Vacant Sees - Will they recover?

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Will these vacant Eastern Catholic sees get new bishops? Some have been vacant for a long time.

Eastern Catholic Vacant Sees (vacant since year listed):

1921 * Archdiocese of Alexandria (Melkite) Egypt
1930 * Ordinariate of Romania (Armenian) Romania
1938 * Archaparchy of Lviv (Armenian) Ukraine
1935 * Apostolic Exarchate of Russia (Russian) Russia [From Mohilev, Belarus 1917]
1953 * Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin (Russian) China
1957 * Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (Greek) Turkey
1968 * Eparchy of Sulaimaniya (Chaldean) Iraq
1992 * Eparchy of Kamichlié (Armenian) Syria
1994 * Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso en México (Melkite) Mexico
1998 * Eparchy of Aqra (Chaldean) Iraq
2005 * Archeparchy of Diarbekir (Chaldean) Turkey
2005 * Eparchy of Ispahan (Armenian) Iran
2006 * Archeparchy of Bassorah (Chaldean) Iraq
2006 * Apostolic Exarchate of Great Britain (Ukrainian) UK
2007 * Eparchy of Buchach (Ukrainian) Ukraine
2007 * Apostolic Exarchate of Miskolc (Byzantine-Ruthenian) Hungry
2007 * Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq (Melkite) Iraq
2009 * Eparchy of Le Caire (Chaldean) Egypt
2009 * Archeparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian) USA
2010 * Ordinariate of East Europe (Armenian) Greece
2010 * Eparchy of Lungro (Italo-Albanian) Italy
2010 * Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Byzantine-Ruthenian) USA
2010 * Ordinariate of Eastern Europe (Armenian) Armenia
2010 * Archdiocese of Homs (-Hama-Jabrud) (Melkite) Syria
2010 * Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires (Ukrainian) Argentina
 
Spirithound said:
…
Regarding the first point in your list, the vacancy of Alexandria in the Melkite Church might simply represent a retreat of the Melkites from Alexandria, for whatever reason, be they demographic or political.
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Isn’t the Patriarch of the Melkites holding that office himself? … it is part of his title, there must be at least an exarch in residence.

The Melkites were mostly a small group in Egypt though, being at one time mostly immigrants from Syria. These days Syrian Christians are more likely to go to Europe and North America, I think, so there isn’t much fresh reinforcement to the small community.
 
It’s my understanding that though only the Pope has the competence to provide an hierarch for these jurisdictions, it is the local primate’s responsibility to submit the petition for these different ritual communities from another sui juris Church.

That could be another possible reason, besides the one brothers Hesychios and Spirithound mentioned.

Blessings
 
Vico said:
Will these vacant Eastern Catholic sees get new bishops? Some have been vacant for a long time.

Eastern Catholic Vacant Sees (vacant since year listed):

1921 * Archdiocese of Alexandria (Melkite) Egypt
1930 * Ordinariate of Romania (Armenian) Romania
1938 * Archaparchy of Lviv (Armenian) Ukraine
1935 * Apostolic Exarchate of Russia (Russian) Russia [From Mohilev, Belarus 1917]
1953 * Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin (Russian) China
1957 * Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (Greek) Turkey
1968 * Eparchy of Sulaimaniya (Chaldean) Iraq
< snip >
Click to expand...
I can tell you right now Harbin does not need a bishop. That was a set up for White Russian anti-communists/royalists (a small minority of whom were Catholic) in the brief period between the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (1917) and the expulsion of the Japanese and Nationalists by 1949. Those who couldn’t escape to places like San Francisco, Taibei and Singapore were deported into the Soviet Union and lost. They are not living in China.

The number of Christians in that area today are mostly young foreigners teaching English or working for major international trading corporations, perhaps none of whom are Eastern Catholic, although some would be Roman Catholic.

My guess is any See vacant for more than twenty years is dead for good, and realistically no See should be vacant for more than five years no matter how hard it is to find a suitable candidate, unless the community is beyond recovery. Leaving a viable flock without a shepherd for that long is criminal negligence, and I am pretty sure the See at Rome understands this very well.

