Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka

The archeparchy's territory was described in 2019 as encompassing Haifa, Acre, Nazareth, Galilee villages, and northern Samaria.[2] Israeli government documents have used titles identifying its head with Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Galilee.[1] A supplementary agreement signed on 10 December 1997 between Israel and the Holy See recognized the juridical personality of Catholic institutions and the authority of canon law within them, including Eastern Catholic patriarchates and their dioceses in Israeli territory.[5]

The Melkite community is recognized by Israel as a distinct Christian religious community under the adopted Ottoman millet system.[6] Recognized communities may maintain tribunals with jurisdiction over certain personal-status matters, although the scope varies among communities.[7] A July 2021 Ministry of Interior document separately listed the Greek Catholic patriarch's patriarchal vicar in Jerusalem and the head of the Greek Catholic Church of Haifa and Galilee.[8]

The name Melkite derives from the Syriac word for king and was originally applied to Christians who accepted the Council of Chalcedon's ruling in 451 and aligned with the Byzantine emperor's theological position. The community adopted the Byzantine liturgical rite, while historical accounts describe Arabic as the liturgical language of the Melkites in the region.[3][9]

The distinct Melkite Greek Catholic branch emerged from a disputed patriarchal election. In 1724, the pro-Catholic Cyril VI was elected patriarch of Antioch, while his opponents backed Silvester, who received Ottoman recognition. Pope Benedict XIII formally recognized Cyril's election in 1729.[3] A Greek Catholic archdiocese was established in the Galilee in 1752, and in 1772 the Greek Catholics of Jerusalem were placed under the jurisdiction of the Melkite patriarch of Antioch, represented locally by a patriarchal vicar.[10]

Historical surveys recorded 11,191 Melkites in Palestine in 1922 and 12,645 in 1931, concentrated mainly around Haifa, Acre, Nazareth, and neighboring areas.[9] Laurence Oliphant's nineteenth-century account described Melkites as Haifa's largest religious group and estimated that they formed two thirds of the city's population; this was a period observation rather than a modern demographic estimate.[11]

The Arabic-language Christian monthly Al-Rabita was founded in Nazareth in 1943 by Archbishop George Hakim. It reported on Greek Catholic church construction, cemeteries, social clubs, official epistles, liturgical activities, and local news across Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, and other Galilean towns.[12]

Published estimates differ considerably because they come from different periods and do not always measure the same territory. One reference account reported 23,500 Melkites in the diocese of Acre and Galilee and 26,500 in the broader community it discussed.[4] My Jewish Learning gives approximately 50,000 for the Greek Catholic diocese of Galilee without specifying the estimate's date.[10]

Two reports published in 2006 also differed: the World Jewish Congress described a flock of approximately 55,000, while Ynet estimated about 76,000 Greek Catholics in Israel.[13][14] In 2019, Ynet estimated approximately 70,000 and described Greek Catholics as Israel's largest Christian community.[2] Because the sources vary in date and geographic scope, these figures should not be treated as a consistent statistical series.

George Hakim held the position of Greek Catholic Bishop of Acre from 1943 and resided in Haifa.[5] Under his guidance, the Melkite community grew numerically, built churches, established schools and seminaries, and became further integrated into Israel's economic and social life.[4] From 1949 onward, Hakim favored cooperation between Israeli Arab Catholics and the Israeli government. In 1957, he advocated to Israeli officials for Arab Christians to be drafted into military service, a proposal described as unpopular with both the government and Arab political leaders.[5] Hakim became Patriarch Maximus V of Antioch in 1967.[4]

Joseph Raya succeeded Hakim and served during the early 1970s. Contemporary sources identified him as the "Melchite Archbishop of Galilee" and later as the "former archbishop of Acre," with the diocesan seat in Haifa.[15] During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Raya called on Greek Catholic parishes to express solidarity with Israel. At an emergency meeting on 15 October 1973, the parish committee and priest of I'billin affirmed fidelity to the government, encouraged community members to serve where needed, and organized prayers for peace and security.[16] Raya and his constituents contributed IL23,000 for war wounded and voluntary purchases of government war bonds, including IL5,000 contributed personally by Raya.[16]

