Neophytos Nasri (1670–1731) was bishop of

Saidnaya Saidnaya (), also transliterated as Saydnaya, Seidnaya or Sednaya, is a city located in the mountains, above sea level, north of the city of Damascus in Syria. It is the home of a Greek Orthodox monastery traditionally held to have been founde ...

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 ...

and took a preeminent part in the 1724 split of the Melkite Church.

Life

Nasrallah Néophytos Nasri was born in Aleppo in 1670. He entered young a monk in the Balamand Monastery and in 1696 he was one of the founders of the

Basilian Chouerite Order The Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist () is a Melkite Greek Catholic monastic order of pontifical right for men. Order members add the nominal B.C after their names to indicate their membership in the Order. History The order ...

. He also served as a preacher in Amid. In 1722 he was appointed bishop of Saidnaya, and consecrated

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in the same year by Patriarch

Athanasius III Dabbas Patriarch Athanasius III Dabbas (1647–1724), sometimes known also as Athanasius IV, was the last Patriarch of Antioch before the final split of 1724 which divided the Melkite Church between the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Greek Ortho ...

. On October 1, 1724 he consecrated

Cyril VI Tanas Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas, also known as Cyril VI of Antioch (1680, Damascus – January 10, 1760), became the first Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church following the schism o ...

as bishop and Patriarch of the Melkite Church, so originating the split of the Melkite Church. After persecutions from the Orthodox party, he had to leave Saidnaya and in 1730 he moved to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, where he died on 21 February 1731 and was buried in the chapel of

Propaganda Fide The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for missionary work and related activities. It is also known by its former title, the Sacred Congregati ...

. A biography of Néophytos Nasri was written by his disciple Ignatius Quandalaft.published in French in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasri, Neophytos 1670 births 1731 deaths Converts to Eastern Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Syrian Orthodox Christians Syrian Melkite Greek Catholics Melkite Greek Catholic bishops Religious leaders from Aleppo