History Roman Catholic

Nigeria Holy Orthodox Church – Apostolic Succession

1- WHO ARE THE SYRIANS ?

The Syrians are the Arameans themselves,
the inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent region (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
Palestine, Iraq, and Southeastern Turkey). They came from the Syrian
desert in the 14th century B.C, and settled in the urban centers
founding many kingdoms. The strongest of these Aramean kingdoms were the
kingdoms of Damascus, Nahreen (Mesopotamia), Sobah and Padan-Aram. They
imposed their language on the whole region and became the masters of the
land for about 5 consecutive centuries. Their sovereignty ended in 732
B.C. with the fall of Damascus in the hands of the Assyrians. Even
though their political sovereignty vanished, they continued to
constitute the majority among the population of the region, playing a
major role in the events.

Their Aramaic language remained reigning
unchallenged over the entire Middle East in all aspects of civilization,
particularly in the many fields of learning, and was to remain so until
long after the Arab Islamic invasion in the 7th century. Aramaic still
survives in the names of hundreds of cities and villages in the Middle
East, particularly in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. The use of the terms:
“Syria” and “Syrians”, to denote the land of Aram and Arameans, began
before the birth of Christ, in the Seleucid era, precisely, after the
completion of Septuagint version of the Old Testament in the year 280
B.C., where the word “Aram” was translated as Syria, a synonym to
“Aram”. From here, the name “Syrian” began to replace Aramean,
gradually. After the birth of Christ, this new name began to spread
until it nearly eliminated the Aramean name in the entire geographical
Syria. Because the Arameans, who now became Christians, were very much
devoted and firmly adhered to their new religion, and proud of their
forefathers the Apostles, they abandoned their old name “Arameans” and
adopted the new name “Syrians” in order to detach themselves from their
kindreds, the pagan Arameans.

Nevertheless, a group of writers continued
to use the term “Aramean” instead of “Syrian” treating them as synonyms.
They would say for instance, He was an “Aramean Syrian writer”, and “the
Aramaic Syriac language”. However, it is never said “The Aramean Church”
but rather “the Syrian Church”; the term “Suryani” or “Syrian” in Syriac
Aramaic is “Suryoyo” and its exact translation is “Syrian”, i.e, a
national of Syria (the geographic Syria). Universally, however, the term
“Syrian Church” means all the Churches whose Liturgical language is or
was Syriac, and were or are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of
Antioch.

2- THE BIRTH OF THE SYRIAN CHURCH

The Syrian Church started in Jerusalem
consisting of the Apostles, Evangelists and converted Jews. It was later
grafted in Antioch, and then Urhoy, (Edessa) with converted Arameans and
other gentiles. It was established in Antioch by St. Peter the head of
the Apostles, who is considered the first Patriarch of the Holy and
Apostolic see of Antioch. St. Peter himself ordained St. Ephodius and
St. Ignatius the Luminous as successors. They did succeeded him after he
fell martyr in Rome. Antioch, thus, became not only the first, oldest
and most famous Christian Church, but the base of Christendom too. It
was in Antioch where the Apostles were first called Christians.

St.Mark’s Syrian Orthodox Monastery (‘Sehion Malika’-‘Sion Mansion’) of Jerusalem

 

3- THE DOCTRINE OF THE SYRIAN CHURCH

The faith of the Syrian Orthodox Church
can be summarized as follows: The Church believes in one composite
person of the Lord Jesus, and one composite nature that consists of two
natures: divine and human, which cannot be mixed, separated or
transformed. In other words, the two natures are united into one nature
with no mixing, no blending no changing no transformation, and no
confusion. This applies to all divine and human attributes. Based on
this definition, divinity was united with humanity, or the body, when
Jesus was nailed on the cross, and never departed the body, not even for
a moment. Therefore, it is wrong, and a departure from the universal
Christian faith to say that: “Christ was crucified in flesh”. It must
rather be said: “God the Incarnate the Lord of glory was crucified”;
however, we do say “He suffered and died in flesh”, because divinity is
never subject to suffering or death. As a consequence, Mary is “the
mother of God”, and the phrase “Thou who was crucified for us” stands
true in the Trisageon which is directed to the second person, i.e.,
Christ. To this faith adhered the Antiochian Syrians and the Alexandrian
Copts who rejected the council of Chalcedony and the document of Leo of
Rome (The tome of Letter of Pope Leo) adhering to the faith defined in
the three holy ecumenical councils of Nicea 325 A.D., Constantinople 381
A.D., and Ephesus 431 A.D. From here, the name “Orthodox” was coined to
mean “True faith” which is common to Syrians, Copts, Armenians and
Ethiopians. These Churches are called “sister Churches”. They endured
together severe sufferings and violent persecutions waged against them
by the Chalcedonian Byzantine Empire.

