Catholic Church in the Middle East

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The Catholic Church in the Middle East follows the Pope in Rome. It began in this region in the 1st century and was strong during the Byzantine era, but declined after the Arab conquests. Since then, many Christians have left or faced persecution, leading to a widespread diaspora.

The largest group today is the Maronite Church, based in Beirut, Lebanon, which is in full communion with Rome. The Latin Church also exists in the Middle East under the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Christianity in the Middle East is very diverse. In 2010, Christians made up about 5% of the population, down from about 20% a century earlier.

Cyprus has the highest share of Christians (about 76–78%), Lebanon about 39–40%, and Egypt around 10% (many are Copts).

Most Lebanese Christians are Maronites. Across the region there are many Arabic-speaking Maronites (about 1.1–1.2 million), mainly in Lebanon. In Israel, Maronites are counted as Arameans.

Arab Christians are mostly Eastern Orthodox and number about 1.5 million. Catholics of the Latin Church are smaller, with communities including Armenians, Syrians, and Chaldeans/Assyrians.

Protestants number around 400,000. Arabized Melkite Catholics, often called Arab Christians, exceed 1 million and formed after a split in the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in 1724.

A 2015 study estimated about 483,500 Christians from Muslim backgrounds in the Middle East, many of them Protestants.

Christian populations are falling due to lower birth rates, emigration, persecution, and regional turmoil. The rise of extremist ideologies has also unsettled Christians. In 2011 some warned the region’s 12 million Christians could drop to about 6 million by 2020.