Melkite Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Argentina

Melkite Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Argentina is an Apostolic Exarchate (missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church covering all of Argentina for its Byzantine Rite.

Apostolic Exarchate of Argentina (Melkite Greek)
Location
Country	Argentina
Statistics
Population	(as of 2023) 339,125
Parishes	3
Information
Denomination	Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Rite	Byzantine Rite
Established	21 March 2002
Cathedral	Saint George Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Patriarch	Youssef Absi
Apostolic Exarch	Ibrahim Salameh

It is immediately subject to the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch. It is currently governed by Bishop Ibrahim Salameh, SMSP.

Territory and statistics

Apostolic Exarchate to the Melkites has jurisdiction over all the faithful of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Argentina. Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathedral of Saint George in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. In 2023 there were 339,125 baptized.^[1]

Parishes

The territory is divided into three parishes:

• Saint George Cathedral, Cordoba
• Saint George Church, Rosario
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Buenos Aires.

History

In the late of the 19th century began the first Melkite Christians' immigration to Argentina. Two major waves of immigration took place between 1910 and 1930 and from 1949 to 1950. The majority of immigrants came from Lebanon and Syria and settled mostly in Rosario, Buenos Aires and Córdoba.

The Apostolic Exarchate was erected on 21 March 2002 with the papal bull Quandoquidem saeculorum^[2] of Pope John Paul II.

Ordinaries

Apostolic Exarchs of Argentina

• Georges Nicholas Haddad, Society of Missionaries of Saint Paul (SMSP) (20 April 2002 – 19 December 2005 resigned), Titular Bishop of Myra of the Greek-Melkites (20 April 2002 – 17 October 2006), later Apostolic Administrator of Akka of the Greek-Melkites (Israel) (18 March 2003 – 7 February 2006), Archeparch of Bāniyās of the Greek-Melkites (Lebanon) (since 17 October 2006 – ...)
• Jean-Abdo Arbach, Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist (B.C.) (17 October 2006 – 23 June 2012), Titular Bishop of Hilta (17 October 2006 – 11 November 2006), Titular Bishop of Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites (11 November 2006 – 23 June 2012); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Homs of the Greek-Melkites (Syria) (23 June 2012 – ...)
• Ibrahim Salameh, SMSP, (since 15 August 2013 – ...), Titular Bishop of Palmyra of the Greek-Melkites

Sources

• Annuario Pontificio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, ISBN 88-209-7422-3.