abstract
| - The current Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem is Gregory III Laham. The patriarchate is based in the Syrian capital Damascus. In the Middle East, the church has dioceses in: The patriarchate is administered by a permanent synod which includes the patriarch and four bishops, the ordinary tribunal of the patriarch for legal affairs, the patriarchal economos who serves as financial administrator, and a chancery. The Melkite Synod of Bishops, composed of all of the Church's bishops, meets each year to consider administrative, theological and issues affecting the entire Church. There are also several patriarchal organizations with offices and chapters throughout the world. These include the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jeruselem, which promotes religious, cultural, charitable and social works of concern to the Church; the Global Melkite Association, a group which networks eparchies, monasteries, schools and Melkite associations; and Friends of The Holy Land, a lay charitable organization active in the diaspora which provides clothing, medicine and liturgical items for churches and communities in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria.
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