Antiochene (West Syriac)
From the ancient Church of Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians
Churches of this rite3
Maronite Church
| Rite | Antiochene (West Syriac) |
|---|---|
| Apostle | St Peter, at Antioch |
| Hierarchy | Patriarchal Church: a Patriarch with eparchies in Lebanon and abroad |
| Where | Bkerké, Lebanon. Led by a Patriarch. |
| Dioceses | 29 |
| Members | About 3.5 million |
Origins
Named after St Maron, a monk of Syria who died about 410. His followers moved into the mountains of Lebanon.
History
The Maronites hold that they never left communion with Rome, and they renewed that bond with the Crusaders in the 12th century. Their college in Rome dates from 1584. Their saints include St Charbel, St Rafqa and St Nimatullah Hardini.
Worship
Antiochene in root and close to the Syriac monastic tradition, in Arabic and Syriac.
Today
Central to the history of Lebanon, with very large communities abroad.
Syriac Catholic Church
| Rite | Antiochene (West Syriac) |
|---|---|
| Apostle | St Peter, at Antioch |
| Hierarchy | Patriarchal Church: a Patriarch with eparchies in the Middle East and abroad |
| Where | Led by the Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, residing in Beirut, Lebanon. |
| Dioceses | 17 |
| Members | About 121,000 |
Origins
From the Syriac-speaking Christians of Antioch and Mesopotamia, who keep a tongue close to the Aramaic of Jesus.
History
Catholic communities formed in Aleppo in the 17th century, and the lasting patriarchal line began with Michael Jarweh in 1782. They suffered in the massacres of 1915, and in Iraq in 2014 when Qaraqosh and Mosul were overrun.
Worship
The liturgy of St James, in Syriac and Arabic.
Today
A small, much-displaced Church in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and abroad.
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
| Rite | Antiochene (West Syriac) |
|---|---|
| Apostle | St Thomas in India; its liturgy comes from St Peter’s Antioch |
| Hierarchy | Major Archiepiscopal Church: a Major Archbishop-Catholicos with eparchies in India and abroad |
| Where | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Led by a Major Archbishop-Catholicos. |
| Dioceses | 12 |
| Members | About 487,000 |
Origins
From the St Thomas Christians of Kerala. After the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653, part of the community took up the West Syriac tradition.
History
Mar Ivanios and Mar Theophilos entered communion with Rome on 20 September 1930. Mar Ivanios also founded the Bethany religious congregations. Pope Pius XI established the hierarchy in 1932, and the Church became Major Archiepiscopal in 2005.
Worship
The West Syriac Holy Qurbono of St James, in Malayalam and Syriac.
Today
One of the youngest and most vigorous Churches of India, known for its schools and missions.
| Population | About 4.2 million |
|---|---|
| Geography | Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Kerala, with large communities in the Americas, Europe and Australia |
| Dioceses | 58 |
| Apostle | St Peter, who by tradition led the Church at Antioch. Its main liturgy bears the name of St James of Jerusalem |
| Liturgy | The Holy Qurbono of St James, with many other anaphoras. The Maronites have their own form, including the anaphora called Sharrar |
| Language | Syriac and Arabic, with Malayalam in Kerala |
| Music | Syriac chant in eight modes, gathered in the Beth Gazo collection. The Maronites have their own chant |
| Hierarchy | Two Patriarchs (Maronite and Syriac) and one Major Archbishop-Catholicos (Syro-Malankara) |
| Year | Begins with the Sanctification of the Church (Qudosh Eetho), around November |
History
Antioch was one of the great cities of the Roman Empire, where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). St Ignatius was its bishop. Its Syriac-speaking monks and poets shaped the region. After Chalcedon, the community divided. The Maronites kept their own line in Lebanon. Syriac Catholics formed in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the tradition reached Kerala in 1665.