4- THE SYRIAC LITURGY

It is an established fact that the
language spoken by Jesus and by many generations B.C. and early
Christianity, and until the 5th century A.D. was Aramaic. Furthermore,
Jews Wrote some of their holy books in Aramaic or in Aramaic characters,
as evidenced by the dead sea scrolls discovered in 1974 by His Eminence
Mar Athanasius Yeshu Samuel, then Archbishop of Jerusalem (Archbishop of
the United States and Canada at present). Thus, it becomes evident that
the disciples and their early successors spoke Syriac. Therefore, it is
only common sense that their worship be conducted in Syriac. Since the
evangelists who preached the Gospel in Antioch came from Jerusalem where
worship was in Syriac, it would only be natural that Syriac be the
Liturgical language of the church of Antioch, and that she uses the
Syriac liturgy of St. James the brother of the Lord and first bishop of
Jerusalem. It is well known that the church of Jerusalem used St.
James’s Liturgy until the days of the last of the first fifteen Syrian
bishops. However, when envoys from Constantinople started assuming its
leadership, they replaced, St. James’s Liturgy with that of Baselios of
Caesaria 379 A.D. and St. John the Chrysostom 407 A.D. translated into
Syriac. St. James’s Liturgy, nevertheless, remained in the church of
Antioch. That is why the Syriac Liturgy is called the Liturgy of
Antioch. To this Liturgy are traced all church Liturgies. The church of
Antioch, therefore, is proud that her Liturgy is in Syriac, the language
made holy by the Lord’s divine tongue, and honored by the tongue of His
mother Mary and his Apostles. In this language, St. Mathew wrote his
Gospel, and in this language evangelical events were proclaimed first in
Judea, Syria and neighboring regions.

Mor Mathai Dayro, Mosul (Iraq)

 

5- THE SERVICE TO THE GOSPEL

The Syrian Church played an important role
in the field of Bible literature. Her scholars dived deep in its vast
ocean and uncovered its mysteries. They first translated it to their own
Syriac language. Then, they conducted in-depth studies and enriched the
libraries in the East and West with countless large volumes of
commentaries and interpretations despite catastrophes and misfortunes
that struck their homeland, grave losses caused by World War I, and the
deliberate destruction of thousands of invaluable manuscripts by her
adversaries. After they studied the Bible in their own Syriac language,
they exerted endless efforts to translate it into other living
languages. Thus, around the year 404 A.D. the Malphan Daniel the Syrian,
and Mesrope the Armenian worked together translating it into the
Armenian language. Syriac scholars of Arabian origin of Bani Tay,
Tanookh and Aqoola (Al Koofa) translated the Gospel into Arabic
according to the order of the Syrian Patriarch St. John II in response
to the wishes of Omaiyr Ibn Saad Ibn Abi Waqqass Al Ansari, prince of
the Jazirah. Yohanna Bar Yawsef, a Syrian priest from Taphliss (southern
Russia), translated the Bible into the Persian language in 1221 A.D. In
the first decade of the l9th century, Raban Philipos the Syrian from
Malabar, India, translated it to Mallealem, the language of Southern
India. In the present 20th century, Chorepiscopus Mathai Konat the
Syrian from Malabar, translated the whole of the new Testament except
the book of Revelation, into this language.