The Armenian Sees in Europe are filled by the Vatican, and the Armenians have probably had a very minor presence since WW II in those areas, there was a lot of ethnic cleansing. The Chaldean See in Iraq is the responsibility of that synod. The Chaldeans and the Church of the East have both seen major internal shifts in their populations, with people migrating to Baghdad and away from the towns and villages. I am sure this has been aggravated by the Christian Exodus out of the country altogether.
 
It is a bit odd that the Apostolic Exarchate of Great Britain (Ukrainian) UK has had three apostolic administrators since it went vacant and that no one has yet to be appointed Bishop there…
 
Hesychios said:
Isn’t the Patriarch of the Melkites holding that office himself? … it is part of his title, there must be at least an exarch in residence.

The Melkites were mostly a small group in Egypt though, being at one time mostly immigrants from Syria. These days Syrian Christians are more likely to go to Europe and North America, I think, so there isn’t much fresh reinforcement to the small community.
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In 1970 it had 18 priests.

Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie had two titles in 1920-1921:
Titular Archbishop of Myra dei Greco-Melkiti
Vicar Apostolic of Alexandria

The list I found for Alexandria is:
Basile Kfoury † (Bishop: 1837 to 5 Apr 1859)
Athanase Nasser † (Vicar Apostolic: 1879 to 24 Oct 1902)
Pierre-Macario Saba † (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Nov 1903 to 25 Jun 1919)
Etienne Soukkarie † (Vicar Apostolic: 25 Apr 1920 to 25 Nov 1921)
Joseph Elias Tawil † (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Aug 1959 to 1969)

The Auxiliary Bishop position is still sede vacante.
 
Hesychios said:
Isn’t the Patriarch of the Melkites holding that office himself? … it is part of his title, there must be at least an exarch in residence.
Click to expand...
You are correct, the Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church also holds the titles of Patriarch of Alexandria and Patriarch of Jerusalem. Thank you for the info 😃 That being said, I have no further hypotheses 😉
 
It seems that almost all of the vacant sees have an apostolic administrator now, with the exception of those in color (red = no admin > 5 years, blue = no admin <= 5 years). So based upon the comments, it seems the red are those that have languished.

Eastern Catholic Vacant Sees, with last hierarch:

1921 * Archdiocese of Alexandria (Melkite) Egypt
Vicar Apostolic and Titular Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie (1920 - 1921)
1994 * Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso en México (Melkite) Mexico
Apostolic Administrator Archimandrite Gabriel Ghanoum (2006 - )
2007 * Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq (Melkite) Iraq
Patriarchal Exarch Archbishop Georges El-Murr (1997 - 2007)
2010 * Archdiocese of Homs (-Hama-Jabrud) (Melkite) Syria
Metropolitan Archbishop Isidore Battikha (2006 - 2010)

1930 * Ordinariate of Romania (Armenian) Romania
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Gyorgy Miklos Jakubinyi (1991 - )
1938 * Archeparchy of Lviv (Armenian) Ukraine
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Dionisiy Kaetanowicz (1938 – 1944)
1992 * Eparchy of Kamichlié (Armenian) Syria
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Boutros Marayati (1992 – )
2000 * Ordinariate of Greece, Faithful of Eastern Rite (Armenian) Greece
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Nechan Karakeheyan (2000 - )
2005 * Eparchy of Ispahan (Armenian) Iran
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Nechan Karakeheyan (2000 - 2005)
2010 * Ordinariate of Eastern Europe (Armenian) Armenia
Apostolic Administrator, Fr. Vahan Ohanian (2010 - )

1935 * Apostolic Exarchate of Russia (Russian) Russia [From Mohilev, Belarus 1917]
Apostolic Exarch Bishop Leonida Feodoroff (1917 - 1935)
1953 * Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin (Russian) China
Apostolic Exarch Bishop Andrzej Cikoto (1939 - 1953)

1957 * Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (Greek) Turkey
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Louis Pelatre (1999 - )

1968 * Eparchy of Sulaimaniya (Chaldean) Iraq
Apostolic Administrator Archimandrite Denha Hanna Touma (2006 - )
1998 * Eparchy of Aqra (Chaldean) Iraq
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Youhanna Issa (1999 -)
2005 * Archeparchy of Diarbekir (Chaldean) Turkey
Apostolic Administrator Msgr. Joseph Pallikunnel (2008 - )
2006 * Archeparchy of Bassorah (Chaldean) Iraq
Archbishop Djibrail Kassab (1995 - 2006)
2009 * Eparchy of Le Caire (Chaldean) Egypt
Bishop Youssef Ibrahim Sarraf (1984 - 2009)

