History

The Syriac Orthodox Church(Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ)  is a church based currently in Damascus, Syria. The church was founded in Antioch, Turkey, by St. Peter the Apostle in AD 42. It was the second church in Christianity(after Jerusalem), the first church that allowed Gentiles(non-Jews), and the oldest church in the Pentarchy(Early Christian model of Church Hierarchy).  It is the Oriental Orthodox Church of Antioch. In AD 325(Nicene Synod), the Bishop of Antioch was given Apostolic Jurisdiction over Asia Minor. 

In AD 451, at Chalcedon, Christianity split into the Oriental Orthodox(Miaphysites) and Catholics(Diophysites). St. Severus, the Patriarch of Antioch, who condemned the schism at Chalcedon, self-exiled to Alexandria to avoid persecution for confessing Miaphysite Christology instead of Diophysite Christology, like Emperor Justinian I. The Diophysite Patriarch of Rome, known as the Pope, consecrated a new Patriarch of Antioch, a Catholic. Empress Theodora, the wife of Emperor Justinian I and the daughter of a Miaphysite priest convinced the Emperor to give Fr. Jacob Barradeus(Yaqub Burdono) permission to go to St. Severus to get ordained as a priest. Now bishop, St. Jacob Barradeus, traveled worldwide and consecrated 27 bishops and hundreds of priests and deacons. The Syriac Orthodox Church is the church that continued to accept St. Severus as the Patriarch of Antioch until his death and accepted Miaphysite Christology(Oriental Orthodox Theology). Many other splits and persecutions have occurred in the Church in many regions(most recently, the formation of the Malankara Orthodox Church in India). However, the church still has stood true to its beliefs.

In modern times, many Syriac Orthodox Christians have migrated outside the diaspora; and natives from outside the diaspora have converted to Syriac Orthodoxy. The Patriarchate is currently in Damascus(due to persecution), with vicariates in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Faith

The faith of the Syriac Orthodox Church, is summarized in the Nicene Creed. It follows the Miaphysite faith which means that the church confesses that Christ is fully God and, after his incarnation, fully human, in one nature. The church believes in the Holy Trinity, the One True God, which consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, united in one Godhead. The church accepts the teaching of the Ecumenical Synods of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus.

The Syriac Orthodox Church confesses that Christ as the Head, and the believers are the body of the church. Believers partake in the 7 sacraments: Holy Baptism, Holy Conformation, Holy Confession, Holy Eucharist, Holy Marriage, Holy Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Priesthood, as well as other services.

The Syriac Orthodox Church believes in intercessory prayers to saints who are alive, only having departed from this world. The church recognizes St. Mary as the Theotokos, the Mother of God who acts as the chief intercessor.

The Syriac Orthodox Church also believes in prayers for the departed. The church believes that one is part of the church, even after they have departed from this earth.  Like other churches, the Syriac Orthodox Church believes in life after death and the heavenly Kingdom of God.

The liturgical language of the church is Syriac which is the Edessean dialect of Aramaic, the language in which Christ spoke, as well as many books in the Bible, including the Gospels according to Mathew and Luke were written in. The Syriac Bible, the Peshitta, is the official Bible of the church.

Priesthood/ Spiritual Hierarchy

The Syriac Orthodox Church’s priesthood comes directly from Christ. Jesus Christ ordained his apostles with the priesthood, and they went to preach worldwide. Christ gave St. Peter the Apostle a special position as the first among equals. In AD 42, St. Peter came to Antioch and established the church there. During the Council at Nicaea, the Universal Church established the Pentarchy as a measure of better governance for the growing church. The Bishop of Antioch, now Patriarch of Antioch, would have Apostolic Jurisdiction over Asia Major and Asia Minor, thus giving its Patriarch the title “Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.” The Bishops of Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople were given their respective jurisdictions. There are many claimants to the Apostolic Throne of St. Peter, but the Syriac Orthodox Church has the most direct one. St. Severus, the Patriarch of Antioch at the time of the Chalcedonian, accepted Miaphysitism. The Patriarch of Antioch is Ignatius Aphrem II, the 123rd successor of St. Peter at Antioch.

Priesthood consists of bishops and priests who carry the Holy Priesthood from Christ. Within the rank of bishops is the Patriarch, the first among equals, and the Maphrian(Catholicos), who leads the church in India, and archbishops and bishops. Within the ranks of priests, there are arch-priests and priests. The church also has multiple different ranks of deaconhood, including archdeacon, deacon, sub-deacon, lector, and acolyte. Monasticism is a key part of Syriac Orthodoxy, with members from various ranks taking the monastic oath, all bishops being monks.

The Syriac Orthodox Church is a part of the Oriental Orthodox Church which include the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The church has communal dialogues with other denominations, including the Roman Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox.