Syriac Orthodox Church

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Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox Christian denomination Template:Oriental Orthodox sidebarThe Syriac Orthodox ChurchTemplate:Efn (Template:Langx),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> also informally known as the Jacobite Church,Template:Sfn is an Oriental Orthodox denomination that originated from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 1.5 million followers worldwide.<ref name="Britannica">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Gorgias">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Murre-van den Berg">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="King">Template:Cite book</ref> The church upholds the Miaphysite doctrine in Christology and employs the Liturgy of Saint James, associated with James the Just. Classical Syriac is the official and liturgical language of the church.

The supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is the patriarch of Antioch, a bishop who, according to sacred tradition, continues the leadership passed down from Saint Peter. Since 2014, Ignatius Aphrem II has served as the Syriac Orthodox Antiochian patriarch. The Great Church of Antioch was the patriarchal seat and the headquarters of the church until Template:Circa, after which Severus of Antioch had to flee to Alexandria, Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the death of Severus, the patriarchal seat moved from Egypt to different monasteries like the Mor Bar Sauma Monastery; some patriarchs also set up headquarters in Antioch temporarily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3" /> Later, Mor Hananyo Monastery was declared as the patriarchal seat and the headquarters of the church from Template:Circa until 1932. In 1959, the patriarchal seat and headquarters were relocated to the Cathedral of Saint George in Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, due to conflicts in the region.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" />

The Syriac Orthodox Church comprises 26 archdioceses and 13 patriarchal vicariates. It also has an autonomous maphrianate based in India, the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church.

The Syriac Orthodox Church became distinct in 512 when Severus, a leader who opposed the Council of Chalcedon, was chosen as patriarch after a synod was held at Laodicea, Syria. This happened after Emperor Anastasius I removed the previous patriarch, Flavian II, who supported Chalcedon. Severus's later removal in 518 was not recognized by majority of the Syriac speakers in and out of Antioch,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and this led to the establishment of an independent Miaphysite patriarchate headed by Severus. In the 6th century, a bishop named Jacob Baradaeus helped strengthen this Miaphysite patriarchate. Meanwhile, those who supported Council of Chalcedon formed what later became the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Maronite Church.

Name and identity

Template:See alsoSyriac-speaking Christians have referred to themselves as "Sūryoyē/Ōromōyē/Ōṯurōyē" in native Aramaic terms based on their ethnic identity.Template:Sfn In most languages, a unique name has long been used to distinguish the church from the polity of Syria. In Arabic (the official language of Syria), the church is known as the "Kenissa Suryaniya" as the term "Suryani" identifies the Syriac language and people. Chalcedonians refer to the church as "Jacobite" (after Jacob Baradaeus) since the schism that followed the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.Template:Sfn English-speaking historians identified the church as the "Syrian Church". The English term "Syrian" was used to describe the community of Syriacs in ancient Syria. In the 15th century, the term "Orthodox" (from Greek: "orthodoxía"; "correct opinion") was used to identify churches that practiced the set of doctrines believed by the early Christians. Since 1922, the term "Syrian" started being used for things named after the Syrian Federation. Hence, in 2000, the Holy Synod ruled that the church be named as "Syriac Orthodox Church" after the Syriac language, the official liturgical language of the church.<ref name=":4" />

Although the church is not ethnically exclusive, the main ethnic group in the community usually identifies as Assyrian and/or Aramean,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn which has resulted in inner conflicts.Template:Sfn "Suryoye" is the term used to identify the Syriacs in the diaspora.<ref name="HM-Suryoye">Template:Harvnb</ref> Church traditions crystallized into ethnogenesis through the preservation of their stories and customs by the 12th century. Since the 1910s, the identity of Syriac Orthodoxy in the Ottoman Empire was principally religious and linguistic.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Syriac Orthodox identity included auxiliary cultural traditions of the Assyrian Empire and Aramean kingdoms,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and was reflected as such in the works of historical figures such as Michael the Syrian.Template:Sfn Formation of identity was also influenced by biblical interpretaton, leadership by clergymen,Template:Sfn and their political situation.Template:Sfn

In 1981, to address ongoing name conflicts in the diaspora, the Holy Synod stated that the church is known as the "Syrian Orthodox Church" (ʿIto Suryoyto Orthodoxoytho), its language the "Syriac language" (leshno Suryoyo), and its people "Suryoyo people" (ʿamo Suryoyo).Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

In recent works, Assyrian-American historian Sargon Donabed has pointed out that parishes in the US were originally using Assyrian designations in their official English names, also noting that in some cases those designations were later changed to Syrian and then to Syriac, while three parishes continued to use Assyrian designations.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Today, the Assyrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Paramus, New Jersey officially retains the Assyrian name in its parish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn

History

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Early history

The church claims apostolic succession through the pre-Chalcedonian Patriarchate of Antioch to the early Christian communities from Jerusalem led by Saint Barnabas and Saint Paul in Antioch, during the Apostolic era, as described in the Acts of the Apostles; "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" ( Template:Bibleverse). Saint Peter was selected by Jesus Christ ( Template:Bibleverse) and is venerated as the first bishop of Antioch in Template:Circa after the Incident at Antioch.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Saint Evodius was the second bishop of Antioch until 66 AD and was succeeded by Saint Ignatius of Antioch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Template:Langx) was by Ignatius of Antioch, in around 100 AD.Template:Sfn In A.D 169, Theophilus of Antioch wrote three apologetic tracts to Autolycus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Patriarch Babylas of Antioch was considered the first saint recorded as having had his remains moved or "translated" for religious purposes, a practice that was to become extremely common in later centuries.<ref>Eduard Syndicus; Early Christian Art; p. 73; Burns & Oates, London, 1962</ref> Eustathius of Antioch joined Athanasius of Alexandria in opposing the followers of the condemned doctrine of Arius (Arian controversy) at the First Council of Nicaea.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the time of Meletius of Antioch the church split due to his being deposed for Homoiousian leanings which became known as the Meletian Schism and saw several groups and several claimants to the See of Antioch.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn

