Syriac Orthodox Church


Syriac Orthodox Church
The Cathedral of Saint George in Damascus, Syria
ClassificationEastern Christianity
OrientationSyriac Christianity (Western)
ScripturePeshitta
TheologyOriental Orthodox theology
(Miaphysite)
PolityEpiscopal
StructureCommunion
PatriarchIgnatius Aphrem II
RegionMiddle East, India, and diaspora
LanguageClassical Syriac
LiturgySyro-Antiochene Rite
(West Syriac Rite: Divine Liturgy of Saint James)
HeadquartersCathedral of Saint George, Damascus, Syria (since 1959)
Branched fromChurch of Antioch
SeparationsSyriac Catholic Church (1662)
MembersAppriximately 1.4 to 1.7 million followers

The Syriac Orthodox Church (Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ݂ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ, romanized: ʿIdto Sūryoyto Trīṣāth Šubḥō), fully known as the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, is an Oriental Orthodox church that developed from the Church of Antioch. Classical Syriac is the official and liturgical language of the church. The patriarch of the church and the see of Antioch is Ignatius Aphrem II, who has led the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch since 2014.

With 1.5 million followers worldwide, it employs the Liturgy of St. James in its West-Syriac rite. The church upholds the doctrines of the Nicene Creed, Miaphysitism, and sacraments. The patriarchate is currently located in Cathedral of Saint George in Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria.

Institutions

The Syriac Orthodox Church has many institutions, including seminaries and colleges. It comprises 26 archdioceses and 13 patriarchal vicariates. It also has an autonomous maphrianate based in India, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. In 1934, the patriarch at the time, Afrem I Barsoum, established the St. Ephrem Clerical School in Zahlé, Lebanon. The school was moved to Mosul, Iraq in 1946. Many figures who would later be part of the church graduated from this school. A church in New Jersey, USA has the title of "Assyrian Orthodox Church".

In 1990, the Order of St. Jacob Baradaeus was established for nuns of the church.

Views

Per sacred tradition, the church was established by‌ St. Peter at Antioch. It then developed its own unique structure, separate from the Imperial Church, following the deposition of Severus the Great by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which the Syriac Orthodox Church does not acknowledge. Thus, the church recognizes and adheres to the first three ecumenical councils: Nicea, Constantinople, and Ephesus.

The church adheres to the doctrine of Miaphysitism, which states that the two natures of Christ — divine and human — are fully united into one composite nature. It believes in the seven sacraments, which are: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick (also known as Unction), Holy Orders, and Matrimony. It upholds the mystery of the Incarnation and venerates the Virgin Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer).

In recent times, the church hierarchy has generally supported an Aramean ideology, driven by an anti-Assyrian stance, which has evolved into a sectarian and vocal anti-Assyrianism.

References

  1. ↑ Penn, Michael (12 Dec 2018). "Early Syriac Reactions to the Rise of Islam". In King, David (ed.). The Syriac World. Routledge. pp. 185, 192. ISBN 978-1-317-48211-6.
  2. ↑ "Orthodox Christian Educational Institutions (OCEI) -". Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  3. ↑ "Monastic Life in the Syrian Orthodox Church – Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch". syrianorthodoxchurch.org. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  4. ↑ "Catalogue of Courses". Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  5. ↑ "History and Importance of Assyrian Orthodox Church of The Virgin Mary". virginmarynj.org. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  6. ↑ "St. Jacob Baradeus Nuns Order". Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  7. ↑ Barratt, Peter J. H. (2014). Absentis: St Peter, the Disputed Site of His Burial Place and the Apostolic Succession. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 978-1-4931-6839-2. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "The Syrian Orthodox Church". CNEWA. 2 Sep 2014. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Seven Living Sacraments – Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch". syrianorthodoxchurch.org. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  10. ↑ Schmoller, Andreas (2020). "The Syriac Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox Churches in Austria: Inter-Church Relations and State Recognition". Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration. 8 (1). Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies: 97. ISSN 2169-4435.
  11. ↑ Makko, Aryo (19 July 2017). "The Assyrian "concept of unity" after Seyfo" (PDF). The Assyrian Genocide: Cultural and Political Legacies (1st ed.). London. p. 249. doi:10.4324/9781315269832. ISBN 9781315269832.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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