Patriarch of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of the Holy Apostlesa |
Born in 1908 at Tanta, Egypt, his Beatitude studied at St. Anne of Jerusalem. In 1930 he was ordained by Maximos IV Sayegh, who at that time was the Archbishop of Tyre. He ran the Patriarchal College in Cairo and founded the publication Le Lien. In Cairo on June 13th 1943 he was consecrated as Archbishop by Patriarch Cyril IX. During his years as Archbishop, our Patriarch established many churches, a home of the elderly, an orphanage, a seminary, and several schools. He was also instrumental in bringing several European groups into the Melkite Church. During the frightful years early years of the Palestinian exodus, he worked tirelessly on behalf of tens of thousands of refugees. Making no distinction between religions or Christian communities, Bishop Hakim personally sheltered two hundred refugee children.
On November 22, 1967 His Beatitude was elected Patriarch by the Holy Synod. A noted and prolific writer, His Beatitude is most known for his Arabic work Al Rabita, the French works, Message de Galiléerench, and Pages d'Évangilelues en Galilée.Among His Beatitude's concerns was the large Diaspora of his Melkite community for today most Melkites live outside of the territorial limits of the Patriarchate. During the year 2000 Patriarch Maximos became ill and was no longer was able to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of his office. At the age of 92 he asked an exceptional synod of the Melkite bishops to accept his resignation. On November 22nd the synod accepted the resignation of it's beloved father with the words, "Our Church owes you many memorable favors, which history will write in golden letters On its shining pages, and which your children will remember with great esteem and pride."
Melkite Patriarchs Since 1709
2000 - Date Gregory III
1967 - 2000 Maximos V Hakim
1947 -1967 Maximos IV Saïgh Strong voice at Vatican II for the Eastern Churches. Viewed the Melkites as a bridge between Orthodoxy and Rome.
1925 -1947 Cyrille IX Moghabghab
1919 -1925 Dimitrios I Cadi
1902 -1916 Cyrille Vl l l Geha
1898 -1902 Pierre IV Géraigiry
1864 -1897 Grégoire II Youssef-Sayour Opened patriarchal colleges of Beirut and Damascus, founded Seminary of St. Anne of Jerusalem. A voice for strengthened union at Vatican I and the Eucharistic Congress of Jerusalem. Assisted with the papal encyclical Oriental Dignit.
1856 -1864 Clément Bahous
1833 -1855 Maximos lIl Mazloum Worked on behalf of the Christians of Egypt., building churches, and providing a bishop. Obtained complete independence from the Turkish Sultan. Drafted the canonical legislation for the Melkite Church.
1816 -1833 Ignace V Cattan
1813 -1813 Athanase V Matar
1813 -1815 Macaire IV Tawil
1812 -1812 Ignace IV Sarrouf
1796 -1812 Agapios II Matar Founding of the seminary in Ain Traz.
1794 -1796 Cyrille Vll Siage
1788 -1794 Athanase IV Jawhar
1761 -1788 Théodose V Dahan
1760 -1761 Maximos II Hakim
1759 -1760 AthanaseIV Jawhar
1724 -1759 Cyrille Vl Thanas Completed the reunification of the Melkites with Rome. With the confirmation of the Antiochean Othodox Patriarch Sylvester by the Patriarche of Constantinople, Cyrille fees Damascus and takes refuge in Lebanon.
1724 - Athanasius III On the death of Patriarch Athanasius one branch of the patriarchate of Antioch aligned itself with Byzantium (Antiochean Orthodox) while the other branch (Melkite Catholic) formalized relations with Rome.
1709 - Patriarch Cyril V Formally recognizes the authority of the Pope.