Jurisdiction: | Archeparchy |
Haifa and the Holy Land (Maronite) | |
Latin: | Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Maronitarum |
Country: | Israel |
Coordinates: | 32.8172°N 34.9996°W |
Population As Of: | 2019 |
Catholics: | 10,000 |
Parishes: | 8 parishes, 3 missions |
Sui Iuris Church: | Maronite Church |
Rite: | West Syro-Antiochene Rite |
Cathedral: | St. Louis the King Cathedral, Haifa |
Patron: | St. Louis the King |
Priests: | 14 |
Patriarch: | Bechara Boutros al-Rahi |
Bishop Title: | Archeparch |
Bishop: | Moussa El-Hage |
The Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land[1] (in Latin: Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Maronitarum in the Holy Land) is a branch of the Maronite Church immediately subject to the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites. Since 2012, it has been governed by Archbishop Moussa El-Hage, OAM.[1]
The archeparchy includes all the faithful of the Maronite Church who live in Israel. The archeparchial seat is the city of Haifa, where the Saint Louis the King Cathedral is located.[2]
In the archeparchy in 2019, there were approximately 10,000 members, 14 priests, 8 parishes and 3 missions.[3]
There was an ancient Catholic diocese in Akka in the third century. The Maronite Archeparchy was erected on 8 June 1996, with territory taken from Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre.[1] On 5 October of the same year, the archeparchy has ceded part of its territory for the benefit of the erection of the patriarchal exarchates of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan, which have since joined in persona episcopi to all archeparchy.