Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem

The Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (informally Jerusalem of the Syriacs) is a Patriarchal exarchate (missionary Eastern Catholic pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Syriac Catholic Church (Antiochian Rite in Syriac language and Arameic) for Palestine and Jordan.

Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Syrian)
Location
Country	Palestine, Jordan
Statistics
Population - Catholics	(as of 2020) 5,341
Parishes	3
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Syriac Catholic Church
Rite	Antiochian Rite
Established	1892
Cathedral	Church of Saint Thomas, Jerusalem
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Patriarch	Ignatius Joseph III Yonan
Patriarchal Exarch	Camil Afram Antoine Semaan

It is directly dependent on the Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (with see in Beirut), but not part of his or any other ecclesiastical province, and depends in Rome on the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Church of Saint Thomas in Jerusalem.

History

Established in 1991 as Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan), on territory (Palestine and (Trans)Jordan) previously without proper Ordinary of the particular church sui iuris, which was governed as Patriarchal Vicariate of Jerusalem of the Syriacs.

Patriarchal Exarchs of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan)

• Father Pierre Jaroûë (? – 1820.02.25), later Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriacs (Lebanon) as Ignatius Peter VII Jarweh ([1820.02.25] 1828.01.28 – death 1851.10.16)
• Grégoire Pierre Abdel-Ahad (1991 – 2000), Titular Bishop of Batnæ of the Syriacs (1996.06.29 – 2001.02.16); previously Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem (Palestine and Jordan) of the Syriacs (Palestine) (1978 – 1991); later Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriacs (Lebanon) ([2001.02.16] 2001.02.24 – retired 2008.01.25) as Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, President of Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (2001.02.24 – 2008.01.25)
• Grégoire Pierre Melki (25 February 2002 – 20 November 2019), Titular Bishop of Batnæ of the Syriacs (2002.02.25 – present)
• Camil Afram Antoine Semaan [de] (28 March 2020^[1] – present)

References

1. "From the Oriental Churches, 28.03.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.

External links

• GCatholic with incumbent bio links
• Catholic-hierarchy.org