The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch's present complete title is Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, incorporating both of the church's other titular patriarchates.[1]
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church claims to be one of five churches that are continuations of the original See of Antioch. Thus, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church believes it traces its existence back to Saint Peter in a line of apostolic succession acknowledged by both Catholic and Orthodox canons. This claim is accepted by the Holy See and is not disputed by the other two Eastern Catholic Churches that also claim descent from the ancient See of Antioch, namely the Maronite Church[3] and the Syriac Catholic Church,[4] which both also have Patriarchs of Antioch.
Proper province and archdiocese
The Patriarch also holds the office of Metropolitan of an empty Ecclesiastical province without an actual suffragan see, actually comprising only his proper Metropolitan Archeparchy of Damascus (of the Melkites) also, in Latin: Damascenus Græcorum Melkitarum (with terms in other relevant languages: Damasco [Curiate Italiano]; Arabic: دِمَشق, romanized: Dimašq; and, locally, aš-Šām). Like the Patriarchate, in Rome it depends only upon the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
During a vacancy in the Patriarchate (such as following the resignation of Gregory III Laham in 2017), the bishop of the permanent synod who is most senior by ordination serves as administrator in chief of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
As of 2014[update], it pastorally served three thousand Catholics in eight parishes and one mission with: nine priests (six diocesan, three religious); three deacons; thirty‑three lay religious (three brothers, thirty sisters); and ten seminarians.
Titular Patriarchates
In continuation of the earlier Melkite patriarchates of the ancient sees of Alexandria and of Jerusalem, two titular patriarchates exist. These are however simply titles, vested in the residential Patriarch of Antioch, which also have Catholic residential counterparts:
The following is a list of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem. Those Patriarchs who were born in Syria are indicated with a symbol 'α', those born in Egypt with 'β', and those born in Lebanon with 'γ'. Eparch is equivalent to bishop, and archeparch to archbishop:
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