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The Melkite Heritage
Melkite
This term comes from the Semetic words for king, “melko” or “melek”. The king in this case was the Byzantine emperor who supported the teachings of the council of Chalcedon, held in 451. The opponents of this council, most of whom, were in the Middle East, called its supporters Royalists (malikiyeen). So the name, which today refers to the Byzantine Catholics of the Middle East, originally was an insult aimed at all Christians, both Eastern and Western, who supported the Council of Chalcedon.
Our Church’s Many Names
In the Middle East as our Church developed there was a much greater fluidity in the use of names. In addition there is even a difference in the terminology employed in the Middle East today vs. that which we use in this country.
In the Western world today our Church is called Melkite Greek Catholic ( Grec Melchite Catholique), as is explained below. In the Middle East we are generally known as Room Katuleek, literally “Roman Catholic”, just as those whom we call Antiochian or Greek Orthodox here are known as Room Orthodox (“Roman Orthodox”) there. However the Rome they are referring to in these titles is not the Rome in Italy, but Constantinople, which the ancients called New Rome. Those whom we call Roman Catholics here are known as Lateen (Latins) overseas.
This often causes confusion when immigrants arrive from the Middle East and, with a literal translation, speak of themselves as Roman Catholics when they actually mean Room Katuleek. It is also confusing for others who come to our churches and are confronted with the multitude of names our Church uses. It is to help clarify some of this confusion that the following definitions are offered.
Greek (“Room” in Arabic)
This word refers to the spiritual tradition of the Greek Fathers which our Church follows. At the time of Christ, Greek was the spoken language in the major cities of the Middle East. The New Testament and the writings of the most important Church Fathers were composed in Greek. In contrast, people in the rural areas spoke Aramaic or Syriac , the historic language of the Chaldean, Maronite and Syrian Churches. Only after the Muslim conquest of the Middle East did Arabic become the universal language of this area.
Catholic
This word means universal. When we say that the Church is Catholic we mean that it teaches universally and completely the full Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. In contrast, sects stress one doctrine and exclude another.
Using this word to describe the historic Church is usually credited to St. Ignatius of Antioch who employed it in the second century. Thus the Greek-speaking Christians of the Middle East were the first to be called Catholics.
And so to say that we are Melkite Greek Catholics means that we are a Church which:
· Is in the fullness of the Gospel (Catholic); · Follows the traditions of the Greek fathers; and · Is in harmony with the Chalcedonian teachings.
There are a number of other names associated with our heritage, although they are not part of the official name of our Church. These are:
Byzantine
This word refers to the city of “New Rome” mentioned above. Originally known as Byzantium, it is chiefly known in history as Constantinople, the “city of Constantine”. Its present name is Istanbul , the Turkish pronunciation of the Greek words for “in the city”. Our church follows the ritual of the Great Church of Constantinople for the Divine Liturgy.
Antiochian
At the time the Christian Church began, Antioch was the capital of the Roman province of “the East” ( Anatolia ). It was the principal economic center of the entire Middle East, as it was at the crossroads of trade routes connecting Europe and Asia. For these reasons it quickly became the center of Church life in the area as well. Although the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the seventh century , the chief hierarchs of Churches in the Middle East still bear the title patriarch of Antioch and all the East.
For the first thousand years of Christian history, the Greek Church in the Middle East employed the Antiochian ritual, which greatly resembles the liturgy of the Syrian or Maronite Churches. The only difference was in language: they prayed in Syriac and we in Greek. During the Middle Ages, especially as a result of the Muslim conquest and the Crusades, the Greek Christians of Antioch were drawn closer and closer to their brethren in Constantinople. For many years the Antiochian patriarchs and bishops actually lived in Constantinople and were influenced by its usages. In time the Byzantine liturgical tradition became the accepted practice among the Antiochian Greeks and it is that worship tradition we follow today.
Orthodox
This word literally means “right glorifying”. Like the term Melkite, it was first used to describe those who remained faithful to the true faith in the theological controversies of the early centuries. One of the most ancient and respected ways of describing the Church and its people, it is – along with the word Catholic- the term usually used in our liturgical texts to refer to the Church.
In modern usage, the term is employed as a specific designation by two major groups of Eastern Christians. In the first group are those Byzantines of various ethnic jurisdictions (eg Albanian, Bulgrarian, Carpatho- Russian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Romanian, Russian, Serbian) who accept the Council of Chalcedon and are generally referred to as “Eastern Orthodox”. The second group includes those non- Byzantines (eg Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, Syrians) who do not follows Chalcedon and are usually called “Oriental Orthodox”. Since what divides them is precisely the acceptance of the teachings of an ecumenical council, it is evident that these two groups of Churches are not in communion with one another.
Eastern
Based on Mediterranean geography as seen from a European perspective, those Churches whose heritage sprang from the Eastern Mediterranean area have been called Eastern, while those whose heritage is that of western Europe have been called Western. It is interesting to note that those Churches of Syriac or Assyrian tradition consider Byzantines as Westerners!
