Syriac Orthodox Church | |
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ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ (Classical Syriac) | |
Classification | Oriental Orthodox |
Orientation | Syriac |
Scripture | Peshitta |
Theology | Oriental Orthodox theology |
Polity | Episcopal |
Structure | Communion |
Patriarch | Ignatius Aphrem II |
Region | Middle East, India, and diaspora |
Language | Classical Syriac |
Liturgy | West Syriac: Liturgy of Saint James |
Headquarters | Cathedral of St. George, Damascus, Syria (since 1959) Patriarchal Residence: Syriac Orthodox Patriachal Residence, Atchane, Lebanon |
Origin | 1st century[1][2][3] Antioch, Roman Empire[4][5] |
Independence | 512[6][7][8] |
Branched from | Church of Antioch[9] |
Members | Approximately 1.4–1.7 million (2015, including India)[10][11] |
Aid organization | EPDC St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee[12] |
Other name(s) | Arabic: الكنيسة السريانية الأرثوذكسية Malayalam: സുറിയാനി ഓർത്തഡോക്സ് സഭ, romanized: Suriyāni ōrtḥdōx Sabḥa[13] |
Official website | Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate |
Digital Library | Department of Syriac Studies |
*Origin is according to Sacred tradition. West Syriac Cross Unicode (U+2670) : ♰ |
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The Syriac Orthodox Church (Classical Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ݂ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ, romanized: ʿIdto Sūryoyto Trīṣath Shubḥo),[14] also known as West Syriac Church or West Syrian Church,[15] officially known as the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East,[16] and informally as the Jacobite Church,[17] is an Oriental Orthodox church that branched from the Church of Antioch. The bishop of Antioch, known as the patriarch, heads the church and possesses apostolic succession through Saint Peter (Classical Syriac: ܫܡܥܘܢ ܟܐܦܐ, romanized: Šemʿōn Kēp̄ā), according to sacred tradition.[18][19] The church upholds Miaphysite doctrine in Christology, and employs the Liturgy of Saint James, associated with James the Just.[20] Classical Syriac is the official and liturgical language of the church.
The church gained its hierarchical distinctiveness in 512, when pro-Chalcedonian patriarch Flavian II of Antioch was deposed by Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Dicorus,[21] and a synod was held at Laodicea in Syria in order to choose his successor,[22] a prominent Miaphysite theologian Severus the Great (d. 538).[23] His later deposition (in 518) was not recognized by the Miaphisite party, and thus a distinctive (autocephalous) Miaphysite patriarchate was established, headed by Severus and his successors. During the sixth century, Miaphysite hierarchical structure in the region was further straightened by Jacob Baradaeus (d. 578),[15] [24][25] while the pro-Chalcedonian faction would form to become the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (part of the wider Eastern Orthodox Church) and the Maronite church (an Eastern Catholic church).
In 1662, the vacant Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch was filled by individuals who aligned themselves with the Catholic Church. Andrew Akijan was elected in that year, and was succeeded by another Catholic in Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin. The non-Catholic Syriac party elected the rival Abdulmasih I, Shahbaddin's uncle, as a competing patriarch. Upon Shahbaddin's death in 1702, the Catholic line died out for several decades until the Holy Synod in 1782 elected Michael III Jarweh, who again aligned the Syriacs with the pope. Following a period of violence and intrigue, the non-Catholic party was again recognized with their own patriarch and the Catholic line continued independently as the Syriac Catholic Church).
Mor Hananyo Monastery was the headquarters of the church from c. 1160 until 1932.[26] The patriarchate was transferred to Homs due to the Sayfo genocide and the effects of World War I. The current see of the church is the Cathedral of Saint George, Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, since 1959.[27][28] Since 2014, Ignatius Aphrem II has served as the Patriarch of Antioch.
The church has an autonomous Maphrianate in India, along with archdioceses and patriarchal vicariates in countries covering six continents.