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HISTORY |
History |
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The Syriac Catholic Church belongs to the See of Antioch
(which prior to his departure to |
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1626: Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries start working from Aleppo. |
Rome, Saint Peter established) and
extends it roots back to the primitive Christianity in |
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1662: Many Syrian Christians receive the communion with Rome. |
the Orient. And in the Acts of the Apostles we are told that it is in Antioch where
the |
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1667: Two opposing Patriarchs are elected, resulting in the effective |
followers of Jesus for the first time were called "Christians" (Acts 11:26). |
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break of the Syrian Church. One group
becomes affiliated with the |
In the time of the first Ecumenical Councils, the Patriarch of Antioch held the |
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Roman Catholic Church, and accepts
the Pope in Rome as the |
ecclesiastical authority over the Diocese of the Orient, which was to be extended
from |
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highest authority. The other part continues as an independent church. |
the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. Its scholarly mission in both languages:
the |
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18th century: The Syrian Catholics suffers from much persecution |
Greek and Syriac were to provide the world and the Universal Church with eminent
saints, |
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from the Ottoman rulers, as they considered the Syrian Orthodox |
scholars, hermits and pastors. Among these great people are Saint Ephrem (373),
Doctor of |
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to be the true Syrian Christians. |
the Church, Saint Jacob of Sarug (521)
Dionysius Bar Salibi (1171) and Gregorius X Bar Hebraeus |
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1782: The office of the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch is |
(1286). |
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In modern history the leaders of the Syriac Catholic Church have been among others: |
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THE PEOPLE |
Patriarch Ignatius Michael Jarweh, Archbishop Clemens Daoud, |
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The People: Throughout history the Syriac people have been known as the "Arameans"
who were |
Patriarch Ephrem Rahmani, Vicomte de
Tarrazi, Monsignor Ishac Armaleh, |
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from the Biblical countries of Aram near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and were
the first disciples |
Ignatius Gabriel I Tappouni and Chorbishop Gabriel Khoury-Sarkis. |
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of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
The present Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch is Mar Ignatius Peter VIII since |
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Language: Their ancient Semitic language is known as Aramaic (or "Syriac" after
the time of Christ |
February 2001 and resides in Beirut, Lebanon. With this title he presides upon the |
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since the majority of people who spoke
this language belonged to the province of "Syria"). It is the |
Patriarchal Eparchy of Beirut and leads spiritually all the Syriac Catholic Community
around the |
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same language that was spoken by Jesus, Mary and the Apostles and is still the language
used during |
world. |
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the liturgy. Many of the ancient hymns of the Church are still maintained in this
native tongue although |
The emeritus patriarch, Ignace Cardinal Daoud, was as the prefect for the Congregation
for |
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several have been translated into Arabic, English, French, Italian and other languages
to benefit the faithful. |
Eastern Churches until June 2007. |
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Syriac is still spoken in some few communities in eastern Syria and northern Iraq,
but for most, Arabic |
Liturgy: The Syriac Rite is rooted in the old tradition of both the churches of
Jerusalem and |
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is the vernacular language. |
Antioch and has ties with the ancient Jewish Berakah and is usually called the Western
Syriac Rite. |
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The Syriac Catholic Church was formally and officially united with Rome in 1781. |
The main Syriac Liturgy is called the "Anaphora of Saint James" (brother of the
Lord). |
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The formation of the (Catholic) Church |
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During the Crusades there were many examples of warm relations between Catholic
and Syriac ("Syrian") |
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Orthodox bishops. Some of these bishops
seemed favourable to union with Rome, but no concrete results |
The People: Throughout history the Syriac people have been known as the "Arameans"
who were |
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were achieved. There was also a decree
of union between the Syriac Orthodox and Rome at the |
from the Biblical countries of Aram near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and were
the first disciples |
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Council of Florence November 30, 1444
but the effects of this decree were rapidly annulled by opponents |
of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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of the union among the Syriac hierarchy. |
Language: Their ancient Semitic language is known as Aramaic (or "Syriac" after
the time of Christ |
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Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries began to work among the Syriac Orthodox faithful
at Aleppo in 1626. So |
since the majority of people who spoke
this language belonged to the province of "Syria"). It is the |
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many of them were received into communion with Rome that in 1662, when the Patriarchate
had fallen |
same language that was spoken by Jesus, Mary and the Apostles and is still the language
used during |
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vacant, the Catholic party was able to elect one of its own, Andrew Akhidjan, as
Patriarch of the Syriac |
the liturgy. Many of the ancient hymns of the Church are still maintained in this
native tongue although |
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Church. This provoked a split in the community, and after Akhidjan's death in 1677
two opposed patriarchs |
several have been translated into Arabic, English, French, Italian and other languages
to benefit the faithful. |
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were elected, one being an uncle and the other being his nephew
(from the same family), representing the |
Syriac is still spoken in some few communities in eastern Syria and northern Iraq,
but for most, Arabic |
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two parties (one pro-Catholic, the other anti-Catholic). But when the Catholic Patriarch
died in 1702, this |
is the vernacular language. |
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very brief line of Catholic Patriarchs upon the Syriac Church's See of Antioch died
out with him. |
The Syriac Catholic Church was formally and officially united with Rome in 1781. |
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The Ottoman government supported the Syriac Orthodox's agitation against the Syriac
Catholics, and |
Organization |
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throughout the 18th century the Syriac Catholics underwent
suffering and much persecution. There were |
Middle-East |
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long periods when no Syriac Catholic bishops were functioning,
and the community was forced to go |
Patriarchal Archeparchy of Beirut |
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entirely underground. |
Metropolitan of Damascus |
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In 1782 the Syriac Orthodox Holy Synod elected Metropolitan
Michael Jarweh of Aleppo as Patriarch. |
Metropolitan of Homs |
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Shortly after he was enthroned, he declared himself
Catholic and in unity with the Pope of Rome, after this |
Archeparchy of Aleppo |
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declaration
he took refuge in Lebanon and built the still-extant monastery of Our Lady at Sharfeh.
After |
Archeparchy of Hassaké and Nisibi |
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Jarweh there has been an unbroken succession of Syriac
Catholic Patriarchs. |
Archeparchy of Baghdad and Kuwait |
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In 1829 the Turkish government granted legal recognition
to the Syriac Catholic Church, and the residence |
Archeparchy of Mosul |
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of the Patriarch was established at Aleppo in 1831.
Catholic missionary activity resumed. Because the |
Eparchy of Cairo |
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Christian community at Aleppo had been severely persecuted,
the Patriarchate was moved to Mardin |
Patriarchal Exarchate of Bassorah and Kuwait |
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(now in southeast Turkey) in 1850. |
Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and the Holy Land |
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The steady Syriac Catholic expansion at the expense
of the Syriac Orthodox was ended by the persecutions |
Patriarchal Exarchate of Turkey |
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and massacres that took place during World War I (Assyrian
genocide). More than half of the 75,000 Syriac |
Patriarchal Territory of Sudan |
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Catholics were massacred by Turkish nationalists (especially
so-called Young Turks). In the early 1920s the |
Rest of the World |
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Catholic Patriarchal residence was therefore moved
to Beirut, to which many Syriac Catholics had fled from |
Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark (United States and Canada) |
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Turkish and intra-Syria terror. |
Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela |
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The Syriac Catholic Patriarch always takes the name
"Ignatius" in addition to another name. |
Patriarchal Vicariate of Brazil |
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Patriarchal Vicariate of Australia and New Zealand |
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Patriarchal Vicariate of Sweden |
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Patriarchal Vicariate of France |
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Patriarchal Procurate of the Holy See
in Rome |