Patriarchate of Antioch

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Given the antiquity of the bishopric of Antioch and the importance of the Christian community in the city of Antioch, a commercially significant city in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire, the First Council of Nicaea recognized the Bishopric as one of the main regional primacies in Christendom, with jurisdiction over the administrative Diocese of the Orient, thus laying the foundation for the creation of the "Patriarchate of Antioch and All of the East".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Because of the significance attributed to Ignatius of Antioch in the church, most of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs since 1293 have used the name of Ignatius in the title of the patriarch preceding their own patriarchal name.Template:Sfn

Christological controversies that followed the Council of Chalcedon did not result in the development of a separate community for those who became Miaphysites, though it became the catalyst for the development of a unique Syriac Orthodox identity.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn resulted in a long struggle for the patriarchate between those who accepted and those who rejected the council.Template:Sfn In 512, pro-Chalcedonian patriarch Flavian II of Antioch was deposed by Emperor Anastasius I,Template:Sfn and on 6 November 512, at the synod of Laodicea in Syria, Severus of Antioch, a notable Miapyhsite theologian, was elected and later consecrated on 16 November at the Great Church of Antioch.Template:Sfn<ref name="Witakowski">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Allen">Template:Cite book</ref> In 518, he was exiled from Antioch,Template:Sfn by new emperor, Justin I, who tried to enforce a uniform Chalcedonian orthodoxy throughout the empire.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Those who belonged to the pro-Chalcedonian party accepted newly appointed patriarch Paul, who took over the see of Antioch. The Miaphysite patriarchate was thus forced to leave Antioch, with Severus the Great taking refuge in Alexandria. The non-Chalcedonian community was divided between "Severians" (followers of Severus), and Aphthartodocetae, a division that remained unresolved until 527.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Severians continued to recognize Severus as the legitimate Miaphysite Patriarch of Antioch until his death in 538, and then proceeded to follow his successors.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Bishop Jacob Baradaeus is credited for ordaining most of the Miaphysite hierarchy while facing heavy persecution in the sixth century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 544, Baradeus ordained Sergius of Tella, continuing the non-Chalcedonian succession of patriarchs of the Church of Antioch.Template:Sfn This was done in opposition to the government-backed Patriarchate of Antioch held by the pro-Chalcedonian believers leading to the Syriac Orthodox Church becoming popularly known as the 'Jacobite' Church, while the Chalcedonian believers were known popularly as Melkites, derived from the Syriac word for king, malka(an implication of the Chalcedonian Church's relationship to the Roman emperor, later emphasised by the Melkite Greek Catholic Church).Template:Sfn Due to numerous historical upheavals and hardships, the patriarchate of the Syriac Orthodox Church was relocated to various monasteries in Mesopotamia for centuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> John III of the Sedre was elected and consecrated Patriarch after the death of Athanasius I Gammolo in 631 AD, followed by the fall of Roman Syria and the Muslim conquest of the Levant. John and several bishops were summoned before Emir Umayr ibn Sad al-Ansari of Hims to engage in an open debate regarding Christianity and represent the entire Christian community, including non-Syriac Orthodox communities, such as Greek Orthodox Syrians.Template:Sfn The rise of Islam did not change the position of clergy in leading the church, and they acted as the leaders of their community.Template:Sfn

Middle Ages

A map locating the dioceses in the middle east during the medieval period.
Syriac Orthodox dioceses in the medieval period Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend

By the 7th century AD, the Syriac Orthodox identity gradually began to shift from a purely religious association to one considered ethnic, as the adoption of Edessan Aramaic became one of their strongest features.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn The 8th-century hagiography Life of Jacob Baradaeus provides evidence of a definite denominational and social differentiation between the Chalcedonians and Miaphysites (Syriac Orthodox).Template:Sfn The longer hagiography indicates that the Syriac Orthodox (referred to as "Syriac Jacobites" in the work: Suryoye Yaquboye) identified more closely with Jacob's story than with those of other saints.Template:Sfn The Coptic historian and Miaphysite bishop Severus ibn al-Muqaffa discusses the origins of the Jacobites and their veneration of Jacob Baradaeus. He asserted that, unlike the Chalcedonian Christians (referred to as "Melkites"), Miaphysite Jacobites never compromised their Orthodoxy to win the favor of the Byzantine emperors, as the Melkites had done.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In the 10th century, after the Byzantine reconquest of Cappadocia, Cilicia and Syria, the Byzantine emperor encouraged Syriac settlement of these newly conquered frontier lands leading to a period of economic and intellectual flourishing for Syriac Orthodox communities from 950 to 1020.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The 65th Patriarch John VII Sarigta and his two successors resided at the Monastery of Bārid close to Melitene, one of many newly founded monasteries at the time, and Syriac Orthodox Christians were granted access to imperial positions.Template:Sfn The wealth and influence of the Syriac Orthodox communities then sparked conflicts with the Byzantine church, which began to persecute Syriac Orthodox Christians, forcing Patriarch Dionysius IV to relocate the seat to the Arabic Amida.Template:Sfn

Before the advent of the Crusades in the 11th century, the Syriacs occupied much of the hill country of Jazirah (Upper Mesopotamia)Template:Sfn and lived under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate.Template:Sfn In Antioch, after the 11th-century persecutions by the Byzantines, the Syriac Orthodox population was almost extinguished. Only one Jacobite church is recorded in Antioch in the first half of the 12th century, leading Dorothea Weltecke to conclude that the Syriac Orthodox population was very low in this period in Antioch and its surroundings.Template:Sfn

This changed during the 12th century when the Crusader states were established. Scholars agree generally that relations between the Syriac Orthodox and Latins in Outremer were positive.Template:Sfn The Syriac population in the Principality of Antioch grew, partly due to the influx of refugees, which was also reflected in the construction of two additional churches.Template:Sfn During this period, several Syriac Orthodox patriarchs visited Antioch, with some even establishing temporary residences there, and the Syriac Orthodox hierarchy in Antioch was open to accepting Latin supervision.Template:Sfn Nevertheless, they stayed officially independent, though they also engaged in talks with the Byzantines and Latins regarding church union.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

