The Catholic Church is made up of many church communities of different rites, with the main classifications being the Roman rites and the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church. With the influx of migrants especially since the Second World War there has been growth in Australia, in the number of Catholics belonging to the many Eastern rites including Byzantine Catholics, Coptic Catholics and Chaldean Catholics. The Second Vatican Council documents encouraged members of the Catholic Church of the

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... atin traditions to know and understand the rich traditions of the Easterners so that the full manifestation of the catholicity of the Church and full knowledge of its divinely revealed heritage are preserved. One can ask how familiar are Catholics of the Roman rites with the beliefs, practices, liturgy, devotions and historical development of the other rites in the Catholic Church? The aim of this thesis is to give understanding about the Melkite Catholic Church in Australia. It takes the reader on a journey from Antioch in Syria to Australia in the third millennium, showing that the Melkites trace their roots to Antioch where believers were first called Christians. This thesis elaborates on who the Melkites are by firstly looking at the origins of this church community and thereby establishing the authenticity of this church community since it was established by the apostles and their co-workers, with the apostles being empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The thesis enumerates the key aspects of the early church at Antioch including theology, liturgy and the structure of the church, with these findings being foundational for the Melkite Church in Australia today. The thesis describes worship in the Melkite Church with emphasis on the development of this worship especially for the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist.;It explains important ritual, symbols, architecture and artwork and concluded that these express the key beliefs of this church community. The fundamental dogmas in the Melkite Church a [...]