2006 * Apostolic Exarchate of Great Britain (Ukrainian) UK
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Hlib Lonchyna (2009 - )
2007 * Eparchy of Buchach (Ukrainian) Ukraine
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Demetrius Hryhorak (2007 - )
2009 * Archeparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian) USA
Apostolic Administrator Bishop John Bura (2009 - )
2010 * Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires (Ukrainian) Argentina
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk (2010 - )

2007 * Apostolic Exarchate of Miskolc (Hungarian) Hungry
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Fülöp Kocsis (2008 - )

2010 * Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Byzantine-Ruthenian) USA
Metropolitan Archeparch Basil Myron Schott (2002 - 2010)

2010 * Eparchy of Lungro (Italo-Albanian) Italy
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Salvatore Nunnari (2010 - 2010)
 
Vico said:
In 1970 it had 18 priests.

Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie had two titles in 1920-1921:
Titular Archbishop of Myra dei Greco-Melkiti
Vicar Apostolic of Alexandria

The list I found for Alexandria is:
Basile Kfoury † (Bishop: 1837 to 5 Apr 1859)
Athanase Nasser † (Vicar Apostolic: 1879 to 24 Oct 1902)
Pierre-Macario Saba † (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Nov 1903 to 25 Jun 1919)
Etienne Soukkarie † (Vicar Apostolic: 25 Apr 1920 to 25 Nov 1921)
Joseph Elias Tawil † (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Aug 1959 to 1969)

The Auxiliary Bishop position is still sede vacante.
Click to expand...
The Auxiliary Bishop position for Alexandria and Egypt is not sede vacante. There has always been Patriarchal Vicars for Egypt and Sudan.

greekcatholicegypt.com/Motransofegypt.html

Patriarchal Vicars after Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie:

Antonios Faraj 1922-1928 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfara.html

Dionisios Kfoury 1932-1954 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkfou.html

Elias Zoghby 1954-1968 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bzoghbi.html, then he became Archbishop of Baalbek

Paul Antaki 1968-2001

Joseph Jules Zerey 2001-2008, then he became Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem

Georges Bakar 2008-present, from 2006 to 2008 he was Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem
 
ag_vn said:
The Auxiliary Bishop position for Alexandria and Egypt is not sede vacante. There has always been Patriarchal Vicars for Egypt and Sudan.

greekcatholicegypt.com/Motransofegypt.html

Patriarchal Vicars after Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie:

Antonios Faraj 1922-1928 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfara.html

Dionisios Kfoury 1932-1954 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkfou.html

Elias Zoghby 1954-1968 - catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bzoghbi.html, then he became Archbishop of Baalbek

Paul Antaki 1968-2001

Joseph Jules Zerey 2001-2008, then he became Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem

Georges Bakar 2008-present, from 2006 to 2008 he was Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem
Click to expand...
The last non-titular bishop of Alexandria (an actual eparch) that I have found listed is Basile Kfoury (end 1859), the others are listed as vicars or auxiliary bishops.

There is some missing information, because Bishop Joseph Tawil is not included on the Melkite Egypt list, yet he held these positions in his life:

Patriarchial Vicar of Alexandria 1954-1960
Patriarchial Vicar of Antioch-Damascus 1960-1970
Apostolic Exarch for the United States 1970-1989

Elias Zoghby is recorded as holding these positions in 1954:
Auxiliary Bishop of Antioch
Titular Archbishop of Nubia
Patriarchal Vicar for the See of Alexandria, Cairo and the Sudan
 
Vico said:
The last non-titular bishop of Alexandria (an actual eparch) that I have found listed is Basile Kfoury (end 1859), the others are listed as vicars or auxiliary bishops.
Click to expand...
Bp Kfoury (+1859) was named to Alexandria in 1837 so I surmise that when the title “Patriarch of Alexandria” was ceded to the Patriarch the next year, the then Patriarch (Maximos III) simply decided to leave Bp Kfoury in place. When Bp Kfoury entered eternal rest, the see (as an Archeparchy) remained vacant since it had become (technically, at least, and for better or worse), a Patriarchal See for the Melkites.
 