File:Deyrulzaferan.jpg
Mor Hananyo Monastery was the headquarters of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch until 1932.
patriarchal throne of the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch in Mor Hananyo monastery turkey, it was made during the 6th century
Patriarchal throne of the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch in Mor Hananyo Monastery, Turkey. It was made during the 6th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1293, the patriarchal seat was moved from the Mor Bar Sauma Monastery, where the patriarchs had resided since 1166,Template:Sfn to the Mor Hananyo Monastery (Deir al. Zaʿfarān)Template:Sfn in southeastern Anatolia near Mardin where it remained until 1933, when it was re-established in Homs, Syria, due to the adverse political situation in Turkey. As the Mongols took control of Baghdad in 1258, and declared Islam the state religion in 1294, continuous persecution was rampant against the Christian populations of cities such as Mosul and Erbil.Template:Sfn The effect that these persecutions would have made it difficult to enforce ecclesiastical laws amongst church hierarchy and made communal division more frequent amongst church adherents.Template:Sfn

16th-17th centuries

16th century

In November 1517, the Ottoman Empire issued a firman to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem stating that the churches, monasteries, and other institutions of the SOC were to be under their formal control, alongside those of the Ethiopian and Coptic churches.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Other documents suggest that the SOC as well as these churches were under the authority of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (Rum millet), which would become a frequent source of conflict.Template:Sfn

Among the notable churchmen of the period, Moses of Mardin (fl. 1549–d. 1592) was a diplomat who represented the Syriac Orthodox Church in Rome during the 16th century.Template:Sfn

17th century

By the early 1660s, 75% of the 5,000 Syriac Orthodox people of Aleppo had converted to Catholicism after the arrival of mendicant missionaries.Template:Sfn The Catholic missionaries sought to install a Catholic patriarch among the Jacobites and consecrated Andrew Akhijan as the patriarch of the newly founded Syriac Catholic Church.Template:Sfn The Propaganda Fide and foreign diplomats pushed for Akhijan to be recognized as the Jacobite patriarch. The Porte consented and warned the Syriac Orthodox that they would be considered enemies if they refused to recognize him.Template:Sfn Despite warnings and gifts to priests, frequent conflicts and violent disputes continued between the Catholic and Orthodox Syriacs.Template:Sfn

In 1662, the vacant Syriac Patriarchate aligned with the Catholic Church, but after Gregory Peter VI's death in 1702, the Catholic patriarchal line temporarily lapsed. It resumed in 1782 with Michael III Jarweh, leading to the formal establishment of the Syriac Catholic Church, while the non-Catholic faction maintained its separate patriarchate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Around 1665, many Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala, India, committed themselves in allegiance to the Syriac Orthodox Church, which established the Malankara Syrian Church. The Malankara Church consolidated under Mar Thoma I welcomed Gregorios Abdal Jaleel, who regularised the canonical ordination of Mar Thoma I as a native, democratically elected bishop of the Malabar Syrian Christians.Template:Sfn

Early 19th-mid 20th centuries

In 1836, the reformation faction of the Saint Thomas Christians in India split from the Syriac Orthodox Church and formed the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During this period, the positions of patriarch of Tur Abdin and maphrian (the latter revived in the 1960s) had come to an end following different synods.Template:Sfn

File:Patriarch Ignatius Peter III.jpg
Patriarch Ignatius Peter IV

In the middle of the century, missionary efforts began with Syriac Orthodox communities in Tur Abdin, although they were not as popular as in Urmia.Template:Sfn Students from Harput were also attracted to the schools and influenced the SOC community in Tur Abdin.

In the 19th century, the various Syriac Christian denominations did not view themselves as part of a single ethnic group,Template:Sfn though intercommunity bonds within the church were strong.Template:Sfn The church was previously under the jurisdiction of the Armenians in the Millet system of the Ottoman Empire, due to both churches being non-Chalcedonian. However, following various inner church conflicts, namely a crisis in Jerusalem,Template:Sfn a series of petitions (often numbering into the thousands) would be made by the SOC under Ignatius Peter IV and its dioceses for a separate millet.Template:Sfn During the Tanzimat reforms (1839–78), the Syriac Orthodox Church was granted independent status by gaining recognition as their own millet in 1873, apart from Armenians and Greeks.Template:Sfn However, conflicts with the Armenian millet would continue after the SOC was granted recognition.

In the late 19th century, the Syriac Orthodox community of the Middle East, primarily from the cities of Adana and Harput, began the process of creating the Syriac diaspora, with the United States being one of their first destinations in the 1890s.Template:Sfn Later, the first Syriac Orthodox church in the United States was built in Worcester, Massachusetts.Template:Sfn

The 1895–96 massacres in Turkey affected the Armenian and Syriac Orthodox communities when an estimated 105,000 Christians were killed.Template:Sfn By the end of the 19th century, 200,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians remained in the Middle East, primarily concentrated around the Saffron Monastery, the patriarchal seat.Template:Sfn

In 1870, there were 22 Syriac Orthodox settlements in the vicinity of Diyarbakır.Template:Sfn In the 1870–71 Diyarbakır salnames, there were 1,434 Orthodox Syriacs in that city.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Internal rivalry within the Syriac Orthodox Church in Tur Abdin resulted in many conversions to the Syriac Catholic Church (the Uniate branch).Template:Sfn

On 10 December 1876, Ignatius Peter IV consecrated Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala as metropolitan.Template:Sfn He had also worked to reform the Indian church after a long period of neglect, convening a synod in 1876 that reorganized communities into seven dioceses and establishing two councils.Template:Sfn Under Peter IV's patriarchate, Jules Ferrette of the Ancient British Church was allegedly consecrated into the episcopacy for establishing an Oriental Orthodox mission in the West.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Joseph Rene Vilatte was also apparently consecrated as a bishop through the Malankara Church, presumably with Peter IV's blessing.<ref name="Kiraz2007">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In the late 19th century, Syriac Orthodox adherents began to emigrate to North America to evade religious persecution.Template:Sfn The first Syriac Orthodox member to settle in the United States is believed to be Dr. Abraham Yoosef, while the first in Canada was George Jarjour. Many Syriac Orthodox from Diyarbekir began to settle in New Jersey, while those from Harput settled in Worcester, Massachusetts.Template:Sfn Through the Assyrian Ladies Aid Society group, funds were gathered to build the first SOC parish in Union City.Template:Sfn A bigger parish would later be built in 1927, consecrated as Yoldath Aloho Maryam, and other churches were soon to follow elsewhere across the United States. In Stirling, New Jersey, a group of these immigrants would found the Assyrian Orphanage and School Association of America, or Taw Mim Semkath, which continued into the Middle East and Adana.Template:Sfn

