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Holy Synod
The Holy Synod is composed of the Patriarch / Batriyark and all the Sayenda / Bishops. The Holy Synod meets annually for a week June. Usually, the meeting is at the Patriarchal Residence in Ain Traz, Lebanon.<.p>
Some Actions of the Holy Synod
The Holy Synod discusses issues concerning the Melkite Catholic Church. The Holy Synod has many committees, which make reports to the Holy Synod. The Holy Synod decides issues within the Melkite Catholic Church.
The Holy Synod elects the new Patriarch / Batriyark.
The Holy Synod Participates in the selection of new Bishops / Sayenda. The selection method for Bishop / Sayenda, depends on where the Bishop / Sayenda will be located.
- In its historical territories (the Middle East), the Holy Synod elects the Bishop / Sayenda. The Latin Catholic Church has no say in the selection of the Bishop / Sayenda.
- In the territories where most Catholics are Latin Catholics (such as the United States), the Holy Synod and the Pope agree on the Bishop / Sayenda. The Holy Synod compiles a list of three names and the Holy See compiles a list of three names.
June 2010
June 2009
June-July 2003
The text below is from the Zenit Web Site.
GREEK-MELKITE BISHOPS OFFER TO HELP IN DIALOGUE WITH ISLAM
DAMASCUS, Syria, JULY 3, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Bishops of the Catholic Church of Greek-Melkite rite made an appeal for "the great nations not to spare any effort to establish a just, global and complete peace" in the Holy Land.
Their appeal was reflected in a statement issued at the end of their synod, held for the first time in Syria. The June 17-27 gathering brought together 30 of the 37 Melkite bishops and four general superiors of religious, under the presidency of His Beatitude Gregory III Laham, patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites.
The synod fathers stated that they are ready to "make our Church a platform to help Arab leaders to act in the framework of justice, peace and development."
Likewise, the bishops offered to "help the Western world to understand Islam and Muslim-Christian relations," Vatican Radio reported.
The Greek-Melkite Church has 1.5 million faithful in the Middle East and in the diaspora. The focus of the synod was the formation of parish priests.
The bishops also examined plans for the next patriarchal conclave scheduled for 2006. ZE03070322
email this article: http://www.zenit.org/senglish/send_friend/index.phtml?sid=38239
June 2003
Location
The first five days of the Synod, 17-22 June, will be held at the International Encounter Center, St. Thomas Monastery in Saydnaya, 20 miles East of Damascus, Syria.
From 23 June through 27 June, the Synod will reconvene at the Patriarchate in Rabweh, Lebanon.
United States Bishops
Bishop John Elya was given a clean bill of health by his doctor and flew to the Middle East on 10 June to attend the annual meeting of the Holy Synod of the Bishops of the Melkite Church. Bishop John will return to the US on 10 July.
Bishop Nicholas Samra left the US on 12 June. Bishop Nicholas will return to the US on 2 July.
In the absence of the bishops, Archimandrite Joseph Haggar of Rhode Island will serve as temporary administrator of the diocese.
June 2002
His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of The Holy Apostles and all the bishops of the Melkite-Greek Catholic Church will meet at the Patriarchal Residence in Rabweh, Antelias, Lebanon, from Monday 17 June to Sunday 23 June. May God bless and guide their deliberations and decisions.
June 2001
The Holy Synod of all the Melkite Greek Catholic bishops in the world, led by His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of The Holy Apostles, began this week at the Patriarch's residence in Rabweh, Lebanon.
United States Bishops, Bishop John Elya and Bishop Nicholas Samra, are among those attending. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our fathers in faith.
November 2000
Synod Elects New Patriarch (11/00) New Melkite Patriarch Gregory the Third
Complete text of letter Date: Thursday, November 23, 2000, From: Bishop John Elya, To:His Flock, Subject: Patriarchate Progress Report
From the Patriarchal Residence in Rabweh, near Antelias, Beirut, Lebanon, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day, overflowing with the blessings of the Lord.
+ Bishop John Elya
I am pleased to send you the following progress report on the situation of the Melkite Patriarchate regarding the resignation of His Beatitude, Patriarch Maximos V Hakim, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem. His Beatitude, 92 year old, bedridden since he had a stroke last February, presented his resignation to the Melkite Synod in a letter dated on October 17, signed by him and four witnesses.
After due consultation with His Holiness Pope John Paul II and the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, an exceptional Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church was held at the Patriarchal Residence, Rabweh, Lebanon on Wednesday, November 22, 2000. It was convened and presided by the Patriarchal Administrator, Archbishop John Haddad of Tyre.
