Jean-Abdo Arbach, B.C., (born on June 28, 1952, in Yabroud, Syria) is the current archeparch of the

Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs (in Latin: Archeparchy Hemesena Graecorum Melkitarum-Epiphaniensis-Iabrudensis) is a nominally Metropolitan Archeparchy (Eastern Catholic archdiocese) of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite, ...

, Hama and Yabroud.

Life

In 1966 Jean-Abdo Arbach began his studies at the seminary and lived in the adjoining monastery. In 1977, he put in the Melkite congregation of

Basilian Salvatorian Order The Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour () abbreviated BS, also known as the Basilian Salvatorian Order, is an Eastern Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for men of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church. The name derives from its mothe ...

, and took his religious vows. On 2 December 1979, Arbach was ordained a deacon and received on 24 August 1980, the ordination to the priesthood in the Basilian order. The consecration was performed by the Archbishop of Beirut and Byblos

Habib Bacha Habib Bacha, SMSP (June 24, 1931 in Tyre, Lebanon – 23 November 1999) was Melkite Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos. Priests and promotion Habib Bacha received his priestly ordination on 29 June 1956 leadi ...

. From 1980 to 1986 he was Director and Professor of Arabic at the seminary. Arbach joined a number of positions at seminaries and within the religious community. He was staying at the

Holy Spirit University of Kaslik The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK; , ''Jāmiʿah al-Rūḥ al-Quddus – al-Kaslīk'') is a private, non-profit, Catholic university in Jounieh, Lebanon. The university was founded by the Baladites in 1950 and ratified under the new ...

and earned a degree in liturgy and Arabic. Arbach was head of the Episcopal seminary of Zahle and Furzol and studied psychology at the National University in Lebanon. From 1997 to 2004 he was pastor of San George Church in Cordoba, Argentina, and director of the Basilian Order. In 2004 Arbach went back and was in the diocese of Zahle and Furzol rector of the Oriental College, where he taught Arabic, French and Spanish. He led retreats, taught the catechism and published articles in various journals.

Exarch

On 17 October 2006, he became the exarch of Argentina, titular bishop of Hilta, and also became titular bishop of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, appointed by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

, with simultaneous appointment. His appointed asTitular Bishop of Palmyra of Greek Melkites was decreed on 11 November 2006. On February 3, 2007, Arbach was ordained bishop by the Patriarch

Gregory III Laham Gregory III Laham, B.S. (; ; born Lutfy Laham, December 15, 1933, in Darayya, Syria), Emeritus Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, is the former spiritual leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He was elec ...

, BS and his co-consecrators were

Abraham Nehmé Abraham Nehmé, BC or Ibrahim Naameh (8 October 1927 – 9 December 2022) was Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs in Syria. Life Nehmé was born in Kaïtouly, Lebanon on 8 October 1927. Nehmé was ordained to the priesth ...

(Archbishop of Homs) and

Georges El-Murr Georges El-Murr, BC (11 October 1930 in Ka'a at Baalbek, Lebanon – 8 February 2017) was Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Petra and Philadelphia in Amman. Life Georges El-Murr was ordained a priest of the Order of St. J ...

(Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia). In this capacity he organized the 7th Congress to the incumbent Melkite bishops and priests incumbent in South America, under the direction of the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch Gregory III Laham in Cordoba from August 30 to September 3, 2010. Arbach was in October 2010, participant at the Special Assembly of the

Synod of Bishops (Catholic) In the Catholic Church, the Synod of Bishops is an influential, global, consultative and advisory body to the pope. It is one of the mechanisms through which Catholic bishops—the most senior ordained members of the Church—communally render ...

for the Middle East in Rome. On June 23, 2012, Abdo Arbach was appointed archbishop of the

, Hama and Yabroud.

References

External links

* http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/barbach.html * http://www.melkites.org/en/eg.php * http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/homs0.htm#11012 {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbach, Jean-Abdo 1952 births Living people Melkite Greek Catholic bishops Syrian Melkite Greek Catholics People from Rif Dimashq Governorate Eastern Catholic bishops in Syria