Genocide (1914–1918)

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A memorial to Sayfo (Assyrian genocide) at Peace Park in Locarno, Switzerland
Sayfo Monument at Peace Park in Locarno, Switzerland

The Ottoman authorities killed and deported Orthodox Syriacs, then looted and seized their properties.Template:Sfn Between 1915 and 1916, the Orthodox Syriac population in Diyarbakır province declined by 72%, and in the Mardin province by 58%.Template:Sfn Although they weren't as targeted as the Armenians, many were often killed indiscriminately, and SOC Syriacs were hit the hardest by the genocide.Template:Sfn An estimated 90,000 were killed in the massacres and ensuing deportations.Template:Sfn

Interwar period

In 1924, the patriarchate of the church was transferred to Homs after Kemal Atatürk expelled the Syriac Orthodox patriarch, who took the library of Deir el-Zaferan and settled in Damascus.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Syriac Orthodox villages in Tur Abdin suffered from the 1925–26 Kurdish rebellions and massive exodus to Lebanon, northern Iraq and especially Syria ensued.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In the early 1920s, the city of Qamishli was built mainly by Syriac Orthodox refugees, fleeing Sayfo/the Assyrian genocide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The remaining Syriac Orthodox community in Tur Abdin did not press for minority rights by the Turkish state, under the leadership of Ignatius Elias III, but in 1924/1925 he was forced to leave the country.Template:Sfn

Mid 20th-early 21st centuries

1945–2000

Following Elias III's leadership, Ignatius Aphrem I ascended to the patriarchate. Under his patriarchal administration, he repudiated the clergy that claimed holy orders and apostolic succession through Ferrette and Vilatte.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite book</ref> These clergy would later repudiate Aphrem I's notice, and form the Catholicate of the West which was dissolved and continued as the British Orthodox Church.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":13" />

Then, under his administration, although Ignatius Aphrem I initially supported Assyrian identity during the Paris Peace Conference, he changed this stance after the Simele massacre.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In a publication made in 1952, he officially rejected the label in favor of Aramean identity, stating that the use of the word 'Assyrian' for the language or the community contradicts historical truth and the traditions of the church.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In the same year, he appointed Archbishop Athanasius Yeshue Samuel as Patriarchal Vicar over the United States and Canada.Template:Sfn In October 1957, the North American Archdiocese was established, and consecrated a cathedral the following year. Issues of identity were created due to the controversy surrounding the use of the term "Assyrian" after Barsoum's pamphlet, resulting in a legal battle and creating additional disputes with the Rum Orthodox Church.Template:Sfn

In 1959, the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church was transferred to Damascus in Syria.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn By the 1960s, Syriac Orthodox followers began to emigrate to Sweden, with the majority of whom being from Tur Abdin.Template:Sfn In the mid-1970s, the estimate of Syriac Orthodox living in Syria was 82,000.Template:Sfn In 1977, the number of Syriac Orthodox followers in diaspora dioceses was: 9,700 in the Diocese of Middle Europe; 10,750 in the Diocese of Sweden and surrounding countries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Immigration to Europe increased following violence from the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, increasing the strength of Syriac Orthodox communities in their dioceses.Template:Sfn

On 20 October 1987, Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala was declared a saint by Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, allowing additions to the diptychs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2000, a synod was convened and the church officially began to use "Syriac" in its name in English, reflecting the official language of the church and to disassociate from the Syrian nation as in English citizens of Syria are called as Syrians.Template:Sfn The church began the process of establish parish councils within each diocese, and by-laws enacted by the synod at Mor Mattai Monastery were updated.

Syrian Civil War

A picture showing the damage to exterior of St. Mary Church of the Holy Belt during the Syrian Civil War
Damage to exterior of St. Mary Church of the Holy Belt during the Syrian Civil War

During the Syrian Civil War, in 2012, sources within the church reported of an "ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians" being carried out by the Free Syrian Army. Multiple Christians claimed to have been forced out of their homes, however, one Syriac leader clarified that the reports were unconfirmed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In another incident, Al-Arabiya reported that government forces attacked and raided the historic Syriac Orthodox Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt in Homs.<ref name="RegimeOppressesChristians">Template:Cite news</ref> Official Syrian church sources maintained that it was the anti-government militias that used the church as a shield and later damaged its contents on purpose.<ref name="ncronline">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Al-Arabiya reports in 2012 stated that the Syrian government has been persecuting Christian community leaders by various means. In one instance, a Christian activist sympathetic to the opposition told the newspaper that one priest had been killed by the government's forces and then state-run TV blamed government opposition for his death.

In April 2013, the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox archbishops of Aleppo, Paul (Yazigi) and Yohanna Ibrahim, were reportedly kidnapped near Aleppo by an armed Chechen group.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Throughout the war, churches have been demolished by Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria fighters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Leadership

Patriarch

A picture of Ignatius Aphrem II, the current Patriarch of Antioch
Ignatius Aphrem II, current Patriarch of Antioch

The supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is titled the patriarch of Antioch, in reference to his titular pretense to one of the five patriarchates of the pentarchy of Byzantine Christianity.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="O'MahonyLoosley2009">Template:Cite book</ref> He possesses apostolic succession through Saint Peter, according to sacred tradition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Considered the "father of fathers", he must be an ordained bishop. He is the general administrator to Holy Synod and supervises the spiritual, administrative, and financial matters of the church.<ref name=":4" /> The patriarch oversees the church's external relations with other churches and signs documents related to church affairs—such as agreements, treaties, contracts, and pastoral communications such as encyclicals, (also known as bulls) and pastoral letters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Maphrian or Catholicos of India

