Melkite

The term Melkite ( Melchitisch ) is used to denote various Christian churches and their members, who come from the Middle East. The origin of the word comes from the Aramaic ( Syriac: ܡ ܠ ܟ ܝ ܐ ) which means " imperial " or " imperial" means. In Arabic, the word is Malaki (Arabic: ملكي ) which means as imperial. The Semitic word Malik means " king".

The term Melkite was originally pejorative used by the other Eastern Churches, after the Council of Chalcedon ( 451). It was used by the non- Chalcedonianern to denote those who were supported by the Council and the Byzantine Emperor. It is now no more, when the Melkites have used the name for yourself first. The Melkites were generally Greek -speaking city citizens who lived in the west of the Levant and Egypt, while the non - Chalcedonian Syriac Orthodox and Copts lived longer in the country. The Melkite Church was divided into three historic patriarchates: Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, each under the Patriarch of Constantinople Opel. The non- Chalcedonianer have their patriarchates of Alexandria ( Coptic Church ) and Antioch ( Syriac Orthodox Church ) was established. The Nubian kingdom of Makuria (now in Sudan lying) practiced in contrast to the non- Chalcedonian neighbors the Melkite faith 575-1300 AD (See list of the bishops of Faras )

From 1342 Roman Catholic priests came to Damascus and other areas of the East. They began to proselytize, and some Orthodox priests secretly converted to Catholicism. At the time, the nature of the East-West Schism was undefined and most converts retained the Byzantine rite and remained in her church as a pro- Roman Catholic group. In 1724 Kyrillos VI was. Tanas, a pro - Catholic bishop, was elected Patriarch of Antioch. The Patriarch of Constantinople Opel Jeremais III. regarded this choice as a Catholic takeover attempt and nominated the Greek monk Sylvester instead of Patriarch Kyrillos. The newly elected Pope Benedict XIII. recognized Kyrillos ' claim to the patriarchate and greeted him and the faithful in communion with Rome. From the time the Melkite Church was divided in an Orthodox and a Catholic part, each of which was recognized by Constantine Opel and Rome. The Catholic part retained the name Melkite. In modern parlance, the term is used almost exclusively for Melkite Greek Catholic believers.

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