melkite

[Vihan Dobiriyal]

an Orthodox Christian or Uniate Christian belonging to the patriarchate of Alexandria or Antioch or Jerusalem

[juan98]

an eastern Christian in Egypt or Syria who adheres to the Orthodox faith as defined by the council of Chalcedon in 451 and as accepted by the Byzantine emperor

[Nicolasmam]

Melkite refers to a member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic denomination that is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Melkites follow the Byzantine Rite, and their liturgy and spiritual practices mirror those of Eastern Orthodoxy. The term originally emerged in the early days of Christianity to distinguish those who supported the council of Chalcedons decisions regarding the nature of Christ from those who didnt. The word Melkite is derived from the Syriac word for king and was originally used as pejorative term for those Christians who supported the kings religion- in this case the religion of the Byzantine emperor.