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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Pope, Primacy of the Holy See of Rome

"Pope" is the title given to the Patriarch of the West (the Holy See of Rome) as the direct successor of The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter "in the primacy".
Currently, the Patriarch of the West has three separate positions with defined authorities and responsibilies: Pope (the world), Patriarch of the West (the Western Church), and Bishop of Rome (the Holy See of Rome). At one time, the Pope wore a triple crown to represent each of the three positions.

The current Patriarch of the West (the Holy See of Rome) and Pope is His Holiness Benedictus XVI (Benedict XVI).

The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter was the first Pope

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ pronounced The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter to be the Head of His Church on earth, the first Pope.
Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ changed The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter's name from "Simon" to "Kephas", which is Aramaic for "The Rock".

The word "Peter" and the word "The Rock" in many Languages

Aramaic
Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Apostles spoke Aramaic. The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Matthew the Evangelist wrote his Gospel in Aramaic. The Aramaic word spoken by Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ would be "kephas", as is recorded in various places of the New Testament.
So Mt. 16:18 would be rendered: "... you are Kephas and upon this kephas I will build My Church...."

Greek
The Gospel of The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Matthew the Evangelist was translated into Greek. In Greek, the word "Petra" means rock and is feminine in form. The word "Petros" (some say means a smaller stone) is masculine in form. It seems that the word "Petros" was used because it is the masculine (male gender) form of rock and Simon was a male.
So Mt. 16:18 would be rendered: "... you are Petros and upon this petra I will build My Church...."

English
"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Mt. 16:18)
"Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas' (which is translated Peter)."(Jn. 1:42)

French
In French, the word "Pierre" means rock and is masculine in form.
So Mt. 16:18 would be rendered: "... you are Pierre and upon this pierre will build My Church...."

Arabic
In Arabic, The Arabic Anglicized the word "Bourtos" means rock and is masculine in form.

Ecclesiastical Communion

The See of Antioch (The Melkite Greek Catholic Church) is in "Ecclesiastical Communion" with the Holy See of Rome (The Roman Catholic Church). Ecclesiastical Communion means that Melkites recognize the Holy See of Rome and that direct successor (the Patriarch of the West) of The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter "in the primacy". That direct successor, the Patriarch of the West, is the "first among equals". "Equals" are the other Patriarchs, one of which is The Patriarch of Antioch . (The Patriarch of Antioch is also a direct successor of The Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter, but he is not "in the primacy".)

History

In 325 A.D. at First Ecumenical Council also named Council of Nicaea I, the Patriarchates (Sees) of Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria were established. The bishops of these Sees were given the title of Patriarch.

The Sees established in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea:

• See of Rome
• See of Antioch
• See of Alexandra

The two Sees with an unbroken line of Patriarchs from the Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter are:

• See of Rome
• See of Antioch

Historically, the patriarchs have had an order of precedence. The Patriarch of the West (the Pope) is the First. The reason is that the Pope is the direct, "in the primacy" successor of Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter. (The Patriarch of Antioch is the direct, not "in the primacy" successor of Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter.)
The Patriarch of the West is "first among equals".

In 381 A.D., Constantinople was elevated to a Patriarchal See and given the ranking of "second only to the See of Peter" (the Holy See of Rome). This event happened after the capitol of the Roman empire was moved to Constantinople. The Roman Emperor requested that his capital city, Constantinople, be elevated to a Patriarchal See.

Pope's Role

The Patriarch of the West, The Pope, is more than the head of the Western Church. As the successor of Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Peter, The Pope has the added ministry of serving the other patriarchs and bishops in preserving the unity that is an essential characteristic of Christ's Church throughout the world.

The Melkite relationship with the Pope

Relationship between Melkites and the Pope: What is the relationship between our Bishops and the Pope? Are we obliged to accept dogmas like "The Immaculate Conception as it is defined by Rome? Why are there differences in the way the Pope is commemorated between the various Eastern rites?
The Bishop Answers Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States) Click on Questions Related to the relationship between the Christian Churches R6

Are we Orthodox united with Rome? - Several different people have written in asking some variation on this most fundament of questions. Since each question was directed in a slightly different way, Bishop John has chosen a rather more complete answer.
The Bishop Answers Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States) Click on Questions Related to the relationship between the Christian Churches R3

How do the Pope's encyclicals and teachings impact on the Melkites?
The Bishop Answers Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States) Click on Questions Related to the relationship between the Christian Churches R9

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is an unofficial Melkite Greek Catholic Web site and has not been reviewed or approved by any Melkite clergy person.
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is 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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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 16:10:24, CDT
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