A good number of manuscripts of this
invaluable heritage still survive. They constitute the oldest
manuscripts in the world, especially those removed from the treasury of
the Syrian Monastery in Egypt and taken to the libraries of Vatican,
London, Milan, Berlin, Paris, Oxford, Cambridge and others. Some of
these manuscripts were scribed in the fifth and sixth centuries.
Furthermore, the oldest version of the holy Gospel is a Syriac
manuscript written by the Edessan (of Urhoy i.e Urfa) scribe, Yacub, in
Urhoy in the year 411 A.D. It is kept in the British Museum. In this
regard, Father Martin enumerated 55 Syriac Gospel manuscripts written in
the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, compared to 22 Latin manuscripts and
only 10 Greek manuscripts. The Syrians were so ardent in their love to
the Bible that they sought perfection in scribing and decorating it.
They were meticulous, elegant and skillful in doing so. Their works can
only be described as dazzling. They used both calligraphic styles, the
Strangelo and the Western Serto. Among the best known manuscripts is the
Gospel of Raboola of Urhoy (Edessa or Urfa) completed in 586 A.D.

6- EVANGELIZATION ACTIVITIES

The Syrians carried the torch of the
Gospel first to all the regions of the East. They guided with its light,
to Christianity thousands of thousands of peoples and nationalities,
i.e., Arabs in their different tribes, Persians, Afghans, Indians and
Chinese. They took part in the evangelization of Armenians. In the 6th
century, the Syrians guided to the sheepfold of Christ huge crowds of
Ethiopians and Nubians through the efforts of Father Julian, and 70-80
thousand people from Asia Minor, Qarya, Phrygia and Lydia through the
efforts of Mar Yohanna of Amed, the famous bishop of Ephesus. Syriac was
the liturgical language of all the churches of the East despite the
diversity of their people’s origin. The Armenian church, for example, in
addition to the fact that it was using Syriac, in which some Armenian
bishops excelled, it wrote its spoken Armenian language in Syriac
characters, until Mesrope, one of its scholars working with Malfan
Daniel the Syrian, invented the Armenian Alphabet.

7- THE STRUGGLE OF THE SYRIAN CHURCH

The Syrian church of Antioch endured, as a
price for her adherence to her doctrine of faith, unbearable atrocities
and sufferings with content and exceptional determination. From the
moment of her birth, she was subject to Jewish and then to pagan
persecution. This was followed by Nestorian persecution in the 5th
century. At the end of the Chalcedonian council that convened in 451 A.D,
she faced severe persecution from the Chalcedonian Byzantine Caesars. In
addition, she suffered grave atrocities and afflictions by the Crusaders
in the 11th and 12th centuries. The Jewish persecution lasted until the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Among the martyrs of this Jewish
persecution were: St. Stephany the head of Deacons 37 A.D, apostle James
the son the Zebadee-one of the 12 disciples and St. James the brother of
the Lord and the first bishop of Jerusalem in 62 A.D. Other apostles
were imprisoned tortured and insulted. Persecutions were waged against
Christians by Pagan Roman Caesars. Among the most severe were 10
persecutions covering the whole Roman Empire remaining in effect
throughout the first three centuries, the first two decades of the 4th
century and throughout the whole of the 5th century. Among the martyrs
of these long lasting persecutions were St. Peter 67 A.D., St. Ignatius
the Luminous, the 3rd Patriarch of Antioch, Babola the Patriarch 250 AD,
Sts. Sargis and Bakhos 279 A.D., St. George 303 A.D, St. Barbara 303
A.D., St. Ciryacus the infant and his mother Juliette 304 A.D., and the
40 martyrs in Sebastia. Persian kings inflicted on Christians bitter
atrocities. The longest and the worst was the persecution instigated by
Shabour, from 339-379 A.D. During those 40 years, more than quarter a
million Syrians, were massacred.

