The Church
The Universal Syriac Orthodox Church is one of
the most ancient Christian Churches tracing its
roots to the Church of Antioch. The disciples
were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts of
the Apostles 11:26). Apostle Peter is believed
to have established a church in Antioch in AD
37, the remnants of which are still in Antakya
(the modern name of Antioch), Turkey. After the
martyrdom of Apostle Peter, he was succeeded by
St. Euodius and St. Ignatius Noorono as
shepherds of the flock in Antioch and in the
writings of St. Ignatius we find the evolution
of the ecclesiastical order of bishops—ordained
successors of the Apostles in whom continued the
spiritual authorities vested by our Lord in the
Apostles. The bishophric of Antioch was
recognized in the ecumenical Synod of Nicea (AD
325) as one of the Patriarchates of Christendom
(along with that of Alexandria and Rome). It
produced a
line of successionbeginning
with Apostle Peter which continues to this day
in the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Antioch was at the time of Christ the capital of
the Roman province of Syria and an important
center of commerce. As a city imbued in the
hellenistic culture, Greek was the common
language. But the majority of the people in the
region, especially outside the cities spoke
Syriac, the Edessene dialect of Aramaic, the
language spoken by our Lord.
The disciples Addai, Mari, Aggai and Apostle
Thomas, are believed to have spread the Gospel
in the regions north east of Antioch, of Edessa
(Urhoy) and Nisibis and further to upper
northern Mesopotamian plains between Rivers
Tigris and Euphrates. The Syriac Doctrine of
Addai recounts how Christ send Addai, one of the
Seventy Disciples, to King Abgar of Edessa. It
is believed that Apostle Thomas went further
east arriving in what is today India in AD 52.
Many important and influential centers of Syriac
speaking Christians emerged in the cities such
as Edessa (Urhoy), Adiabene (Hadyab), and
Nisibis (Nsibin). While Antioch was the seat of
the bishophric, Edessa is often considered the
cradle of Syriac Christianity.
.
The universal Syrian Orthodox Church perceives
its strength and Unity in His Holiness the
Patriarch, the supreme head of the Church. As
the Sucessor of the St.Peter, His Holiness is
the embodiment and symbol of unity of the
universal Syrian Orthodox Church. This
embodiment signifies two type of representative
characters.Firstly, as the successor of
St.Peter, the patriarch represent him. As
St.Peter is the chief shepherd and supreme head,
the Patriarch by virtue of his position upholds
the unity of the Universal Syrian Orthodox
Church. Since the Patrirach’s ordination and
conornation are deemed to be through the grace
of the Holy Ghost and by the will of God, the
first representative character is bestowed from
above and is divine. So the Patriarch as the
high priest the Universal Church, represents
Jesus Christ when he celebrates the Holy
Eucharist. Secondly the Patriarch as the chief
Shepherd of the Church, is the emissary of the
entire body of believers. The church is not only
an invisible spiritual fellowship but is also a
historical reality. So, all the attributes of
the Church like one, Holy, Chatholic and
Apostolic must also become a historical reality.
And the Patriarchs who are ordained from time to
time and represent the universal Syrian Church
as the Supreme heads, make the unity of the
Church a reality.
The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church,
an Orthodox church in Malankara (Kerala, India)
is an integral part of the Universal Syriac
Orthodox Church with the Patriarch of Antioch,
His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas as
its supreme head. The local head of the church
in Malankara is the Catholicose of India, His
Beatitude Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, ordained
by and accountable to the Patriarch of Antioch.
The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church’s faith and
liturgy are similar to those observed by the
Universal Syrian Orthodox church such as the
belief in Trinity, Jesus Christ’s incarnation as
the saviour, Holy Cross, the Church, Holy Bible,
the Divinity of the traditions, the creed of
Nicea, the observations of the sacramental
rites, intercession of St.Mary and Saints, rites
after death, prayers for the dead, daily
prayers, lent, fasting, celebrating holy Qurbana
on Sunday and other sacred days, church
consecration, the three stages of priesthood
which has the Apostolic succession that comes
from St. Peter through the Holy Throne of
Antioch preserving the canonic laying on the
hands, baptism, the Holy Cross, the three Holy
Synods and the Relics of Holy fathers etc..
|