Elias Chacour was chosen by Greek Catholic bishops meeting in Beirut in 2006, and the World Jewish Congress subsequently reported his appointment as archbishop of the Galilee.[13][14] Born in 1939 in Biram in the Upper Galilee, he was ordained a Melkite priest in 1965 and served as parish priest in I'billin.[17] He was reported as the first holder of the office to possess Israeli citizenship and the first locally born archbishop in more than 200 years.[13][14] Before his elevation, Chacour built the Mar Elias educational complex in I'billin, which included kindergartens, schools, and an academic college serving more than 4,000 students from across the Galilee.[14] He served as archbishop and head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Israel from 2006 until 2014.[18]

George Bacaouni subsequently led the archeparchy before being elected in November 2018 to head the Greek Catholic Church in Beirut. During the four months preceding confirmation of his successor, Father Andreas Bakhous administered the church in the Galilee.[2]

Amer Yousef Matta, identified as Joseph Matta in Ynet's 2019 report, was confirmed by Pope Francis as Greek Catholic archbishop of the Galilee.[2] A resident of Eilabun, he was 51 at the time and had been ordained in 1999. He began academic studies in computer science at the Technion, studied religion at a seminary in Beit Jala, earned a doctorate in Rome, taught at the Greek Catholic Patriarchate's theological school in Lebanon, and from 2013 served as assistant to the head of the Greek Catholic community in Nazareth.[2] A July 2021 government document listed Archbishop Dr. Amer Yousef Matta as head of the Greek Catholic Church of Haifa and Galilee.[8] At a December 2023 meeting hosted by President Isaac Herzog, he was identified as Archbishop and Head of the Greek-Catholic Church of Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Galilee.[1]

The archeparchy serves an Arabic-speaking community that is Byzantine in rite and Catholic in church allegiance.[4] During the period described by one reference account, the community consecrated churches in Galilean towns and villages and restored churches in Jerusalem and the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria.[4] Under George Hakim, its schools, seminaries, and churches contributed to the community's economic and social integration.[4]

The archbishop's responsibilities have been described as encompassing spiritual and educational leadership, oversight of church property, and construction of religious and educational institutions.[14] Al-Rabita illustrates the community's cultural activity: the periodical covered church projects, cemeteries, social clubs, liturgical observances, official epistles, and local news.[12] The National Library of Israel records 12 issues totaling 319 pages for 1947–1950; no issues appeared in 1948, and some covered three-month periods rather than a single month.[12]

Haifa has repeatedly appeared as the administrative base of the northern Melkite jurisdiction. A 1975 account placed the seat of Joseph Raya's former diocese there, while Ynet reported in 2019 that the archbishop responsible for northern Israel was based in Haifa.[15][2] Acre remains prominent in the jurisdiction's ecclesiastical title, together with Haifa, Nazareth, and the Galilee.[1]

The Mar Elias educational complex in I'billin became a major institution under Elias Chacour. At the time of his selection as archbishop, it included kindergartens, schools, and an academic college attended by more than 4,000 students from across the Galilee.[14]

During his tenure, Archbishop Elias Chacour was investigated following allegations of sexual harassment. A 2013 report said he was questioned under caution and released on bail with restrictions; he denied the allegations.[19] In 2014, police reportedly recommended prosecution for sexual harassment and indecent assault, with the recommendation forwarded to the state attorney for a decision on charges. Chacour maintained that his retirement was unrelated to the accusations.[18] The reviewed sources do not establish the ultimate legal outcome.

Sources also use differing labels for the jurisdiction. Joseph Raya was described both as Archbishop of Galilee and former archbishop of Acre, with his diocesan seat placed in Haifa; another reference lists a Melkite eparchial see in Haifa.[15][3] A 2023 Israeli government source combined Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Galilee in Amer Yousef Matta's title.[1] The collected sources do not establish whether these variations reflect historical changes, translation choices, or different formulations of the same jurisdiction.