Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem
The Syrian (or Syriac) Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (informally Jerusalem of the Syrians) is a Patriarchal exarchate (missionary Eastern Catholic pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Syrian Catholic Church (Antiochian Rite in Syriac language and Arameic) for Palestine and Jordan.
It is directly dependent on the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (with see in Beirut), but not part of his or any other ecclesiastical province, and depends in Rome on the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Its cathedral episcopal see is the World Heritage Site Church of St. Thomas, in Jerusalem, Holy Land (Israel/Palestine).
History
Established in 1991 as Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan), on territory (Palestine and (Trans)Jordan) previously without proper Ordinary of the particular church sui iuris, which was governed as Patriarchal Vicariate of Jerusalem of the Syriacs.
Ordinaries
(all West Syriac Rite)
- Patriarchal Exarchs of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan)
- Father Pierre Jaroûë (? – 1820.02.25), later Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians (Lebanon) as Ignace Pierre VII Jaroûë ([1820.02.25] 1828.01.28 – death 1851.10.16)
- Grégoire Pierre Abdel-Ahad (1991 – 2000), Titular Bishop of Batnæ of the Syrians (1996.06.29 – 2001.02.16); previously Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan) of the Syriacs (Palestine) (1978 – 1991); later Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriacs (Lebanon) ([2001.02.16] 2001.02.24 – retired 2008.01.25) as Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, President of Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (2001.02.24 – 2008.01.25)
- Grégoire Pierre Melki (2002.02.25 – ...), Titular Bishop of Batnæ of the Syriacs (2002.02.25 – ...)