www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Movement among the Melkite eparchs

I decided to merge these two threads, so that all the news and speculation can be easily viewed in one place.

Many years,

Neil

Both Archbishop Cyril and Bishop Issam-John are effectively being honored by reason of the posts that each is assuming. The Metropolitan Archeparchy of Beirut (which is the Proto-Throne of Antioch), and the Archeparchy of Furzol, Zahle and the Bekaa, are among the most historically important and prominent Sees of the Melkite Patriarchate.

Archbishop Cyril will be the 4th bishop of the Missionaries of St Paul to head the Metropolia - the first of whom would later become His Beatitude Maximos IV, of blessed memory.
Bishop Issam-John will be the 5th bishop of the Basilian Salvatoriams to head the Archeparchy of Furzol, Zahle, and the Bakaa. Two of his predecessors in this See also became patriarchs, Macarios IV Tawil and Cyril IX Mogabgabh, both of blessed memory. Another was Archbishop John Bassoul, BSO, of blessed memory, who was previously pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation parish (later the Melkite Cathedral) in Boston and whose episcopal ordination was presided by Cardinal Cushing, robed in Byzantine vesture, at Boston's (Latin) Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Many years,

Neil

Does someone know when will these decisions come into force? It is more than six months since the Synod gathered and nothing has changed among these eparchies. Archbishop Cyril Salim Boustros is still Eparch of the USA, Bishop Issam Darwish is still Eparch of Australia, Metropolitan Youssef Kallas is still Metropolitan of Beirut and Archbishop Andre Haddad is still Archbishop of Zahle.

I would be very interested in knowing whether there are any American-born candidates under consideration for the Archeparchy of Newton.

Wouldn't we all.

Stuart, if so (and, hopefully, there are), it strikes me that the pool for such would be very small if one considers factors of age, health, years as a priest, and that the first such would likely be of either Lebanese or Syrian ancestry. I'm thinking the list of possibilities meeting that criteria could probably be counted on one hand - with a finger or two perhaps left over.

Many years,

Neil

For some of my friends here in Indonesia, the news of Bishop Issam's moving has been a sad news, since it means any activity for starting melkite in Indonesia "might be" pending. And... No one knows the future Bishop and his point of view regarding the desire to have melkites in Indonesia. Well, Good Lord, have mercy on us.

There is, of course, a former auxiliary who was passed over, whose tenure as Archbishop would have had tremendous potential for the Melkite Archeparchy.

I was thinking basically the same thing.

I was told that there is a high possibility that the former Auxilary might be brought out of retirement.

Well, I hope His Grace doesn't leave too soon. I'm still awaiting a official reply from him.

Newton is canonically an eparchy, although it has had two archbishops (including Archbishop Cyril) among its eparchs.

An archbishop is head of an archdiocese. Anything else is silly.

Stuart,

That may be but, as I'm sure you know, both were accorded the title ad personam

Many years,

Neil

An archbishop is still a bishop. Likewise, an Archeparchy should still be just an eparchy. You still need a bishop to run the show. And an archbishop cannot be so until he becomes bishop.

It would appear that the Melkites and some others dont have diocese and only have archdiocese. We have had problems in Australia with the eparchs using the title of archbishop and upsetting the Latin bishops in the process. It does not seem to be a issue today but it certainly was when these eparchs arrived here from o'seas.

Oh, kind of like someone being made a brevet general.