 |
New Metropolitan of Beirut and Jbeil, Lebanon Archbishop Cyril Bustros |
On June 15, 2011 the web site of the Melkite Patriarch Announced -
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has given his assent to the election of two archbishops, canonically elected by the Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, at Ain Traz on 25 June 2010.
They are:
The Most Rev. Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, hitherto Eparch of Newton (USA), elected Metropolitan of Beirut and Jbeil, Lebanon; and The Most Rev. Bishop Issam John Darwish, B. S., hitherto Eparch of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney, (Australia and New Zealand), elected Archbishop of Zahleh and Furzol, Lebanon.
15 June 2011Archbishop Cyril's New Position within the Church
Our beloved Eparch, Archbishop Cyril has been greatly honored by his elevation to the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Beirut (which is the Proto-Throne of Antioch). This is one of the most important historical Sees of the Melkite Church.
According to the Patriarchal Web Site -
"Theeparchy of Berytus, in ancient times suffragan to Tyre, was made a metropolitan see in 451 A.D. by the Council of Chalcedon. As a Melkite GreekCatholic eparchy, it has existed officially since 1736, following the division of the Melkite Patriarchate of Antioch into two branches, one Orthodox and one Catholic in 1724.
Territorially speaking, the diocese now comprises the old bishoprics of Berytus (Beirut) and Byblos (Jbeil). It includes the capital of Lebanon with all its outskirts, as well as a large part of Mount Lebanon (Metn, Kesrouan and part of the Shouf). It is limited by the boundary of Batroun to the north, the crests of the Lebanon range to the east, the Damour River to the south and the Mediterranean on the west.
Thanks to the rising population of Lebanon and to the influx of thousands of Melkite Catholics from neighbouring countries, Beirut has become the biggest and most important Melkite Catholiceparchy of the Middle East, with some 150,000 faithful.
Since the war in Lebanon, theeparchy of Beirut has undergone profound transformations in its population, caused by the continuous movement of people from the residential quarters of the capital towards the outskirts, and from other eparchies towards that of Beirut. In obedience to the law of the attraction exerted by a capital on the provinces, thousands of the Melkite faithful from the eparchies of the South and of the Bekaa have settled in Beirut and its suburbs. One might also add that theeparchyof Beirut has borne a large part of the weight of the politico-social drama provoked as much by the economic situation of the country as by the political upheavals of the last few years."
Axios ! Axios ! Axios!