This was followed by the persecution
instigated by Behram II from 420-438, in which Simon, the son of
Sabbagheen the bishop 329 A.D., Bar Baashameen the bishop, Mar Behnam
and his sister Sarah and the 40 cavalries, Yahanna son of Najjareen, St.
James Muqatta and Mar Ahodemeh were killed. The Persian rulers took
advantage of the theological disputes among the Syrians and started a
persecution campaigns against the Orthodox Syrians supported by
Nestorian Syrians and Magians. In these campaigns hundreds of Bishops
and priests and thousands of Syrian lay people were massacred, including
the Catholicos Babaweih 480 A.D. Because of their rejection of the faith
defined by the council of Chalcedony, the Syrians were the victims of a
long and agonizing persecution instigated against them by Chalcedonians.
This persecution lasted more than 200 years, from 452 A.D. until early
seventh century A.D. when Arab Moslems conquered Syrian land with the
help and cooperation of Syrians. The Byzantine persecution against the
Syrians, thus came to an end with the end of Byzantine hegemony over
Syrian land. During this long persecution, thousands of bishops, monks,
priests and lay believers fell martyrs. As of the year 512 A.D. when St.
Severus the Great was installed as Patriarch of Antioch, the
Chalcedonian persecution became fiercer. In that period, great men of
struggle and makers of history rose to defend the true faith. They were
known in Christian circles by their strong faith, righteousness and
being thoroughly versed in Theology. They were: St. Simon of Arshem 450
A.D., Mar Phelloxenos of Mabug 523, Mar Severus of Antioch 538, Mar
Yacub Baradeus 578, and Theodora, the Syrian Queen .

8- MONASTICISM AND MONASTERIES

The Syrian Church laid great emphasis on
Monasticism. Since early Christianity, she founded hundreds of
Monasteries in which thousands of men and women exercised righteousness,
virginity, abstinence, virtuousness, silence, voluntary poverty, fasting
and prayers. They excelled in all branches of learning including Arts
and Sciences. They engaged in good works, leadership and eduction. The
best sign of eminence of Monasticism in the Syrian church is its wide
spreading throughout the Syrian land. In the 5th century, there were 300
monasteries in the mountain of Urhoy (Edessa) alone, housing 90,000
monks. In St. Mathew’s monastery east of Mosul, there were 12,000 monks.
In the next century, the number of monks in Mar Basos Monastery near
Homs, Syria reached 6,300. One hundred and thirty five heads of
monasteries from southern Syria signed the document of faith. It is well
established that the number of Syrian monks and nuns in their golden age
reached 600,000. Among the most famous Syrian monks and hermits were:
St. Mathew the hermit, Mar Yacub of Nisibin, Mar Barsoum and St. Simon
the Stylite.

Misfortunes, however, and painful
historical events have inflicted destructions and heavy losses to these
monasteries. Some have completely disappeared. Some are deserted and
survive only in ruins, and some others survive only in history books.
The Syrian Catholics have seized some unlawfully with the help of the
French, e.g., the monastery of Mar Behnam in Mousul, Iraq, St. Julian
Monastery in Qaryateyn, near-Homs, and the monastery of St. Moses
Habashi in Nabik, Syria. The surviving inhabited monasteries of today
are: St. Mark’s -monastery in Jerusalem, which is beyond any doubt, the
greatest monastery in Christendom. It was the house of Mary the mother
of John (Yohanna) who was called “Mark”, and who is mentioned in the
book of Acts of Apostles. In this house, most of the sacraments of
Christianity were completed and its most important events took place.
The Lord ate the Passover meal with His disciples, and washed their
feet. He entrusted them the mystery of His body and blood. In this house
He appeared to them after His resurrection. In it, the apostles kept
praying, breaking the bread, chose Mathias, received the Holy Spirit and
consecrated it a church in the name of Mary the mother of God. In it,
the first council in Christendom was convened in the year 51 A.D. These
facts are supported by a precious Syriac estrangelo inscription from the
5th and 6th centuries uncovered in 1940 during renovation works. Thus,
this Monterey is the very first church in Christendom . Therefore, the
Syrian Orthodox Church is proud to possess such a unique Christian
historical monument. – Mar Gabriel’s Monastery (the Monastery of
Qartmeen). This is the principal Monastery in Tur’Abdeen. It was founded
in 359 A.D.   The Monastery of Zaafaran or St. Hananyo’s Monastery –
Located 6 km southeast of Mardin, turkey, it is the most famous
Monastery in Mesopotamia. It became the seat of the Holy See of Antioch
as of the 12th century until the third decade of the 2Oth century.