A photo of Baselios Joseph I, the current Catholicos of India.
Baselios Joseph I, current Catholicos of India

The word "maphrian: comes from the Syriac word mafriano, meaning "one who fructifies".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The maphrian or the Catholicos of India is the second highest rank in the Syriac Orthodox Church after the patriarch.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is an important functionary in guiding the church when the patriarchate falls vacant after the death of a patriarch, overseeing the election of the next patriarch and leading the ceremony for the ordination of the patriarch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their see is in India, serving as the head of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, and remains under the authority of the patriarch. In joint councils, he is seated on the right side of the patriarch and heads the church's regional synod in India with the patriarch's sanction.<ref name=":4" />

Archbishops and bishops

The title bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos, meaning "the one who oversees".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A bishop is a spiritual leader in the church and holds different ranks. In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the hierarchy includes metropolitan bishops (or archbishops), with auxiliary bishops serving under them. The local head of an archdiocese is an archbishop. He is under the jurisdiction of the patriarch and is accountable to the Holy Synod.<ref name="Margoneetho" />

Corepiscopos and priests

The priest (Kasheesho) is the one duly appointed to administer the sacraments. Unlike in the Catholic Church, Syriac deacons may marry before being ordained as priests; they cannot marry after ordained as priests.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Corepiscopi (or archpriests) are the highest honorary rank given to married priests.<ref name="BriefOverview">Template:Cite web</ref> A corespiscopos has the privileges of being the "first among the priests". The ranks above the corepiscopos are unmarried.Template:Sfn The title of "reesh-corepiscopos" (arch-corepiscopos) is rare and has been awarded only to Curien Kaniamparambil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deacons

A picture of a full deacon with his vestments holding with a censer and the Gospel.
Mshamshono (full deacon) with the Orarion above the alb, a censer and the Gospel

In the Syriac Orthodox tradition, different ranks among the deacons are specifically assigned with particular duties. The seven ranks of the diaconate are:<ref name=Jarjour84-85>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name=BriefOverview />

  1. Ulmoyo (Faithful)
  2. Mawdyono (Confessor of faith)
  3. Mzamrono (Singer)
  4. Quroyo or Korooyo (Reader or Lector)
  5. Afudyaqno (Sub-deacon)
  6. Mshamshono (Full or evangelical deacon)
  7. Arkhedyaqno (Archdeacon)

The sub-deacon ensures only the baptized remain in the church from the chanting of the Nicene Creed until Communion. Historically, catechumens attended the sermon but left before the Creed. The Sub-deacon maintains this practice and church discipline.Template:Sfn

Only a full deacon can take the censer during the Divine Liturgy to assist the priest. In the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, because of the lack of deacons, altar assistants who do not have a rank of the diaconate may assist the priest.Template:Sfn

Each archdiocese may have one archdeacon who is referred to as "the right hand of the bishop". Only qualified and learned deacons are elevated to this office.<ref name=Jarjour84-85 />

Historically, in the Malankara Church, the local chief was called an archdeacon, who was the ecclesiastical authority of the Saint Thomas Christians in the Malabar region of India.Template:Sfn

Deaconess

An ordained deaconess is entitled to enter the sanctuary only for cleaning, lighting the lamps and is limited to give Holy Communion to women and children who are under the age of five.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She can read scriptures and the Holy Gospel in a public gathering. The title of deaconess can also be given to a choirgirl.<ref>Patriarch Zakka I Iwas. (n.d.). The Role of Women in the Syrian Orthodox Church. Retrieved April 4, 2025.</ref> The ministry of the deaconess assists the priest and deacon outside the altar including in the service of baptizing women and anointing them with holy chrism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Worship

Bible

A picture of the Peshitta bible kept at Mor Hananyo monastery
Peshitta Bible at Mor Hananyo Monastery

Syriac Orthodox churches uses the Peshitta (Syriac: ܡܦܩܬܐ ܦܫܝܛܬܐ, trans: simple, common) as its Bible. The New Testament books of this Bible are estimated to have been translated from Koine Greek to Syriac between the late first century to the early third century AD.<ref>Brock, Sebastian P. The Bible in Syriac Bible. Kottayam: SEERI.</ref> The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated from Hebrew, probably in the second century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The New Testament of the Peshitta, which originally excluded certain disputed books, had become the standard by the early fifth century, replacing two early Syriac versions of the gospels.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the Syriac Orthodox Church's biblical interpretation, the School of Edessa was divided over whether to accept the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia.Template:Sfn Over centuries, divides over Miaphysisites, Diophysites, and Chalcedonians became more definitive, influencing Syriac literature and compiling new works from figures such as Dionysius bar Salibi and Bar Hebraeus.Template:Sfn

Doctrine

Icon of the Virgin Mary by St.Luke at Syriac orthodox monastery of St Mark in Jerusalem
Icon of the Virgin Mary by St. Luke the Evangelist at Syriac orthodox monastery of St Mark in Jerusalem

The Syriac Orthodox Church theology is based on the Nicene Creed. The Syriac Orthodox Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> that its metropolitans are the successors of Christ's apostles, and that the patriarch is the successor to Saint Peter on whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ.<ref>Holy Bible: Matthew Template:Bibleverse-nb</ref>Template:Sfn The church accepted the first three synods held at Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431), shaping the formulation and early interpretation of Christian doctrines.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn The Syriac Orthodox Church is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, a distinct communion of churches claiming to continue the patristic and apostolic Christology before the schism following the Council of Chalcedon in 451.<ref name="CNEWA">Template:Cite web</ref> In terms of Christology, the Oriental Orthodox (Non-Chalcedonian) understanding is that Christ is "One Nature—the Logos Incarnate, of the full humanity and full divinity". Just as humans are of their mothers and fathers and not in their mothers and fathers, so too is the nature of Christ according to Oriental Orthodoxy. The Chalcedonian understanding is that Christ is "in two natures, full humanity and full divinity". This is the doctrinal difference that separated the Oriental Orthodox from the rest of Christendom. The church believes in the mystery of Incarnation and venerate Virgin Mary as Theotokos or Yoldath Aloho (Meaning: 'Bearer of God').Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The Fathers of the Syriac Orthodox Church gave a theological interpretation to the primacy of Saint Peter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They were fully convinced of the unique office of Peter in the early Christian community. Ephrem, Aphrahat, and Maruthas unequivocally acknowledged the office of Peter. The different orders of liturgies used for sanctification of church buildings, marriages, ordinations etc., reveal that the primacy of Peter is a part of faith of the church. The church does not believe in papal primacy as understood by the Roman See, rather, Petrine primacy according to the ancient Syriac tradition.Template:Sfn The church uses both the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar based on their regions and traditions they adapted.

