Melkite bishops lament secularization, add Latin-rite saints to liturgical calendar
June 26, 2015
The bishops of the Melkite Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See, held their annual meeting in Lebanon from June 15 to 20.
In his opening address, Patriarch Gregory III Laham discussed Christian unity and said that Christians “are experiencing an ecumenism of blood in Syria and Iraq.”
In a statement issued at the meeting’s conclusion, the Melkite bishops decried secularization, decided to establish “centers of catechesis and Christian marriage preparation” in all eparchies (dioceses), and added several Latin-rite saints to their liturgical calendar, including Saints Francis of Assisi, Rita, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Vincent de Paul, John Bosco, Thérèse of Lisieux, John XXIII, and John Paul II.
The Melkite Catholic Church has 1,347,000 members and has eparchies in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine, as well as in the Americas, Europe, and Australia.
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Further information:
- Greek Catholic Synod focused on anti-Christian violence and families in crisis (AsiaNews.it)
- Melkite Catholic Church (CNEWA)
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