Monastery of Mor Hananyo (Kurkumo Dayro)


This Dayro also known as KURKUMO DAYRO in
Syriac and Deir ez-Za`faran  in Arabic meaning the “Saffron Monastery”,
so named for the yellowish rock from which it is built. Founded in 493
AD, it was, from 1160 until 1932 the seat of the Syriac Orthodox
Patriarch

9- HOLY RELICS

The Syrian Orthodox Church has in her
possession some Holy relics in memory of which she conducts splendid
ceremonies. Remarkable processions are held inside as well as outside
churches in these celebrations. This include the belt of our Lady the
virgin kept in our church in Homs, Syria and the relics of St. Thomas
the Apostle in St. Thomas church in Mosul, Iraq.

Soonoro of the Mother of God

kept here in the Syrian Orthodox Church at Homs

{Source: Sharjah Church web site}

 

Relics of Apostle Thomas is kept

here in the St.Thomas Church at Mosul

10- SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATION

Syriac culture is a glittering facet of
the civilization of the East, and a true measure of the dimensions of
intellectual activities of the Syrians. It is , further, a clear
indicator of the role of the Syrian Aramean nation in pushing forward
the vehicle of civilization. The Syrians engaged in Theology, Music,
Philosophy, Medicine, Linguistics, History, Astronomy etc. They found
numerous excellent schools and colleges that left distinct prints in the
history of culture. This church produced from its schools an army of
genius thinkers and intellectuals who became so well known that the
Arabs had them teachers and instructor for themselves.

They sought their proficiency in
translating the works of Greek scholars into Arabic, in addition to
their own brilliant Syriac works. The works translated and authored by
them became a rich source of learning for Arab scholars and philosopher
in the generations to follow and, through them, to the western world. A
quick glance at kindy’s philosophical treaties, for example, would
suffice to provide irrefutable evidence as to what technical terms had
the first Arab philosopher borrowed from Syriac sources. Furthermore,
Arabs adopted many Syriac melodies, tunes and poetry measures,
particularly those invented by Bar Daysan, Mar Ephraim, Mar Balay and
Mar Yacub of Sarug. Furthermore, we find in the works of some brilliant
Syrian scholars some theories that Westerners hailed to when put forward
by their scholars. Among them are the theory of Herder that ” man is a
small world”.

This theory was dealt with by Mar Ahodemeh
the famous Syrian Catholicos and Martyr of the 6th century in his book
entitled “man is a small world”. Also, Galileo’s ideas in Astronomy
described in the book entitled “cause of all causes” written by a Syrian
bishop from Urhoy (Edessa). Among the most famous Syrian schools were :
1. The school of Urhoy which was a pilgrimage place for students of
classic Syriac language. In this school taught St. Ephraim. It lived 126
years. 2. School of Nisibin: survived for more than 250 years and, 3.
School of Qen-Neshreen on the banks of Euphrates river, which lived 350
years (530-915 A.D). Here are some of the great Syrian scholars from
both clergy and laity: Bar Daysan of Urhoy 222, Aphrahat 346, St.
Ephraim the Syrian 373, Marootha of Miafarqin 431, Raboola of Urhoy 435,
Phillixenos of Mabug 523, Mar Balay 550, Mar Ahodemeh 575, Severus of
Antioch 538, Zakaria the Rhetor, Touma of Herqel 627, Severus Saboukht
667, Yacub of Urhoy 708, Antoun of Tekrit 850, Dionysius of Tel mahr
845, Iyawannes of Dara 860, Mar Moshe Bar Keefa 903, Yacub Bar Salibi
1171, Yacub of Bartella 1241, Michael the Great 1199, Bar Hebreaus 1286,
Behnam of Hadal 1454, Ephraim I of Mosul 1957, Yacub III of Bartella,
1980, Boulos Behnam 1969.

11- DIVISIONS IN THE SYRIAN CHIURCH

In the first four centuries A.D, there
prevailed among the four Christian Churches i.e.. the Syrian Church of
Antioch, the Latin Church of Rome, the Coptic Church of Alexandria and
the Byzantine Church of Constantinople, cordial relations and one faith,
the faith of the universal church, despite the emergence of some
teachings foreign to the evangelical truth. These teachings included
those of Simon the conjuror, Kyrinthos, Kirdon, Marcion, Hermogenos, Bar
Daysan, Titianos, Mani, Arius, Macedonius, and Ewnomius. These heretics
were confronted by the apostles and fathers of the church and pontiffs
of Antioch, Alexandria and Rome.