Significant Events in Melkite History
The Melkite story goes back a long way: to the very dawn of Christian history. The Melkites, or Byzantine (Greek) Catholics of Middle Eastern origin, are descendants of the early Christians of Antioch (Syria).
Today the term Melkite is used to refer to those Catholics whose ancestry is Middle Eastern and who follow the Byzantine Tradition in worship, theology, and spirituality. As Rome was the most powerful city in early Western Europe and spread her manner of worship throughout the surrounding area, so too the Greek capital, Constantinople (originally called Byzantium), spread her traditions and customs to the countries closest to her.
Major Historical Events
Throughout the almost 2000 year history of Christianity in the Middle East there have been a number of events which have contributed to the making of the Melkite Church as it exits today. Among the most important are the following:
c. 33 AD-
The Christian Church is founded by Jesus Christ as is recorded in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: “…upon this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18).
Fifty days after Christ’s resurrection from the dead and ten days after His ascension , the apostles and disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. “ And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a might wind… And there appeared to them tongues as of fire .. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” After this time began the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Saint Peter established the Church in Antioch (Syria), Saint Mark in Alexandria (Egypt) and Saint James in Jerusalem. Our Church dates back to these foundations. It was also in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
110 AD-
This marks the first recorded use of the words Catholic Church, employed by Saint Ignatius of Antioch to distinguish the Christians who adhered to the Church founded by Jesus Christ from those who joined the churches of sectarians.
325 AD-
A meeting of bishops is held in Nicaea. Here the groundwork is prepared for what eventually evolved into an order of precedence among the five major Churches of early Christendom: Rome, Constantinople; Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.
451 AD-
A dispute about who Jesus was is settled by a meeting of bishops held at Chalcedon. The Byzantine Emperor and the assembled bishops agreed that Jesus was both “true God and true man”. Those who followed the decision of this council were called Melkites or “King’s Men” because they accepted the correct understanding of Jesus Christ which was shared by the Emperor.
622 AD-
Muslim conquests in the Middle East put Christians in a secondary position and begin a gradual erosion of their numbers and strength.
1054 AD-
Rome and Constantinople separate for a variety of reasons, political and cultural as well as doctrinal. This separation from Rome gradually takes hold throughout the other Eastern Churches.
During this period the Byzantine Emperors slowly extended their domination and influence. Byzantine models in ritual and administration become the norm for all Melkites. 1071 AD-
The Seljuk Turks crush the Byzantine army and rive the Greek Christians from the Middle East.
12-13th Centuries AD-
Latin Crusaders invade the East to re-capture the holy places from Muslim control. Roman Catholic bishops are imposed upon Antioch and Jerusalem.
13th Century AD-
Mongolian invasions of the Latin West and the Byzantine East drain the resources of the Christendom. Muslims reassert their dominance in the Levant.
1453 AD-
Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Turks. Their expansion throughout the East continues.
At a later date, by decree of the Ottoman Sultan, all Greeks in the Middle East are made subject to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Byzantine bishops take control at Antioch and Jerusalem.
1724 AD-
Patriarch Cyril VI of Antioch , due to the efforts of Archbishop of Eftimios (Saifi) of Saida and Tyre, affirms the union with Rome which had existed between East and West during the first thousand years of Christianity.
From this time the Melkite Church of Antioch is formally divided between Greek Orthodox (those not in union with Rome) and Greek Catholics (those in union with Rome). The term Melkite begins to be associated exclusively with the Catholics.
1772 AD-
The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Theodosius VI, extends his jurisdiction over Melkite Catholics in the Churches of Alexandria and Jerusalem.
19th Century AD-
Melkite Greek Catholics begin to emigrate to North and South America, Australia and Africa.
1966 AD-
An exarchate for Melkites in the United States is established with Bishop Justin (Najmy) as the first exarch. A similar jurisdiction is set up in Brazil under Bishop Elias (Cueter).
1977 AD-
The American exarchate becomes a full eparchy (diocese) under Archbishop Joseph (Tawil). In the next few years bishops of various ranks are appointed for Canada, Argentina, Australia and Western Europe.
Why are there Eastern Catholic Churches in America?
It was natural for the first Eastern Catholic immigrants to want to worship in the fashion of their homelands. And so their Churches followed them to the shores of America.
Mission for Today
We have a special responsibility given by God to show our faithfulness to the historic Catholic faith as expressed in our own unique heritage so that we might in this way contribute to the healing of our fragmented world and the reunion of the fractured Body of Christ, the divided Christian Church.
Extracts from: Educational Services Office of Educational Services Diocese of Newton Diocese of Newton 491 Palisade Avenue 19 Dartmouth Street Yonkers, NY 10703 West Newton, MA 02165 |