Bar Hebraeus wrote a Nomocanon with 40 chapters detailing the rules and canons of the church, some of which were derived from other schools of thought.Template:Sfn These writings served as a basis for the leadership of the church and were mostly unchanged for 330 years

Language

Liturgy

picture of celebration of Mass at St.Johns Church, Germany
Celebration of the Liturgy at St. John's Church, Stuttgart, Germany

The liturgical service is called Holy Qurobo in the Syriac language meaning "Eucharist". The Liturgy of Saint James is celebrated on Sundays and special occasions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The holy eucharist consists reading of the Gospel, Bible readings, prayers, and hymns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The recitation of the liturgy is performed according to with specific parts chanted by the presider, the lectors, the choir, and the congregated faithful, at certain times in unison. Apart from certain readings, prayers are sung in the form of chants and melodies. Hundreds of melodies remain preserved in the book known as Beth Gazo, the key reference to Syriac Orthodox church music.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1983, the French ethnomusicologist Christian Poché produced audio recordings of the liturgical music of the Syriac Orthodox Church. In his liner notes for the UNESCO Anthology of Traditional Music, he described the liturgical music of communities in Antioch, Tur ‘Abdin, Urfa, Mardin in modern Turkey, as well as in Aleppo and Qamishli in modern Syria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Prayer

Syriac Orthodox clergy and laity follow a regimen of seven prayers a day at fixed prayer times, in accordance with Psalm 119 (cf. Shehimo).Template:Sfn<ref name="Richards1908">Template:Cite book</ref> According to the Syriac tradition, an ecclesiastical day starts at sunset and the canonical hours are based on West Syriac Rite:Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn

  • Evening or Ramsho prayer (Vespers)
  • Night prayer or Sootoro prayer (Compline)
  • Midnight or Lilyo prayer (Matins)
  • Morning or Saphro prayer (Prime or Lauds, 6 a.m.)
  • Third Hour or tloth sho`in prayer (Terce, 9 a.m.)
  • Sixth Hour or sheth sho`in prayer (Sext, noon)
  • Ninth Hour or tsha` sho'in prayer (None, 3 p.m.)

Sacraments

File:Holy Baptism.jpg
A baptism in the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church in India

The seven sacraments of the church are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Cast listing

Vestments

Picture of the clergy wearing their different vestments
Liturgical vestments of the clergy
File:Syriac Orthodox Vestment.jpg
Liturgical vestments of metropolitan bishop and deacon

The clergy of the Syriac Orthodox Church wear unique liturgical vestments according to their order in the priesthood, with certain elements overlapping and building upon one another.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>

Non-ceremonial

The priest usual dress, worn when not performing sacraments, is a black robe. In India, due to the hot weather, priests usually wear white robes except during prayers in the church, when they wear a black robe over the white one. A priest also wears a phiro (black skullcap), which he must wear for the public prayers.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> A corepiscopos is given a chain with a cross and are also required to wear a black cassock and a traditional violet zoonoro (girdle) made of cloth.<ref name="Margoneetho">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A ramban (monk) wears a masnapso, a hood.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Bishops usually wear a black or a red robe along with a red belt. They also wear a qawugh (black shaped turban) and an episcopal cross on the chest.Template:Sfn<ref name=":8" />

Ceremonial

A mawdyono deacon wears a white robe called kutino, symbolizing purity. Mzamrono and ascending ranks of deacons wear the kutino and a uroro (orarion) in their respective shapes. The deaconess wears a uroro hanging down from the shoulder in the manner of an archdeacon.Template:Sfn

Priests wear ceremonial shoes called msone. Without wearing these shoes, a priest cannot distribute the eucharist to the faithful. The priest also wears the hamniko or stole which is worn over the white robe. Then he wears a girdle called zoonoro, and zende, meaning sleeves. A cope called phayno is worn over these vestments.<ref name=":8" />

If the celebrant is a bishop, he wears a veil-mitre over the masnapso. Batrashil, or pallium, is worn over the phayno by bishops and corepiscopas wear a half cope over the phayno, like hamnikho worn by priests.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They carry a crosier stylised with serpents representing the staff of Moses during liturgy and in public.<ref name=":8" /> They also carry a cross and scarf along with the crosier.<ref name=":5" />

Demography

picture of Mor Hananyo Monastery
Mor Hananyo Monastery, former headquarters of the Syriac Orthodox Church, in Turkey

The patriarchate was originally established in Antioch (in present-day Syria, Turkey, and Iraq)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but later relocated due to persecutions by the Romans,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> followed by Muslim Arab rule. It was based at Mor Hananyo Monastery, Mardin, within the Ottoman Empire (1160–1933),<ref name="Markessini 2012 31">Template:Harvnb</ref> then moved to Homs (1933–1959), and has been seated in Damascus, Syria, since 1959.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A diaspora has also spread from the Levant, Iraq,Template:Sfn and Turkey<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> throughout the world, notably in Sweden,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Germany, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Austria, France, United States, Canada, Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Murre-van den Berg, H. (2011). Syriac Orthodox Church. The encyclopedia of Christian civilization.</ref>Template:Sfn

picture of St. George's Monastery, Malekurish
St. George's Monastery, Malekurish, India

