Meletius II of Antioch explained

Meletius II Doumani
ملاتيوس الثاني دوماني
Patriarch Of:Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Church:Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
Enthroned:1899
Ended:1906
Predecessor:Spyridon of Antioch
Successor:Gregory IV of Antioch
Birth Date:1839
Birth Place:Ottoman Syria
Death Place:Syria

Patriarch Meletius II Doumani (Arabic: البطريرك ملاتيوس الثاني دوماني ; 1839 – 1906)

Meletius II Al-Doumani of Antioch. Years 1899 to 1906 as Patriarch.Meletius II was elected by the members of the Antiochian Holy Synod in 1898, with the exception of 3 Greek bishops who refused to elect him. These 3 Greek bishops soon resigned from their dioceses (Aleppo, Erzurum, Cilicia), and they departed from the Church of Antioch in protest. The protest was joined by Patriarch Sophronius IV of Alexandria and Patriarch Damian of Jerusalem. As a consequence of the influence of Patriarch Constantine V (Valiadis) of Constantinople, who also protested, the Ottoman Sultan did not issue the usual decree of recognition. This came only a year later, after the great efforts exerted by Kemal Bak al-Qazh, the Undersecretary of the Antiochian Chair in Constantinople (Istanbul). Thus, the manifest will of the Patriarchate of Antioch was accomplished.He was the first Arab and the first Syrian primate of non-Greek descent in 168 years.

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