Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baniyas (in Latin: Archeparchy Caesariensis or Paneadensis) is a diocese of the

Melkite Greek Catholic Church The Melkite Greek Catholic Church (, ''Kanīsat ar-Rūm al-Malakiyyīn al-Kāṯūlīk''; ; ), also known as the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catho ...

suffragan of the

Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre 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 an Apostolic Administrator, Ar ...

. In 2009 there were 2,500 baptized. It is currently governed by Archeparch

Georges Nicholas Haddad Georges Nicolas Haddad, SMSP (born 24 June 1957 in Beirut, Lebanon) is the current bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baniyas, Lebanon. Ecclesiastical career Haddad was ordained a priest on August 28, 1983 as a member of the Melki ...

, SMSP. The Archeparchy is named after the city of

Baniyas Baniyas ( ') is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal city in Tartous Governorate, western Syria, located south of Latakia and north of Tartous. It is known for its citrus fruit orchards and its export of wood. North of the city is an B ...

in the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

at the foot of

Mount Hermon Mount Hermon ( / ALA-LC: ('Mountain of the Sheikh', ), , ) is a mountain, mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the Lebanon–Syria border, border between Syria and Lebanon a ...

Territory and statistics

The archeparchy includes the southeastern part of Lebanon. The archeparchial seat is the town of

Marjayoun Marjayoun or Jdeidet Marjayoun (: Lebanese pronunciation ), also Marj 'Ayoun, Marjuyun or Marjeyoun (lit. "meadow of springs") which reflects the area's lush landscape and abundant water resources and Jdeideh / Jdeida / Jdeidet Marjeyoun, is a m ...

with its Saint Peter's Cathedral, built in 1892 and restored in 1968 after a fire. The archeparchy had 11 parishes at the end of 2012.

History

The ancient seat dates from the fourth century, and it was restored as an eparchy on February 25, 1886. On November 18, 1964, it was elevated to the rank of archeparchy.

Bishops

* Basile Finan (1724–1752) * Maximos Sallal El Fakhoury (1759–1768) * Headquarters suppressed (1768–1886) * Barakat Geraigiry (February 22, 1886March 24, 1898 confirmed the Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkites) * Clemente Malouf, B.S. (November 24, 19011941 deceased) *

Isidore Fattal Isidore Fattal (26 October 1886 – 4 September 1961) was a bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Lebanon and Syria. Life On 20 July 1912, Isidore Fattal received the ordination to the priesthood and on 20 July 1943, he was appointed Bish ...

(June 20, 1943August 13, 1943 appointed Archbishop of Aleppo) * Basilio Antonio Leone Kilzi, B. A. (July 10, 1944August 11, 1951 resigned)

Archbishops

* Athanase Ach-Chaer, B.C. (July 28, 1951November 2, 1984 withdrawn) *

Nicolas Hajj Nicolas Hajj, BS (born on 30 June 1907 in Machgara, Lebanon - died on 12 January 1995) was a Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baniyas. Life Nicolas Hajj was ordained to the priesthood on April 1, 1934 ...

, S.D.S. (November 3, 1984September 18, 1985 resigned) *

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 ...

(1985–1987) (Patriarchal Administrator) *

Joseph Raya Joseph Raya () (15 August 1916 – 10 June 2005) was a Lebanese-born Melkite Catholic prelate who served as Archeparch of Akka from 1968 to 1974. He was also a theologian and civil rights advocate. Raya was particularly known for his commitme ...

(1987–1989) (Patriarchal Administrator) *

Antoine Hayek Antoine Hayek (26 August 1928 – 1 May 2010) was an Eastern Catholic bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and was archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baniyas. Life Antoine Hayek joined the Congregation of the Basilians ...

, B.C. (July 19, 1989October 17, 2006 withdrawn) *

, SMSP, (since October 17, 2006)

Sources

* Annuario Pontificio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, .

External links

Archeparchy of Bāniyās (Melkite Greek)
at catholic-hierarchy.org

at GCatholic.org
Melkite – Greek Catholic Patriarchate (Lebanon)
at pgc-lb.org {{Melkite Catholic Church Baniyas Melkite Greek Catholic eparchies Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Lebanon