Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia

Eparchy of Latakia (Maronite)
Eparchia Laodicenus Maronitarum
Location
Country  Syria
Statistics
Population
- Catholics
(as of 2011)
35,000
Parishes 32
Information
Sui iuris church Maronite Church
Rite 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
Emeritus Bishops Elias Khoury Sleman

The Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia or Latakia of the Maronites (in Latin: Eparchia Laodicenus Maronitarum) is an eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) of the Maronite Catholic Church. In 2011 there were 35,000 members. It is governed by Eparch Antoine Chbeir.

Territory and statistics

It is immediately subject to the Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, not part of any ecclesiastical province.

The territory includes the city of Latakia, where is located the Our Lady of Latakia Cathedral,[1] in Latakia, the former Laodicea ad Mare.

The territory is divided into 32 parishes and in 2011 there were 35,000 Lebanese 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,[2] the Congregation for the Oriental Churches decided to steal the territories of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tripoli of the Maronites who were in the Syrian's area under the authority of the archeparch of Aleppo and to entrust them to the administrator apostolic of Latakia (a missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction, directly subject to the Holy See).

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

Episcopal Ordinaries

Apostolic Administrators of Latakia

Non-suffragan Eparchs (Bishops) of Latakia

See also

Sources

References

  1. Gcatholic
  2. in AAS 47 (1955), p. 611, Vatican.va
  3. [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.]
  4. p. 199. Anche Dictionnaire d'histoire et ... VIII, col. 1320.
  5. [Inserito da Catholic Hierarchy in Diocese of Laodicensis in Phrygia.]
  6. News.va

Coordinates: 35°30′56″N 35°46′35″E / 35.5155°N 35.7765°E / 35.5155; 35.7765

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