Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baalbek


Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Baalbek is a diocese of the Catholic Church immediately subject to the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Melkites. It is currently governed by Archbishop Elias Rahal.

Territory and statistics

The archeparchy includes the northern part of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Its Archeparchial seat is the city of Baalbek, where is the Saint Barbara Cathedral. In 2012 there were 20,000 baptized and its territory is divided into seven parishes.

History

Baalbek is an ancient seat, already known in the fourth century by the name of Heliopolis of Phoenicia. It has had a presence of Catholic Bishops since 1701, when its bishop sent a profession of the Catholic faith to the Pope in Rome. This profession is still preserved in the archives of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Baalbek was a suffragan of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus until it acquired its autonomy in 1849.
The cathedral with the bishop's palace were built during the episcopate of Germanos Mouakkad; the church was consecrated by Eparch Agapitos Malouf in 1897. Bishop Germanos Mouakkad was the founder of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Paul.
On November 18, 1964 this eparchy was elevated to the rank of archeparchy.
In 1997 was celebrated the centenary of the dedication of the cathedral and the nineteenth centenary of the arrival of the first bishop of Baalbek / Heliopolis.

Eparchs and Archeparchs