It is estimated that the church has 600,000 Syriac adherents, in addition to 483,000 members of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church and their own ethnic diaspora in India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="oikoumene.org">Template:Cite web</ref> There is also a large Syriac community among Mayan converts in Guatemala and South America numbering up to 500,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to scholar James Minahan around 26% of the Assyrian people belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church.<ref>Template:Harvnb: "The Assyrians, although closely associated with their Christian religion, are divided among a number of Christian sects. The largest denominations are the Chaldean Catholic Church with about 45% of the Assyrian population, the Syriac Orthodox with 26%, the Assyrian Church of the East with 19%, the free Orthodox Church of Antioch or Syriac Catholic Church with 4%, and various Protestant sects with a combined 6%."</ref> Although the population of SOC members in Tur Abdin still remains in the low thousands (2,000 as of 2011),Template:Sfn the Syriac population in Turkey is growing due to refugees from Syria and Iraq fleeing ISIS, as well as members of the diaspora returning to rebuild their homes after leaving during the Turkey-PKK conflict (1978). The village of Elbeğendi, Midyat has been repopulated by Syriacs from Germany and Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the Assyrian/Syriac diaspora, there are approximately 250,000 members in the United States, 120,000 in Sweden, 120,000 in Germany,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 15,000 in the Netherlands, 200,000 members in Brazil, Switzerland, and Austria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7" />

Jurisdiction of the patriarchate

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The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch originally covered the whole region of the Middle East and India. In recent centuries, its parishioners started to emigrate to other countries over the world. Today, the Syriac Orthodox Church has several archdioceses and patriarchal vicariates (exarchates) in many countries covering six continents. The church's members are divided into 26 archdioceses, and 13 patriarchal vicariates.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Americas

picture of St. Mark's Cathedral in New Jersey
St. Mark's Cathedral, Paramus, New Jersey.

The presence of the Syrian Orthodox faithful in the Americas dates back to the late 19th century.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

North America

In 1952, the Patriarchal Vicariate for the U.S. and Canada was created, and in 1995, it was divided in three regional vicariates: Eastern America, Western America, and Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1993, Ignatius Zakka I formed the Malankara Archdiocese of North America for the Indian adherents living in North America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The archdiocese is under the jurisdiction of the patriarchal see.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

There are approximately 250,000 members of the three vicariates and more than 1,000,000 members in the Malankara Archdiocese, as of 2002.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Region Diocese or Vicariate Metropolitan
United States Patriarchal Vicariate of Eastern United States Dionysius Jean Kawak<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Patriarchal Vicariate of Western United States Clemis Eugene Kaplan<ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref>
Canada Patriarchal Vicariate of Canada Athanasius Elia Bahi<ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref>
United States and Canada Malankara Archdiocese of North America Titus Yeldho<ref name=":0" />

Central America

File:Guatemala Comolopa églises.jpg
Syriac Orthodox Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Guatemala

In Guatemala, a Charismatic movement emerged in 2003 and was excommunicated in 2006 by the Roman Catholic Church. They later joined the Syriac Orthodox Church in 2013 as the Syriac Orthodox Church in Guatemala. Members of this archdiocese are generally Mayan in origin and most live in rural areas.<ref name=":1" /> They number around 500,000 based on church estimations,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while organization like the SCOOH estimate around 600,000-800,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This archdiocese is known as the Archdiocese of Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Venezuela.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

South America

Region Vicariate Metropolitan
Argentina Patriarchal Vicariate of Argentina Chrysostomos John Ghassali<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Brazil Patriarchal Vicariate of Brazil Severius Malke Mourad<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Middle East

The Syriac Orthodox Church in the Middle East and the diaspora numbering between 150,000 and 200,000 people reside in their indigenous area of habitation in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey according to estimations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The community formed and developed in the Middle Ages. The Syriac Orthodox Christians of the Middle East speak Aramaic. The Syriac Orthodox Church has numerous monasteries in the region.

Region Diocese or vicariate Metropolitan
Iraq Archdiocese of Baghdad and Basra<ref name="Constitution">Template:Cite web</ref> Severius Hawa<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Mar Matta<ref name=Constitution /> Timotheos Mousa A. Shamani<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Mosul and Environs<ref name=Constitution /> Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jerusalem and Jordan Patriarchal Vicariate of Jerusalem and Jordan Raban Gabriel Dahho<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lebanon Archdiocese of Beirut Clemis Daniel Malak Kourieh<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon Theophilus Georges Saliba<ref name="HonoringSaliba">Template:Cite web</ref>
Patriarchal Vicariate of Zahle Justinos Boulos Safar<ref name=HonoringSaliba />
Syria Archdiocese of Aleppo Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Homs & Hama Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Jazireh & Euphrates Maurice Amish<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Turkey Patriarchal Vicariate of Istanbul & Ankara Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Mardin Filüksinos Saliba Özmen<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Archdiocese of Turabdin Timotheus Samuel Aktaş<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Patriarchal Vicariate of Adiyaman Gregorius Melki Ürek<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Arabian Gulf and Emirates Patriarchal Vicariate of Arabian Gulf Barthelmaus Nathanael Youssef<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

India

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church

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picture of the altar & tomb of Mar Baselios Yeldo
Altar & tomb of Mar Baselios Yeldo
front view of St. Mary's Cathedral, Manarcad
St. Mary's Cathedral, Manarcad

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is the maphriante, and it is one of the Saint Thomas Christian churches in India and is an integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, with the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch as its supreme head.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":02">Template:Citation</ref> The local head of the church in Malankara (Kerala) is Baselios Joseph I, ordained by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II in March 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The headquarters of the church in India is at Puthencruz, Ernakulam, Kerala in South India. Simhasana churches and the Honavar Mission is under the direct control of the patriarch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Historically, the St. Thomas Christians were part of the Church of the East, based in Persia which was under the Patriarch of Antioch. After the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, which resulted in a schism between the patriarchate and the Church of the East, the faithful in India received both Miaphysite and Nestorian bishops from different time periods until they formally and fully got reunited with Syriac Orthodox Church on 1652.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Syriac monks like Mar Sabor and Mar Proth arrived at Malankara between the eighth and ninth centuries from Persia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They established churches in Quilon, Kadamattom, Kayamkulam, Udayamperoor, and Akaparambu.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church

The Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church is an independent Oriental church which was excommunicated from the Syriac Orthodox Church by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV due to their Eastern Protestant practices. Their first reforming metropolitan Mathews Athanasius was ordained by Ignatius Elias II in 1842.Template:Sfn

