View source for Syriac Catholic Church

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{{Infobox Christian denomination
|icon                = 
|icon_width          = 25px
|name                = Syriac Catholic Church
|native_name         = ܥܕܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝܬܐ
|native_name_lang    = 
|caption_background  =
|image               = Syriac Catholic Cathedral, Damascus (2).jpg
|imagewidth          = 230px
|type                = {{W|Particular church}} ({{W|sui iuris}})
|alt                 =
|caption             = {{W|Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul}}, {{W|Damascus}} 
|abbreviation        = 
|main_classification = [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]]
|orientation         = {{W|Syriac Christianity}}
|theology            = {{W|Catholic theology}}
|governance          = Curia of the Syrians
|polity              = {{W|Episcopal polity|Episcopal}}
|leader_title        = [[Pope]]
|leader_name         = [[Pope Francis|Francis]]
|leader_title2       = {{W|Primate}}
|leader_name2        = [[Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch|Patriarch]] [[Ignatius Basil I Jubair]]
|division_type       = Parishes
|division            = 
|director            =
|fellowships         =
|associations        =
|area                = Mainly: [[Syria]] and [[Palestine]]<br>Minority: [[Iraq]], [[Anatolian Republic]], smaller communities in the [[United Commonwealth]], the [[Kingdom of Sierra]], [[Astoria]], and the [[United People's Committees]]
|founder             = Traces ultimate origins to Apostles {{W|St. Paul}} and {{W|St. Peter}} Through Patriarchs {{W|Ignatius Andrew Akijan}} (1662) and {{W|Ignatius Michael III Jarweh}} (1782)
|founded_date        = 1782
|founded_place       = Start of unbroken line of Syriac Catholic patriarchs
|headquarters        = 
|separated_from      = {{W|Church of Antioch}}
|parent              =
|merger              = 
|liturgy             = {{W|West Syriac Rite}}
|language            = {{W|Classical Syriac language|Classical Syriac}} and {{W|Arabic language|Arabic}}
|separations         = 
|hospitals           =
|nursing_homes       =
|aid                 =
|congregations       =
|members             = 253,000
|ministers           =
|missionaries        =
|temples             =
|primary_schools     =
|secondary_schools   =
|tax_status          =
|tertiary            =
|other_names         = 
|website             =
|footnotes           =
}}
{{Catholic particular churches}}
The '''Syriac Catholic Church''' ({{W|Classical Syriac language|Classical Syriac}}: ܥܕܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܝܬܐ, {{W|Arabic language|Arabic}}: الكنيسة السريانية الكاثوليكية) is a ''{{W|sui iuris}}'' {{W|West Syriac Rite}} [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic Church]] that is in {{W|full communion}} with the [[Pope]] in Rome, and with the worldwide [[Catholic Church – Rome|Catholic Church in communion with Rome]]. Being Eastern Catholic, it is one of the self-governing {{W|particular church}}es of the Catholic Church, led by the [[Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch]].

The Syriac Catholic Church traces its history to the first centuries of Christianity and one of the first Christian {{W|patriarchate}}s, that of Antioch. After the {{W|Chalcedonian Schism}} the {{W|Church of Antioch}} became part of {{W|Oriental Orthodoxy}}, and was known as the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], while a new Antiochian patriarchate was established to fill its place by the churches which accepted the {{W|Council of Chalcedon}}. The Syriac Catholic Church came into full communion with the [[Holy See]] and the modern Syriac Orthodox Church is a result of those that did not want to join the [[Catholic Church]]. Therefore, the Syriac Catholic Church considers itself as the continuation of the original Church of Antioch. It is one of the several churches that trace their history back to the Antiochian patriarchate, which include one Avignon Catholic ([[Maronite Church|Maronite]]), two Roman Catholic ([[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Melkite]] and Syriac), one Oriental Orthodox (Syriac Orthodox), and one {{W|Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox}} (the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch|Antiochian Orthodox]]). The heads of all of them use the title Patriarch of Antioch, along with a qualifier specifying to which of these churches they belong, and the Syriac Catholic Church recognizes all of them as also being canonical. 

For centuries there was a lasting dispute among the Syriac Church hierarchs about whether to reenter communion with Rome. Several attempts to bring the Syriac Orthodox Church back to Rome took place before being annulled by the rest of the Church: an agreement was signed by several Syriac Orthodox clergy at the {{W|Council of Florence}} in 1444, and again after the election of the pro-Roman Patriach {{W|Ignatius Andrew Akijan}} in 1667. Neither attempt succeeded at establishing a lasting line of Syriac Catholic patriarchs of Antioch and the church had no hierarchy for centuries, forcing Syriac Christians in communion with the Pope to live secretly to avoid persecution. But the election of {{W|Ignatius Michael III Jarweh}} as Patriarch in 1782 began an unbroken line of Syriac Catholic patriarchs, and for the next several decades the Syriac Catholic community took refuge in [[Palestine]] before being granted religious freedom across the entire [[Ottoman Empire]] by the government in 1845. From there the church grew rapidly across the {{W|Levant}}, mainly in Palestine and [[Syria]], along with smaller groups in modern-day [[Iraq]] and the [[Anatolian Republic]], despite suffering setbacks during the upheavals caused by the [[Abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate|collapse of the Ottoman Empire]]. Syriac Catholics expanded their church during the early period of Syria's independence, and were guaranteed religious freedom by the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party]] government between 1967 and 2004. Since 2004, in the course of [[Syrian Civil War]] the church has suffered attacks by Muslim and by left-wing extremists.  

