Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, on April 8, 2026, during a tour in Marjayoun, southern Lebanon. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
The synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches can now vote to remove their patriarch for a "grave cause." This has been possible since Aug. 29, when Pope Leo XIV established this procedure. Eastern canon law did not provide for this until now.In Lebanon, this concerns the Maronite, Greek-Melkite, Syriac-Catholic, and Armenian-Catholic patriarchal churches, which follow the Vatican, as Father Jean Maroun Hachem of the Mariamite Maronite Order — professor of law at Notre Dame University-Louaizeh (NDU) and former director of Vatican Radio — reminds L’Orient-Le Jour. The Chaldean Church, whose patriarchate is based in Iraq, is also included. The apostolic letter, issued as a motu proprio, took immediate effect and applies to bishops with voting rights in their synod, he adds.What exactly is this about, and what does the...
The synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches can now vote to remove their patriarch for a "grave cause." This has been possible since Aug. 29, when Pope Leo XIV established this procedure. Eastern canon law did not provide for this until now.In Lebanon, this concerns the Maronite, Greek-Melkite, Syriac-Catholic, and Armenian-Catholic patriarchal churches, which follow the Vatican, as Father Jean Maroun Hachem of the Mariamite Maronite Order — professor of law at Notre Dame University-Louaizeh (NDU) and former director of Vatican Radio — reminds L’Orient-Le Jour. The Chaldean Church, whose patriarchate is based in Iraq, is also included. The apostolic letter, issued as a motu proprio, took immediate effect and applies to bishops with voting rights in their synod, he adds.What exactly is this about, and what does...
