Melkite Catholic Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan

The Melkite (Greek) Catholic Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan is a missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction in the Northern African countries of Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan for the faithful of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

It is directly subject to the Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, not part of his or any other ecclesiastical province.

It has two cathedrals, both in Egypt

• the Resurrection cathedral in national capital Cairo, its episcopal see
• the Dormition cathedral in Alexandria, the Ancient see of the (here Titular) Patriarch.

As per 2014, it pastorally served 6,200 Melkite Catholics in 14 parishes with 18 priests (diocesan), 2 deacons and 15 lay religious sisters.

History

Established in 1997 as Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Egypt and Sudan, countries previously without proper Ordinary of the particular church sui iuris, pastorally administered as a Patriarchal vicariate and from 1991 as Patriarchal exarchate, all pre-diocesan types of Eastern Catholic jurisdiction.

Renamed in 2013 as Territory Dependent on the Patriarch of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan after the last country seceded from Sudan, so retaining its territory.

Although the Ordinary's rank of protosyncellus technically doesn't require a (titular) bishop, even the precursors were episcopal (or even archiepiscopal).

Episcopal precursor Superiors

(all Melkite Rite)

Patriarchal Vicars of Egypt and Sudan of the Greek-Melkites (Egypt)

• Bishop Basile Kfoury (1837 – death 1859.04.05), no other prelature
• Bishop Ambroise Abdou (1864 – 1866.11.15) (born Syria); next Eparch (Bishop) of Zahleh–Furzol of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) (1866.11.15 – retired 1875.12.24), died 1876
• Archbishop Joannice Massamiri (1864.01.14 – death 1870.09.03), Titular Archbishop of Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites (1864.01.14 – 1870.09.03)
• Bishop Athanase Nasser (1879 – death 1902.10.24), no other prelature
• Bishop Pierre-Macario Saba (1903.11.29 – 1919.06.25) (born Syria), Titular Bishop of Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites (1903.11.29 – 1919.06.25), first as Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria of the Greek-Melkites (1903.11.29 – 1919.06.25); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Aleppo of the Greek-Melkites (Syria) (1919.06.25 – death 1943.07.28)
• Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie (born Syria) (1920.04.25 – death 1921.11.25), Titular Archbishop of Myra of the Greek-Melkites (1920.04.25 – 1921.11.25)
• Bishop Antonio Farage (1922.12.11 – retired 1928) (born Syria), Titular Bishop of Laodicea in Syria of the Greek-Melkites ([1922.01.01] 1922.12.11 – 1961.03.07), also on emeritate; later Titular Archbishop of Damiata of the Greek-Melkites (1961.03.07 – death 1963.11.09)
• Bishop Dionysios Kfoury, Salvatorian Fathers (B.S.) (1932 – retired 1954), Titular Bishop of Tarsus of the Greek-Melkites (1927.06.20 – death 1965.03.11)
• Archbishop Elias Zoghbi (1954.09.02 – 1968.09.09) (born Egypt), Titular Archbishop of Nubia (see) (1954.09.02 – 1968.09.09); later Archbishop of Baalbek of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) (1968.09.09 – retired 1988.10.24), died 2008
• Archbishop Paul Antaki (born Egypt) (1968.09.09 – 1991 see below), Titular Archbishop of Nubia (see) (1968.09.09 – death 2011.12.29)

Patriarchal Exarch

• Archbishop Paul Antaki (see above 1991 – 1997 see below), Titular Archbishop of Nubia (see) (1968.09.09 – 2011.12.29)

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Melkite Rite)

Protosyncelli of Egypt and Sudan

• Paul Antaki (see above 1997 – 2001.06.22), , Titular Archbishop of Nubia (see) (1968.09.09 – death 2011.12.29)
• Joseph Jules Zerey (2001.06.22 – 2008), Titular Archbishop of Damiata of the Greek-Melkites (2001.06.22 – ...), later Protosyncellus of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites (Palestine) (2008 – ...)

Protosyncelli of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan

• Georges Bakar (2008 – ...), Titular Archbishop of Pelusium of the Greek-Melkites (2006.02.09 – ...); previously Protosyncellus of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites (Palestine) (2006.02.09 – 2008)

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Egypt
• List of Catholic dioceses in Sudan and South Sudan
• List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)

Sources and external links

• GCatholic with incumbent bio links