The UGCC Synod will likely be taking up the election for the Eparchy of Buchach within the next year. Great Britian is anyone’s guess; the Synod has been trying to decide whether to leave it at the exarchial level or raise it to an Eparchy.

While it doesn’t really matter which Russian Greek Catholic exarchate is filled, the two should be combined and an Exarch named for the upwards of a dozen worldwide parishes, four of which are in the US.
 
Vico said:
There is some missing information, because Bishop Joseph Tawil is not included on the Melkite Egypt list, yet he held these positions in his life:

Patriarchial Vicar of Alexandria 1954-1960
Patriarchial Vicar of Antioch-Damascus 1960-1970
Apostolic Exarch for the United States 1970-1989
Click to expand...
Interesting. But was he namely Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria or just an Auxiliary Bishop in Egypt, because the list on the site of the Egyptian Melkites includes Bishops of Alexandria/Patriarchal Vicars for Alexandria.

He is not on the list of the Patriarchal Vicars for Alexandria even on the Patriarchal site:

Patriarchal Vicars since the Mandate of H.B. Maximos III Mazloum:

1835-1836 Thomas Qoyoumgi,Salvatorian Basilian priest

1837-1859 Basil Kfoury

1865-1866 Ambrosios

1867- ? Joannitius Massamiri

1879-1902 Athanasios Nasser

1903-1919 Macarios Saba

1920-1921 Stephen Sukkariyeh

1922-1928 Anthony Faraj

1932-1954 Dionysios Kfoury

1954-1968 Elias Zoghby

1968-2002 Paul Antaki

2002- Joseph Jules Zerey*
  • it is actually not updated, because Archbishop Zerey became Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem in 2008 and the then Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem Archbishop Georges Bakar became Vicar for Egypt.
 
ag_vn said:
Interesting. But was he namely Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria or just an Auxiliary Bishop in Egypt, because the list on the site of the Egyptian Melkites includes Bishops of Alexandria/Patriarchal Vicars for Alexandria.

He is not on the list of the Patriarchal Vicars for Alexandria even on the Patriarchal site:

Patriarchal Vicars since the Mandate of H.B. Maximos III Mazloum:
1835-1836 Thomas Qoyoumgi,Salvatorian Basilian priest
1837-1859 Basil Kfoury
1865-1866 Ambrosios
1867- ? Joannitius Massamiri
1879-1902 Athanasios Nasser
1903-1919 Macarios Saba
1920-1921 Stephen Sukkariyeh
1922-1928 Anthony Faraj
1932-1954 Dionysios Kfoury
1954-1968 Elias Zoghby
1968-2002 Paul Antaki
2002- Joseph Jules Zerey*
  • it is actually not updated, because Archbishop Zerey became Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem in 2008 and the then Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem Archbishop Georges Bakar became Vicar for Egypt.
Click to expand...
PATRIARCHAL SEE OF ALEXANDRIA - CAIRO, ALEXANDRIA AND SUDAN

Note that Joseph Elias Tawil was made a bishop in 1960, which was after the date of 1954 when Bishop Elias Zoghby was Patriarchal Vicar General. I believe that the position of Zoghby was Patriarchal Vicar General, and that of Fr. Joseph Tawil to have been Patriarchal Vicar. There can be several patriarchal vicars.

Regarding Bishop Joseph Elias Tawil:

“From 1954-1960, he served as Patriarchal Vicar at Alexandria, Egypt. He was ordained Bishop on January 1, 1960 by the late beloved Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh. From 1960-1969, he served as Patriarchal Vicar at Damascus, Syria.”
– Article by Fr. John Azar, reprinted from the Summer 1990 issue of Joyful Light magazine.

melkite.com/index_misc.html

Regarding Archbishop Elias Zoghby:

“In August 1954 the Patriarchal Synod elected him Archbishop-Patriarchal Vicar General for Egypt and The Sudan…”

orientale-lumen.blogspot.com/2008/01/repose-of-archbishop-elias-zoghby-1912.html
 
Vico said:
It seems that almost all of the vacant sees have an apostolic administrator now, with the exception of those in color (red = no admin > 5 years, blue = no admin <= 5 years). So based upon the comments, it seems the red are those that have languished.