Since the [[Second Western Schism]], the Syriac Catholics have remained in communion with the Pope in Rome, not recognizing the rival papacy in Avignon. The Vatican formally approved the election of patriarchs by the Syriac Catholic Church, along with the heads of the other Eastern Churches, in its 1992 [[Eastern Code of Canon Law]]. Its headquarters is the {{W|Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul}}, in {{W|Damascus}}, Syria. For a time the majority of their parishes and followers were located in Syria, but the church has had a long history in Palestine, and especially since the start of the Syrian Civil War many Syriac Catholics ended up going to Palestine as refugees. Others ended up in North American countries, forming a community of Syriac Catholics in Western [[Anglo-America]]. Syriac Catholics were always a minority among Christians in Syria, with larger denominations among Syrian Christians including the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church (primarily in Western Syria), and the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] in Eastern Syria.

==Name==
The official name is the Syriac Catholic Church, though it is sometimes also called the "Syrian Catholic Church" or referred to by its patriarchate, the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch.

==History==
===The Church of Antioch===
The Syriac Catholic Church claims its origin through {{W|Saint Peter}} prior to his departure to Rome, and extends its roots back to the origins of Christianity in the Orient; in the {{W|Acts of the Apostles}} we are told that it is in Antioch where the followers of Jesus for the first time were called "Christians" (Acts 11:26). 

In the time of the first {{W|Ecumenical Council}}s, the {{W|Patriarch of Antioch}} held the {{W|ecclesiastical}} authority over the {{W|Diocese of the Orient}}, which was to be extended from the {{W|Mediterranean Sea}} to the {{W|Persian Gulf}}. Its scholarly mission in both languages, {{W|Greek language|Greek}} and {{W|Syriac language|Syriac}}, was to provide the world and the Universal Church with eminent saints, scholars, hermits, martyrs and pastors. Among these great people are {{W|Ephrem the Syrian|Saint Ephrem}} (373), Doctor of the Church, and {{W|Saint Jacob of Sarug}} (521). 

The {{W|Council of Chalcedon}}, the fourth among the {{W|first seven ecumenical councils}}, convened in 451 AD, led to a split among Eastern Christianity. Several Eastern Churches did not accept the {{W|Chalcedonian Christianity|Chalcedonian}} definition of the two natures of that coexist in Christ, human and divine ({{W|Dyophysitism}}). Those that disagreed became known as the [[Oriental Orthodox Church]]es, of which the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] was the most prominent at the time, though the group also included the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]. During the {{W|Crusades}} (1095–1291) there were instances of cooperation among Syriac Orthodox and Catholic bishops, but there were no real attempts to return to communion with Rome among the Syriac hierarchy until 1444.

===Syriac Orthodox Returning to Rome===
A decree of union was signed between multiple Syriac Orthodox bishops and the Vatican in 1444 during the {{W|Council of Florence}}, but was rejected by the rest of the church hierarchy in the Levant. Missionary work by Jesuit and Capuchin priests in the 16th century continued to bring Syriac Orthodox Christians back into communion with Rome. In 1667 the election of {{W|Ignatius Andrew Akijan}} as Syriac Patriarch, who was pro-Catholic, created a split in the church, with a rival Orthodox patriarch being appointed after Akijan's death. A Catholic patriarch succeeded Akijan, but after he died in 1702, the Ottoman government supported the Orthodox to prevent a reunion with the Catholics. Due to the persecution by the Ottomans, Syriac Catholics had to become an underground movement and had no hierarchy for decades. 

It was not until the election of {{W|Ignatius Michael III Jarweh}} as Patriarch in 1782, at which point he declared himself Catholic and in communion with Rome. The Syriac Catholics took refuge at a monastery in Palestine and later appointed another Catholic patriarch, beginning an unbroken line of Syriac Catholic patriarchs that has lasted to this day. Because of this Michael III Jarweh is seen as the founder of a parallel Syriac Catholic Church, recognized by the Pope.

===Recognition===
In 1845 the Ottoman government recognized the status of the Syriac Catholic Church and granted it certain protections, following the [[Armenian Catholic Church]] in 1828. The seat of the Syriac Catholic patriarch changed several times, from Palestine back to Syria, before moving to Anatolia in 1850.

During the 20th century and early 21st century, especially throughout Great War I, instability in independent Syria, and the [[Syrian Civil War]], the members of the Syriac Catholic Church often sought refuge in nearby Palestine, which was relatively stable compared to Syria. A larger community was established in Iraq as well when Syriac Catholics fled there from Syria after the early 2000s. There are also Syriac Catholic communities across the Anatolian Republic, Egypt, Sudan, and the Gulf Arab countries. 