Their false teachings were rejected, and
later disaDoeared with no traces left. In early 5th century, a certain
Patriarch of Constantinople, Nestor, came up with a new teaching that
contradicted the faith of the holy Universal Church. He claimed that
“there are two natures and two persons in Christ, therefore, He is two
Christs, one is son of God, and the other is son of man; and that Mary
did not give birth to an incarnate God, but to a pure human who is Jesus
Christ, on whom, the word of God dwelled later. This teaching of Nestor
was accepted by some Syrians in areas under Persian rule, and in some
parts in Syria, Palestine and Cyprus. They split from the Syrian church
of Antioch and established themselves a center of leadership in Madaen,
Iraq, and then moved it, later on, to Baghdad in 762 A.D. Until
recently, their church was known by the name “the Syrian church of the
East”, or the “Syrian Nestorian Church”. However, they changed their
name in the turn of the 2Oth century and called themselves “the Assyrian
church”. From this Church branched off the Chaldean Catholics in 1553
A.D.

Their Patriarch took the name ” Patriarch
of Babylon 1713 A.D. Lately, they called themselves the “Assyrian –
Chaldean Catholic church”. When the council of Chalcedony ended in 451
A.D. the four major Christian churches split into two groups: the first
embraced the Syrian Church of Antioch and the Coptic church of Egypt
which believed in one nature in Christ after the union of the two
natures, i.e.; the non-Chalceonians. The second group embraced the Latin
Church of Rome and the Byzantine Church of Constantinople, who believed
in two natures in Jesus Christ even after the union of the two natures,
i.e, the Chalcedonian faith. A group of Antiochian Syrians split from
the mother Church and followed the Byzantine Chalcedonians.

Their Orthodox Syrian brethren called them
in the second half of the 5th century in their Syriac mother tongue
Malkoye, i.e., Melkites which means the followers of the king, as they
abandoned the faith of their Syrian ancestors and adopted the faith of
the Byzantine king Marcion. They also called them “Roum” after the
Eastern Roman State which had adopted the Chalcedonian faith as the
official faith of the state. They further called them Greeks, as
inhabitants of Constantinopole, the capital of the Byzantine Empire
spoke the Greek language. The name Melkite however, prevailed. Today
they are called “Greek Orthodox”. It is this Church from which the
Maronites branched off in the seventh century due to a dispute about the
one will and the two wills of Christ.

The Maronite church remained independent
until the 12th century when she joined the Roman Catholic Church and
started calling its Patriarch “Patriarch of Antioch”. From the Greek
Orthodox church branched off the Greek Catholics. Another painful schism
took place in the body of the Syrian Orthodox church of Antioch in the
middle of 17th century when the Syrian Catholics split from the mother
church and joined Rome through the destructive efforts of the Kapouchian
monks and with the help of the French consul of Aleppo. Thus, the Syrian
Church today embraces seven separate Churches:

1- The Syrian Orthodox Church, the mother
church.

2- The Syrian Church of the East (The
Nestorian or the Assyrian Church, as the new name stands).

3- The Syrian Chaldean Church (The
Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church, according to the new name).

4- The Syrian Maronite Church

5- The Syrian Catholic Church

6- The Greek Orthodox Church of Antiochian
Origin (in the Arab Countries) or the Melkite Syrians

7- The Greek Catholic Church (The Syrian
Melkite Catholic Church).

The Liturgy of all these Churches was the
Syrian Liturgy of Antioch, and the Liturgical language was one: The
Syriac Aramaic language. The first five churches still use Syriac
language in their rituals. The Syrian Orthodox, the Syrian Catholics and
the Maronites use the Western Syriac dialect of Urhoy (Edessa), while
the Assyrian and Chaldean Churches use the Eastern Syriac dialect. The
difference between the two dialects is only in pronunciation. The other
two churches i.e., the Greek Orthodox and the Greek Catholics, kept
using the Liturgy of Antioch for a long time. The Syriac language
survived in these two Churches until the 17th century. However, as of
the 10th century, they had already replaced their Antiochian Liturgy
with the Byzantine Liturgy after they translated it into Syriac.