The Synod was attended by the following Hierarchs who had come from the Middle East, the Americas and Australia:
The Synod was attended by the following Hierarchs who had come from the Middle East, the Americas and Australia:
Elias Zoghby (Emeritus of Baalbek)
Gregory Haddad (Emeritus of Beirut)
Saba Youakim (Emeritus of Amman, Jordan)
Paul Antaki (Patriarchal Vicar in Egypt and Sudan),
Maximos Salloum (Emeritus of Haifa and Galilee),
Michel Hakim (Emeritus of Canada),
Francois Abou-Mokh (Emeritus Patriarchal Vicar in Damascus),
John Mansour (Patriarchal Vicar Auxiliary in Lebanon),
Michel Yatim (Emeritus of Latakieh),
Lutfy Laham (Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem),
Boulos Borkhoch (Houran and the Arab Mountain),
Andre Haddad (Zahleh, Fourzol and the Beqaa),
John Adel Elya (the United States of America),
Ibrahim Nehmeh (Homs, Hama and Yabroud),
George Riachi (Tripoli, Lebanon),
Georges Kouaiter (Saida and Deir-el-Kamar),
Cyril Salim Bostros (Baalbek),
Antoine Hayek (Paneas and Gedeidet Marjeyooun),
Pierre Mouallem, Haifa, Nazareth and Galilee)
George El-Murr (Amman, Jordan)
Isidore Battikhah (Patriarchal Vicar in Damascus)
Jean Janbart (Aleppo)
Fares Macarone, Brazil
George Kahale Zuhairaty (Venezuela and Argentina)
Issam Darwich (Australia)
Sleiman Hajjar (Canada)
Joseph Kallas (Beirut and Gebeil)
Nocola Sawwaf, Lataquieh
Divided by their sees or residence, they had come from:
Lebanon (12), Syria (7), the Holy Land (3), Egypt (1), the United States (1), Canada (2), Brazil (1) Venezuela (1) and Australia (1).
It is worth mentioning that, among the members attending the Synod, seven were retired bishops. In contrast to some other Bishops' gatherings such as the National Conference of Catholic Bishop of America (NCCB), and the Consistory of Cardinals, the retired bishops in attendance at the Melkite Synod enjoy full rights of voting and being voted, on a par with all other bishops. This concern is a good illustration of the traditional high esteem and piety in which Easterners hold the wisdom of old age. According to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, a bishop must present his resignation from office at the completion of 75 years of age. However nothing is mentioned about the retirement of the Patriarch.
Four bishops were excused from attending the Synod: Archbishop Capucci, former Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem and former Apostolic Visitator in Europe; Archbishop Joseph Raya former Archbishop Of Haifa, Nazareth and Galilee, presently residing at Madonna House, Combermere, Ontario, Canada; Bishop Spiridon Matar, retired Bishop of Brazil, anad His Excellency, Bishop Nicholas Samra, Auxiliary Bishop of Newton, USA, who had undergone recently a surgical operation.
The following Press Release was issued by the Patriarchate in this regard {signed by the Most Rev. Archbishop Jean Mansour, the Patriarchal Adminiistrator} :
n 1 - The Holy Synod of the Bishops of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church held on November 22, accepted the resignation of His Beatitude, Maximos Hakim V, which he had presented to the Synod {by writing, signed by him and by four witnesses,} on October 17, 2000.
n On this occasion, the Fathers of the Synod addressed to His Beatitude, the following letter:
"To His Beatitude Patriarch Maximos V Hakim, The Fathers of the Holy Synod meeting today at the Patriarchal Residence at Rabweh, beg your blessing and your prayer. They express to your Beatitude their gratitude and their appreciation for your great efforts and your valuable endeavors to enhance our Church on all levels and to makke it grow spirituall, pastorally and physically, withiin the traditional area of the Patriarchate and in the Countries of Emigration.
Our Church owes you many memorable favors, which history will write in golden letters On its shining pages, and which your children will remember with great esteem and pride.
We implore long life for your Beatitude and we ask for your good prayers and your paternal blessings, so that we can continue our journey with diligence and perseverance that you and your great predecessors traced for us in the past."
n 2 - The Synod decided to call for an "elective Synod" {for the election of a new Patriarch / Batriyark} at 10:00 AM, on Monday, November 27.
n 3 - The Fathers of the Synod ask all their children, clergy, religious and laity, and all their friends, to help them through their prayers to Good, so that He will give them the assistance and the Inspiration of His Holy Sppirit, in order to elect the person who will be the father, the shepherd and the faithful servant to the Church and the people."
Message from the Exceptional Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church(11/00) by Eparch John Elya
Holy Synod Will Consider Resignation, Election of Patriarch / Batriyark
His Beatitude, Maximos V, Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria, and of Jerusalem since 22 November 1967, has submitted his resignation to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Born on 18 May 1908 in Tanta, Egypt, His Beatitude has been incapacitated by the effects of a stroke since early this year. In June, Metropolitan John Haddad, Archbishop of Tyre, has been Apostolic Administrator of the Patriarchate. On 22 November, the 33rd anniversary of the election of Maximos V as Patriarch, the Synod will meet at the Patriarchate in Rabweh, Lebanon, to accept his resignation and to elect a new Patriarch / Batriyark. After his election, the new Patriarchate will send a letter announcing his election to the Pope in Rome. The Pope will respond with an acknowledgement of the election and a reaffirmation of the communion of the two Churches. Our Bishops John and Nicholas will fly to Lebanon today (Nov. 19) to participate in the meeting of the Synod. May God guide all our bishops to choose a wise, strong, and loving Father for our Church.
Holy Synod September 2000
His Excellency, Bishop Nicholas Samra reports on the Synod of Melkite Bishops in Lebanon and His Beatitude, Maximos V
His Excellency, Bishop Nicholas Samra recently wrote to all the clergy of the diocese after his return from the meeting of Synod of Melkite Bishops in Lebanon. "Our Synod," he wrote, "was held under the direction of Archbishop John Haddad, Metropolitan of Tyre and Apostolic Administrator of the Patriarchate. His Beatitude, Maximos V is in very poor health-his life is between bed and a chair and he is unable to walk at all. He is aware, knew all of us, and spoke with each one, yet his medical team does not expect full recovery. He has 24-hour care by a professional staff; please keep him in your prayers and recommend him to the prayers of the faithful."
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in
the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants
Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no
grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for
there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and
the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your
all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.
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