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church that accepts the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch only as its spiritual father as stated by the constitution of 1934,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> even though the Syriac Orthodox Church considers them schismatics and does not have communion with them.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Knanaya Archdiocese

View of the altar of St.Mary's Knanaya Syriac Church, Kottayam.
Altar of St. Mary's Knanaya Syriac Church, Kottayam

The Knanaya Archdiocese exists as an archdiocese for the ethnic Knanaya community in Kerala who practice strict endogamy. It was due to this they were given a separate archdiocese. They are under the guidance and direction of Archbishop Mor Severious Kuriakose. They migrated to Kerala under the leadership of the Syriac merchant Knāy Thoma (Thomas of Cana) who arrived in Kerala in the year 345 AD with a bishop from Edessa,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while another legend traces their origin to Jews in the Middle East.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Evangelistic Association of the East

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picture of the head office of the Evangelistic Association of the East
Head office of the Evangelistic Association of the East

E.A.E. Archdiocese is the missionary association of the Syriac Orthodox Church, founded in 1924 by Geevarghese Athunkal Cor-Episcopa at Perumbavoor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This archdiocese is under the direct control of the patriarch under the guidance of Chrysostomos Markose.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is an organization with churches, educational institutions, orphanages, old age homes, convents, publications, mission centers, gospel teams, care missions, and a missionary training institute. It is registered in 1949 under the Indian Societies Registration Act. XXI of 1860 (Reg. No. S.8/1949ESTD 1924).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Honnavar Mission is a spiritual and charitable organization based in Honnavar, Karnataka, under the E.A.E. Archdiocese. The mission serves under the guidance of Metropolitan Anthonios Yaqu'b.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Europe

Earlier in the 20th century many Syriacs immigrated to Western Europe, settling in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and other countries for economic and political reasons.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn Dayro d-Mor Ephrem in the Netherlands is the first Syriac Orthodox monastery in Europe established in 1981.Template:Sfn Dayro d-Mor Awgen, Arth, Switzerland and Dayro d-Mor Ya`qub d-Sarug, Warburg, Germany are the other monasteries located in Europe. The most recent Syriac Orthodox monastery in Europe is the Holy Cross Monastery in Sweden.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Region Diocese or vicariate Metropolitan
Belgium Patriarchal Vicariate of Belgium, France and Luxembourg George Kourieh<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Germany Patriarchal Vicariate of Germany Philoxenus Mattias Nayis<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ecumenical Movement in Germany Julius Hanna Aydın<ref name=MeetingEminences>Template:Cite web</ref>
Netherlands Patriarchal Vicariate of the Netherlands Polycarpus Augin (Eugene) Aydın<ref name=MeetingEminences />
Spain Patriarchal Vicariate of Spain Nicolaos Matti Abd Alahad<ref name=MeetingEminences />
Sweden Archbishopric of Sweden and Scandinavia Yuhanon Lahdo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Patriarchal Vicariate of Sweden Dioskoros Benyamen Atas<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Switzerland Patriarchal Vicariate of Switzerland and Austria Dionysius Isa Gürbüz<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
United Kingdom Patriarchal Vicariate of United Kingdom Athanasius Toma Dawod<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Oceania

picture of St. George Church in Melbourne
St. George Church, Melbourne

The Patriarchal Vicariate of Australia and New Zealand was founded under the patriarch's authority, and is currently led by Archbishop Malatius Malki Malki.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The vicariate is headquartered in the Saint Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Institutions

The church has various seminaries, colleges, and other institutions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Patriarch Aphrem I Barsoum established St. Aphrem's Clerical School in the year 1934 in Zahlé, Lebanon.<ref name="Catalogue of Courses">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1946, the school was moved to Mosul, Iraq.<ref name="Catalogue of Courses"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It provided the church with a selection of graduates, the first among them being Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas and many other church leaders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1990, the Order of St. Jacob Baradaeus was established for nuns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seminaries have been instituted in Sweden and in Salzburg, Austria for the study of Syriac theology, history, language, and culture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The church has an international Christian education center for religious education.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Antioch Syrian University was established on 8 September 2018 in Maarat Saidnaya, near Damascus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The university offers engineering, management and economics courses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Happy Child House project inaugurated in 2022 provides childcare services in Damascus, Syria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ecumenical relations

The Syriac Orthodox Church is active in ecumenical dialogues with various churches,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn including the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican Communion, Syriac Church of the East, and other Christian denominations. The church is an active member of the World Council of Churches since 1960 and Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas was one of the former presidents of WCC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4" /> It has also been involved in the Middle East Council of Churches since 1974.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4" /> Since 1998, representatives of Syriac Orthodox Church, together with representatives of other Oriental Orthodox Churches, participate in ecumenical dialogue, and also in various forms of interfaith dialogue.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Catholic Church

There are some common Christological and pastoral agreements with the Catholic Church. By the 20th century as the Chalcedonian schism was not seen with the same relevance, and from several meetings between the authorities of the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodoxy, reconciling declarations emerged in the common statements of the Patriarch Ignatius Jacob III and Pope Paul VI in 1971,<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas and Pope John Paul II in 1984 issued a common statement:

Template:Cquote

The precise differences in theology that caused the Chalcedonian controversy is said to have arisen "only because of differences in terminology and culture and in the various formulae adopted by different theological schools to express the same matter", according to a common declaration statement between Patriarch Ignatius Jacob III and Pope Paul VI on Wednesday 27 October 1971.<ref name=":6" />

In 2015, Pope Francis addressed the Syriac Orthodox Church as "a Church of Martyrs " welcoming the visit of Ignatius Aphrem II to the Holy See of Rome.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Russian Orthodox Church

In 2015, Ignatius Aphrem II visited Patriarch Kirill of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and discussed prospects of bilateral and theological dialogue existing since the late 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The two leaders discussed various contemporary issues, including the situation of Christians in the Middle East and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in addressing these concerns at international forums. They also explored ways to strengthen relations between their respective churches and coordinate their positions on matters related to conflict and violence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

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Notes

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References

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Bibliography

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Further reading

Ecumenical relations with the Catholic Church

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Academic Resources

Media

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