Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia
Eparchy of Latakia Eparchia Laodicenus Maronitarum | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | West Syro-Antiochene Rite |
| Established | 4 August 1977 |
| Cathedral | Our Lady of Latakia Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Our Lady |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Patriarch | Bechara Boutros al-Rahi |
| Eparch | Antoine Chbeir |
| Bishops emeritus | Elias Khoury Sleman |
The Eparchy of Latakia or Latakia of the Maronites (in Latin: Eparchia Laodicenus Maronitarum) is a
Territory and statistics
It is immediately subject to the
The territory includes the city of Latakia, where is located the Our Lady of Latakia Cathedral,[1] in
The territory is divided into 32 parishes and in 2011 there were 35,000[citation needed] Maronite Catholics.
History
Until the eighteenth century the Maronite patriarchate was formally divided into eparchies: in fact the bishops were all considered as auxiliary of the Patriarch, the only true leader of the Maronite nation. The bishops of Laodicea, like other Maronite bishops, in fact, had only the title of their home, and pursues not any real jurisdiction and do not even have a place to reside.
The Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736, which at the request of Propaganda Fide decided the canonical erection of the Maronite diocese, gave no consideration to Laodicea, which therefore continued to be the seat of a titular bishop. The territories that were formally part of Laodicea were subdued by the synod of authority of the Tripoli Eparchs.
On April 16, 1954, with the decree Quo aptiori,
On August 4, 1977 the Apostolic Administration was raised to the status of Eparchy (Diocese), and the same time was suppressed the Titular see.
Titular Bishops
- Jean Estephan (November 1732 - 1743 named eparch of Beirut)[3]
- Nicolas Murad (5 December 1843 - 10 January 1863 deceased)[4]
- Joseph Foraifer (11 February 1872 - ?)[5]
- Paul Akl (22 February 1919 - 19 September 1959 deceased)
Episcopal ordinaries
Apostolic Administrators of Latakia
- Aleppo of the Maronites(Syria) (16 April 1954 – 2 June 1966)
- Apostolic Administrator Aleppo of the Maronites(Syria) (15 March 1967 – 9 June 1990)
Non-suffragan Eparchs (Bishops) of Latakia
- (Saint Maron of) Montreal of the Maronites(Canada) (23 November 1990 – 7 February 1996)
- Antoine Torbey (2 May 1986 – 23 June 2001 retired)
- Massoud Massoud (23 June 2001 – 5 June 2011 resigned)
- Elias Khoury Sleman (16 January 2012 – 14 March 2015 resigned), later President of Patriarchal Appeals Tribunal of the Maronites (since 14 March 2015)
- Antoine Chbeir[6] (since 14 March 2015)
See also
- Catholicism portal
Asia portal
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Sources
- Pontificio Annuario, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, ISBN 88-209-7422-3.
References
- ^ Gcatholic
- ^ in AAS 47 (1955), p. 611, Vatican.va
- ^ [Pierre Dib, Maronite (Eglise), in Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, Tome Dixième, première partie, Paris 1928, col. 81. Anche Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastique VIII, col. 1336.]
- ^ p. 199. Anche Dictionnaire d'histoire et ... VIII, col. 1320.
- Diocese of Laodicensis in Phrygia.]
- ^ News.va