite Catholics.
History
The historical origin of the archeparchy is traced back to the New Testament. In Acts of Apostles, the church of Tyre (also Tyros) is mentioned in the missionary journey of Paul the Apostle "From Miletus about Caesarea to Jerusalem" (Acts 21.3 to 7 EU). Tyre was an ancient metropolitan see in Roman and Byzantine Empire. During Crusades was erected an archdiocese of the Latin rite. The Roman Catholic Church built around 1124 the Archdiocese of Tyre, the territory encompassed the city and region of Tyre. Since Tyre was conquered in 1291 by the Muslim Mamluks, the archdiocese became titular.
The Archeparchy of Tyre of the Melkites are in communion with Rome since 1683 and its first Melkite archbishop was Euthymios Saifi. Under Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas it was reorganized by the Melkite Patriarchate. Initially it was united with the seats of Sidon and Akka; later ceded portions of territory for the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon in 1752 and Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka in 1759.
Following the war in Lebanon, many of the faithful have moved elsewhere, especially in Australia or Canada. Today the Melkitey Greek-Catholic community is reduced to little more than 3,000 faithful.