Eastern Catholic Vacant Sees, with last hierarch:
Click to expand...
There were some changings, so I tried to update the list.

1994 * Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso en México (Melkite) Mexico
Apostolic Administrator Archimandrite Gabriel Ghanoum (2006 - )
2007 * Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq (Melkite) Iraq
Patriarchal Exarch Archbishop Georges El-Murr (1997 - 2007)
2010 * Archdiocese of Homs (-Hama-Jabrud) (Melkite) Syria
Metropolitan Archbishop Isidore Battikha (2006 - 2010)

1930 * Ordinariate of Romania (Armenian) Romania
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Gyorgy Miklos Jakubinyi (1991 - )
1938 * Archeparchy of Lviv (Armenian) Ukraine
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Dionisiy Kaetanowicz (1938 – 1944)
1992 * Eparchy of Kamichlié (Armenian) Syria
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Boutros Marayati (1992 – )
2000 * Ordinariate of Greece, Faithful of Eastern Rite (Armenian) Greece
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Nechan Karakeheyan (2000 - )
2005 * Eparchy of Ispahan (Armenian) Iran
Bishop Nechan Karakeheyan (2000 - 2005)
2010 * Ordinariate of Eastern Europe (Armenian) Armenia
Apostolic Administrator, Fr. Vahan Ohanian (2010 - )

1935 * Apostolic Exarchate of Russia (Russian) Russia [From Mohilev, Belarus 1917]
Apostolic Exarch Bishop Leonida Feodoroff (1917 - 1935)
1953 * Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin (Russian) China
Apostolic Exarch Bishop Andrzej Cikoto (1939 - 1953)

1957 * Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (Greek) Turkey
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Louis Pelatre (1999 - )

1968 * Eparchy of Sulaimaniya (Chaldean) Iraq
Apostolic Administrator Archimandrite Denha Hanna Touma (2006 - )
1998 * Eparchy of Aqra (Chaldean) Iraq
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Youhanna Issa (1999 -)
2005 * Archeparchy of Diarbekir (Chaldean) Turkey
Apostolic Administrator Msgr. Joseph Pallikunnel (2008 - )
2006 * Archeparchy of Bassorah (Chaldean) Iraq
Archbishop Djibrail Kassab (1995 - 2006)
2009 * Eparchy of Le Caire (Chaldean) Egypt
Administrator Msgr. Philip Najim (also Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See and Apostolic Visitor for Chaldean Catholics in Europe) (2010 - )
2010 * Eparchy of Zaku (Chaldean) Iraq
Bishop Petros Hanna Issa Al-Harboli (2001 - 2010)
2011 * Archeparchy of Ahwaz (Chaldean) Iran
Archbishop Hanna Zora (1974 - 2011) (transferred to the newly created Chaldean Eparchy of Canada)

2007 * Eparchy of Buchach (Ukrainian) Ukraine
Apostolic Administrator Fr. Demetrius Hryhorak (2007 - )
2009 * Archeparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian) USA
Apostolic Administrator Bishop John Bura (2009 - )
2010 * Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires (Ukrainian) Argentina
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk (2010 - 2011) (elected Major Archbishop)
2011 * Eparchy of Stryj (Ukrainian) Ukraine
Apostolic Administrator Bishop Taras Senkiv (2011 - )

2010 * Archeparchy of Pittsburgh (Byzantine-Ruthenian) USA
Metropolitan Archeparch Basil Myron Schott (2002 - 2010)

2010 * Eparchy of Lungro (Italo-Albanian) Italy
Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Salvatore Nunnari (2010 - )

2011 * Eparchy of Thuckalay (Syro-Malabar) India
Archbishop George Alencherry (1996 – 2011) (elected Major Archbishop)

2011 * Eparchy of Byblos (Maronite) Lebanon
Bishop Bechara Rai (1990 - 2011) (elected Patriarch)
 
Nice work.

I see the mid-east (Iraq, Iran, Lebanon) is loosing sees and Europe (Britan, Ukraine, Hungary) is gaining.

Also still vacant is:

1921 * Archdiocese of Alexandria (Melkite) Egypt
Vicar Apostolic and Titular Archbishop Etienne Soukkarie (1920 - 1921)
 
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