The Melkite story goes back a long way: to the very dawn of Christian history. Originally, the Melkites, or Byzantine (Greek) Catholics of Middle Eastern origin, were descendants of the early Christians of Antioch (Syria).

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Today, the term Melkite is used to refer to those Catholics whose ancestry could be Middle Eastern or those who follow the Byzantine tradition in worship, theology, and spirituality according to the Melkite ritual. As Rome was the most powerful city in early Western Europe and spread her manner of worship throughout the surrounding area, so too the Greek capital, Constantinople (originally called Byzantium), spread her traditions and customs to the countries closest to her.