Nicolas Antiba, B.A. | |
|---|---|
| Patriarchal Vicar of Damascus | |
 | |
| Church | Melkite Greek Catholic |
| Diocese | Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus |
| See | Damascus |
| Appointed | February 9, 2018 (Patriarchal Vicar) |
| Installed | March 3, 2018 |
| Predecessor | Youssef Absi |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | September 19, 1971 |
| Consecration | August 25, 2013 by PatriarchGrégoire III Laham, B.S.,Boulos Nassif Borkhoche, S.M.S.P., Georges Kahhalé Zouhaïraty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicolas Antiba (1945-12-25)December 25, 1945 (age 79) |
| Nationality | Syrian |
| Denomination | Melkite Catholic |
| Residence | Damascus,Syria |
Nicolas Antiba (born 25 December 1945 inAleppo, Syria) is a Syrianarchbishop ofMelkite Greek Catholic Church. He is the currentPatriarchal Vicar ofDamascus, Syria.
Nicolas Antiba professed his initial vows to theBasilian Aleppian Order on 23 March 1964.[1] He pursued philosophical and theological studies at thePontifical Gregorian University in Rome beginning in 1967, and obtained alicentiate.[1] Antiba was ordained as a priest on 19 September 1971 and spent the next seven years studyingSemitic languages at thePontifical Biblical Institute, culminating in a master's degree inscripture.[2][1]
Antiba's pastoral assignments began in 1978 in the United States with his appointment as the priest of theParish of Saint Ann inWest Paterson, New Jersey.[1] In 1989, he was elevated to the position ofarchimandrite with his election assuperior general of theBasilian Aleppian Order.[1] In 1995, Antiba reigned his position with the Basilian Aleppian Order and was appointed by theCongregation for the Oriental Churches as itsapostolic visitor to the congregation ofBasilian Aleppian Sisters.[1][3] A year later, upon the request ofMaximos V Hakim, he moved to the patriarch's seminary of Saint Anne inRabweh, Lebanon to "provide spiritual leadership and be in charge of the pastoral year".[1]
In 2000,Gregory III Laham appointed Antiba aschancellor of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate in Rabweh.[1] Two years later, Gregory III elevated Antiba to the rank ofexarch and appointed him parish priest ofSaint-Julien-le-Pauvre inParis.[1]
Thesynod of theMelkite Greek Catholic Church elected him on 22 June 2012 to the Archeparchy of Bosra and Hauran.[3] This election was confirmed on 2 May 2013 byPope Francis.[3] Melkite PatriarchGregory III Laham ordained him as bishop on 25 August 2013.[3][4] His co-consecrators were his predecessorBoulos Nassif Borkhoche and the apostolic exarch in Venezuela,Georges Kahhalé Zouhaïraty.[3]
Antiba's studies long career have given him fluency in Arabic, English, French and Italian.[1] He also has a working knowledge of German, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Armenian.[1] He has taught at three universities in Lebanon,Holy Spirit University of Kaslik,Antonine University andSt. Paul Institute of Philosophy and Theology, and has written articles and studies in the areas of theology, scripture, liturgy and spirituality.[1]
