Who is the head of the Maronite Catholic Church?
Jesus Christ is the Head, not only of the Maronite Church, but also of the Catholic Church worldwide. On earth, the head of the Maronite Church is the Maronite Patriarch. Within his own Church the Maronite Patriarch is the Chief Bishop of the Maronite Synod of Bishops. (A synod is an assembly that functions as the governing and teaching body of a Particular Church. However, due to the individual histories and circumstances of the diverse Eastern Catholic Churches, not all have Patriarchs.) There are six Eastern Catholic Churches that are patriarchal (that is, headed by a patriarch), in order of size of population: the Maronite Catholic Church; the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; the Armenian Catholic Church; the Chaldean Catholic Church; the Coptic Catholic Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church. (CYT, pp. 65, 90) Return to the Top Can one become a member of the Maronite Catholic Church? Yes. One can become a member of the Maronite Catholic Church in three basic ways: by baptism, by pet
