www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Tell us about the Melkites

On May 1 we found ourselves in Plymouth, Michigan visiting grandma. Around the corner is a fairly new (7 years) Melkite congregation. Since it is closer than the nearest BC parish we decided to attend. Most of the liturgy was in Arabic with the Kyrie instead of the Arabic or Englich equivalent and a few English words thrown in. The sermon was entirely in Arabic. We got lost a few times, but it was very uplifting.

I was wondering if you could direct me to some good sources about the history and variations in liturgy between the BC and Melkite. We noted a few but not many.

Dan L

Dan, Serge Descy's book "The Melkite Church" is good and available. Lucien Malouf also wrote a good book more focused on spirituality, but alas, I think it is out of print.

The Melkites have been a real leading force in the revitalization of the Eastern Churchs, and the visionary leadership of Melkite hierarchs such as Patriarchs Maximos IV and V, Archbishops Elias and Joseph, and others, have lead the charge. The Russian Catholics also owe much to the loving care and assistance of the Melkites.

Here's one-stop shopping for some basic information:

http://www.melkite.org/

--tim

Thank you gentlemen.

Diak,

I will in time check out that title. Patriarch Maximos IV Saigh was, as I've learned, a great hero for Eastern Catholicism.

Tim,

I have that site on my favorites list but I couldn't find the Plymouth, Michigan Church on the list of Churches.

Dan L

Dan:

That Melkite Catholic Church could be:

St. Michael Church
585 N. Mill Street, Plymouth, MI 48170

Tel:(734) 414-6110

Amado

(Is that correct, Neil? )

St. Michael's doesn't currently have a web site. They are the Plymouth, MI church. Our current leader is Abp. Cyril having replaced Bp. John when he retired due to age.

Fr. Deacon Edward

Amado,

That is the Church we attended. I didn't find it on the website. Perhaps I looked in the wrong places. It's good to know that I didn't just dream that I went there.

Dan L

Al Masia Quam! Christ is Risen!
Here is a useful site, including some phonetic arabic
http://www.mliles.com/melkite/

Melkite Lore (si non e vero, e ben trovato!)

The Melkite Church was founded by Saint Melk, whose relics were lost during the Crusades. However, the missing relics were recently located at Melk Abbey in Austria, where the good Saint is venerated as patron of the dairy industry.

The first Irish Melkite was Saint Colman of Melk.

The Melkites, like all the other Byzantines (both Catholic and Orthodox) are of course an ethnic nation. They come from Melkitia and are fiercely loyal to Melkitia, even though no one can find the place.

Melkitia, as the name indicates, is a monarchy, and Melkites are (by definition) monarchists. However, the King of Melkitia seems to maintain a permanent incognito (hmmm . . . that raises an intriguing possibility. Maybe the King of Melkitia wears a paper bag instead of a crown).

There is a Melkite parish in BC - in Vancouver, I believe.

The Melkite-Ruthenian schism seems to have broken out in northern New Jersey, where each of the two communities started parishes or quasi-parishes within close walking distance of each other. The Melkites have sent an appeal for Melkitia to send troops, and the Ruthenians have appealed for Ruthenia to do the same. There has been no response to either appeal, perhaps because the US Post Office is unable to locate either country.

As the fruit of extensive research, the opening lines of the national anthem of Melkitia have been found. They are:

"My Rite is Melkite, the right Rite,
Think of Melkite whenever you think Rite . . ."

In keeping with the immemorial tradition of Saint Melk, the Melkite national flag is pure white. However, there is a movement to change the color of the Melkite flag from pure white to cream, since the Melkites are the cream of the crop.

Any more questions?

Incognitus

LOL, This is where I came in ...

Back on 10/29/03, in reply to my first post on this Forum, the revered Incognitus was the first to respond to me, informing me of Saint Colman of Melk. I wondered a bit about him then, now I no longer wonder ... I just grin and thank heaven that he belongs to "us" (the collective Forum "us", not us Melkites - though I still have my suspicions in that regard).

Many years to the man with the elongated full-face kraft paper mitre,

Neil

So, I gather that I may have dreamed that I went there. Please, don't awaken me.

Dan L

Hmmm, sounds similar to "The Mouse That Roared." That's what happens when those "Old World" disputes are brought to this country. Long live Grand Fenwick.

A Niall, a chara,
Never forget the following definition: a Greek-Catholic is an Eastern Orthodox Christian with a sense of humor.

Incognitus

I heard that there was a recent dig in Melkitia, and unearthed some early remains of an ancient palace of kings.

The dig was sponsored by the Melk Marketing Board.

All I know is that it is supposed to be good for your bones - "Melk, the other white drink".