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The Patriarch of the Church of the East (or Patriarch of the East)[1] is the patriarch, or leader and head bishop (sometimes referred to as Catholicos or universal leader) of the Church of the East. The position dates to the early centuries of Christianity in Persia, and the church has been known by a variety of names, including Nestorian Church, the Persian Church, the Sassanid Church, or East Syrian.[2] In the 16th and 17th century the Church experienced a series of splits, resulting in a series of competing patriarchs and lineages. Today, the two principal churches that emerged from these splits, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church, each have their own patriarch, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, respectively.

History

The geographic location of the patriarchate was first in the Persian capital of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. In the 9th century the patriarchate moved to Baghdad and then through various cities in what is now Iraq, including, Tabriz, Mosul, and Maragheh on Lake Urmia. Following the split between the Chaldean and Assyrian Churches, the respective patriarchs of these churches continued to move around the Middle East. In the 19th century, the patriarchate of the Assyrian Church of the East was in the village of Qudshanis in southeastern Turkey.[3] In the 20th century, the Assyrian patriarch went into exile, relocating to Chicago, Illinois, USA. Another patriarchate, which split off in the 1960s as the Ancient Church of the East, is in Baghdad.

The patriarchate of the Church of the East evolved from the position of the leader of the Christian community in Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian capital. While Christianity had been introduced to Persia in the first centuries AD, during the earliest period, leadership was unorganized and there was no established succession. In 280, Papa bar Aggai was consecrated as Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon by two visiting bishops, Akha d'abuh' of Arbela and Hai-Beël of Susa, thereby establishing the generally recognized succession.[4] Seleucia-Ctesiphon thus became its own episcopal see, and exerted some de facto control over the wider Persian Christian community. Papa's successors began to use the title of Catholicos, a Roman designation probably adopted due to its use by the Catholicos of Armenia, though at first it carried no formal recognition.[5] In 409 the Church of the East received state recognition from the Sassanid Emperor Yazdegerd I, and the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon was called, at which the church's hierarchy was formalized. Bishop Mar Isaac was the first to be officially styled Catholicos over all of the Christians in Persia. Over the next decades, the Catholicoi adopted the additional title of Patriarch, which eventually became the better known designation.[6]

In the 16th century, another schism separated the church, with those following "Nestorianism" separating from a group which entered into communion with the Roman Catholic Church. This latter group, known as Chaldean Catholics, continues also to maintain its own list of Chaldean Catholic patriarchs.[2]

Because of the complex history of Eastern Christianity, it is difficult to define one single lineage of patriarchs,[2] though some modern churches, such as the Assyrian Church of the East, claim all patriarchs through the centuries as the Assyrian Patriarch, even though the modern version of the church did not come into being until much more recently.

A very simplified diagram of the various branches of Christianity. The lowest line shows the Church of the East (also sometimes referred to as the Nestorian Church or the Persian Church). In the modern era, the Church of the East is represented by the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Ancient Church of the East

List of Catholicoi of Seleucia-Ctesiphon and Patriarchs of the East

Around 280, visiting bishops consecrated Papa bar Aggai as Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, thereby establishing the succession.[8] With him, heads of the church took the title Catholicos

Isaac was recognised as 'Grand Metropolitan' and Primate of the Church of the East at the Synod of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 410. The acts of this Synod were later edited by the Patriarch Joseph (552–567) to grant him the title of Catholicos as well. This title for Patriarch Isaac in fact only came into use towards the end of the fifth century.

In 424, under Mar Dadisho I, the Church of the East declared itself independent of all other churches; thereafter, its Catholicoi began to use the additional title of Patriarch.[8]

The seat of the Nestorian Patriarchs was transferred from Seleucia-Ctesiphon to Baghdad, the recently-established capital of the ʿAbbasid caliphs, in 775, during the reign of the Patriarch Hnanishoʿ II.[9]

The Patriarchal Seat was transferred to Maragha during the reign of Yahballaha III.

In 1552, a rival Catholic Patriarch was elected, see Catholic Chaldean Patriarchs of Babylon.

In 1610, Eliya VIII entered communion with the Catholic Church. This created a situation in which there are two rival claimants approved by Rome, in one See. He died however in 1617 and his successor Eliya IX quickly repudiated the union.

In 1660 the Church of the East was divided into two Patriarchates; the existing Shimun line (a hereditary line since Shemʿon IV Basidi) based in Qoshanis and the rival Eliya line, which was based in Alqosh. From Patriarchs Eliya X to Eliya XIII, The Eliya line attempted made to resolve the schism and re-establish communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Shemʿon XIII Denkha (based in Qochanis) of teh Shimun line, broke communion with Rome. A rival Chaldean Patriarch was appointed by the Vatican.

Eliya line
Shimun line
Non-hereditary patriarchy

List of Catholicoi-Patriarchs of the Ancient Church of the East

In 1964, during the reign of Shemʿon XXI Eshai (also known as Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII), a schism appeared in the Assyrian Church of the East causing the establishment of a separate Ancient Church of the East with its center in Baghdad. In 1968, a rival catholicos-patriarch Mar Thoma Darmo assigned for the newly established Ancient Church of the East, while Shemʿon XXI Eshai continued as the official head of the Assyrian Church of the East.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Willison, Walker (1985). A history of the Christian church. Simon & Schuster. p. 172. ISBN 9780684184173. this church had as its head a "catholikos" who came to be styled "Patriarch of the East" and had his seat originally at Seleucia-Ctesiphon (after 775 it was shifted to Baghdad).
  2. ^ a b c Wilmshurst, David (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318-1913. Peeters Publishers. p. 4. ISBN 9789042908765.
  3. ^ Wigram, p. 90
  4. ^ Wigram, pp. 42–44.
  5. ^ Wigram, pp. 90–91.
  6. ^ Wigram, p. 91.
  7. ^ a b "Nestorian Patriarchs". Nestorian.org. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b Stewart, p. 15
  9. ^ Vine, The Nestorian Churches, 104

References


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