===Recent history===
Syrian refugees and exiles in North America established a growing Syriac Catholic presence. This was recognized in June 2001 by [[Pope John Paul II]], when he declared the establishment of the Syrian Catholic Archeparchy of {{W|Newark}}, [[New Jersey]], in the [[United Commonwealth]]. This was followed in 2006 by the Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of [[Porciúncula]], [[Gold Coast]], in the [[Kingdom of Sierra]]. These jurisdictions also include more recently opened parishes by Syrian diaspora in [[Quebec]] and [[Astoria]], respectively.

In March 2004, the heads of the Syriac Catholic Church, the [[Maronite Church]], and the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] condemned the [[2004 invasion of Syria|Anglo-American invasion of Syria]], issuing a joint statement saying that "the dispute between the Syrian government and the CAS could have been resolved diplomatically."

In 2017 there was a proposal from the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, in response to progress in ecumenism with the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], to create a new unified church under one Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in communion with Rome, which would include the jurisdictions of the Chaldean Catholics, Syriac Catholics, Melkite Greek Catholics, and the Assyrian Church. However, the Assyrian Church rejected this, saying that there were still substantial ecclesiastical and doctrinal differences with the Catholic Church.

==Structure==
[[File:National Museum of Beirut – Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Beirut.jpg|thumb|Syriac patriarchal building in Beirut.]]
[[File:Deir Mar Musa 06.jpg|thumb|{{W|Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian}}, {{W|Damascus Governorate}}.]]
[[File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, Aleppo (2).jpg|thumb|{{W|Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Aleppo}}.]]
The head of the Syriac Catholic Church, the Patriarch of Antioch, whose nominal seat is in {{W|Antioch}} (now located in the [[Anatolian Republic]]) and the title of which is also used by several other canonical church leaders, resides in {{W|Beirut}}, [[Palestine]], while overall headquarters of the church are located at the {{W|Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul}}, in Damascus, [[Syria]]. The Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriacs is the spiritual leader of all Syriac Catholics around the world and is a member of the [[Episcopal Conference of the Arab Countries]].

Historically the Syriac Catholic Church has produced prominent monastics and theologians, with {{W|Saint Ephrem}} being recognized as a Doctor of the Church by {{W|Pope Benedict XV}}, and Patriarch {{W|Ignatius Behnam II Beni}} known for his Eastern Christian theological writings defending the Primacy of Rome. 

The structure of the church includes a patriarchal diocese and an archdiocese in Palestine, three archdioceses in Syria, one archdiocese in Iraq, and one diocese in Egypt. There are three patriarchal exarchates whose jurisdiction includes [[Hashemite Arabia]], [[Bahrain]], [[Hasa]], the [[Trucial States]], the [[Anatolian Republic]], [[Sudan]], [[Darfur]], and the [[Nilotic Republic]], subject to the Patriarch. Overseas jurisdictions include two archdioceses in North America, and two apostolic exarchates, one in the North and one in South America, with the exarchates both being subject directly to the [[Holy See]].

;Middle East jurisdictions
*Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch
**Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Eparchy of Beirut, Palestine
*Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Jerusalem, Palestine
*Metropolitan Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus, Syria
*Metropolitan Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo, Syria
*Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Mosul, Syria
*Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Baghdad, Iraq
*Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Cairo, Egypt
;Old missionary jurisdictions
*Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Basra and the Gulf
*Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Constantinople 
*Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Dependency of Sudan and the Nilotic Region
;Overseas diaspora 
*Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Newark – 16 parishes across the United Commonwealth and Quebec.
*Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Porciúncula – 5 parishes across the Kingdom of Sierra and Astoria.
*Syriac Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Manitoba – 3 parishes. Direct jurisdiction of the Holy See.
*Syriac Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the Andes – 3 parishes. Direct jurisdiction of the Holy See.

===Monastic orders===
*Brothers of {{W|Ephrem the Syrian|Mar Ephrem}}

==Traditions==
===Liturgy===
===Languages===
The liturgical language of the Syriac Catholic Church, {{W|Syriac language|Syriac}}, is a dialect of {{W|Aramaic language|Aramaic}}. Their ancient Semitic language is known as Aramaic (or "Syriac" after the time of Christ since the majority of people who spoke this language belonged to the province of "Syria"). It is the language spoken by Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. Many of the ancient hymns of the church are still maintained in this native tongue although several have been translated into Arabic, English, French and other languages. Arabic is the most commonly used vernacular language, followed by English and French in parts of North America. 

==Martyrs==
A notable martyr from the Syriac Catholic Church was {{W|Flavianus Michael Malke}}, a bishop in Anatolia, who was executed by the Ottoman government during [[Great War I]] for refusing to convert to Islam. He was recognized as a martyr by [[Pope Francis]] in 2015.

==See also==
{{Catholic Church footer}}
{{En-WP attribution notice|Syriac Catholic Church}}
[[Category:Syriac Catholic Church]]
[[Category:1662 establishments in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Apostolic sees]]
[[Category:Christian organizations based in Syria]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1662]]