12- RELATIONSHIP WlTH OTHER CHURCHES

The Syrian Orthodox Church keeps cordial
relations with her sister churches in faith, i.e., the Coptic, the
Armenian and the Ethiopian churches. These relations grew stronger since
the time of His Holiness the Late Patriarch Mar Ignatius Yakoob III. The
relationship is also strong and cordial with the Greek Orthodox Church.
As to Catholic Churches, after a long break in relations that lasted
1600 years: from the year 451 A.D, when the council of Chalcedony
convened, and until the 20th century, the relations were restored on
good grounds through the joint efforts of His Holiness Patriarch Yacub
III and His Holiness Pope Paul VI. The relationship was further
strengthened when a joint communiqu was issued by His Holiness
Patriarch Zakay I and His Holiness Pope John Paul II. This communiqu is
looked at as being an important achievement in the road to Christian
unity. Friendly relations have also developed between the Syrian Church
and the Protestant Churches, when the Syrian Church joined World Council
of Churches in 1960 through the efforts of the Late Patriarch Yakoob
III. Her representative in the Council today is His Eminence Archbishop
Mar Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim, Metropolitan of Allepo. The Syrian Church
today is an active member in the ecumenical circles. She is an important
member in the Middle East Council of Churches, and participates in
ecumenical Theologic dialogues on an official and private basis.

13-THE SYRIANS AND THE ARABS

The relationship between the Syrians and
Arabs started with the conquest of Syrian lands by Arab Moslems. The
relationship grew stronger in the days of Khalifa Omar Ibn AL-Khattab
known as “Farouq”. Farouq is a Syriac word. It means “Saviour” or
“Liberator”. The Syrians gave the Khalifa this name because he saved
them from Byzantine oppression. Arab conquest to Syrian land would not
have been accomplished without the help of native Syrians. The relations
between Syrians and Arabs reached their highest point in Abbasite era,
as is known. The relationship was built on ethnic grounds. Syrians and
Arabs are two Semite peoples. They had in the distant past a common
origin. Their languages, Syriac and Arabic, are sisters. Mustafa Shahabi,
an Arab scholar says: ” Syrians have had cordial relations with Arabs in
the course of history.

These relations fluctuated, being quite
strong at times and weaker at others, depending on who the ruler was,
and prevalence of ignorance, but they were never severed. There were
among the Syrians from earlier times, great scholars who mastered
Arabic, wrote books in this language, and translated celebrated works.
Also, there were Arabs who became Christians and followed the Syrian
faith, particularly before Islam. They so intimately mingled with them
that they were considered of them. Arabic language in our present days
needs people who master both Arabic and Syriac, so that they can show
what glorious Syrian marks are left on Arabic language, and what
valuable services to this language the Syrians rendered in various
Islamic ages”.

The famous historian Philip Hitti wrote
“The credit for Arab’s general awakening and their intellectual
renaissance in Baghdad at the Abbasite period goes to Syrians. That
renaissance which became and still is the pride of the ancient Islamic
period”. William Wright, a western scholar says: “the Syrians carried
the Greek light of thinking to Arabs, and later it was transferred to
Europe in the mediaeval times”. Linguistically, the Arabs came in
contact with Syrians since the Jahiliya times, i.e, before Islam. the
contact became stronger after Islamic conquest of Syrian lands. Many
Arabs knew Syriac. We find Mohammed urging his followers to learn Syriac.
In a book called “the Pen and the Inkwell” written by Mohammed Ibn Omar
Al Madaini, we find Mohammed asking Zeid Ibn Thabet: “Do you know Syriac?”.
No, says Zeid. “Learn it” Mohammed orders him. Zeid leaned Syriac in 17
days

Arabic language borrowed so heavily from
Syriac dictionaries became full of Syriac words. Arabs also borrowed the
Indian numbers as well as Calligraphy, especially the Koufi style from
Syrians. Arabic grammar was influenced by Syriac grammar to a large
extent. Aba Al Aswad Al-Du’ali (688 A.D.), who is considered the founder
of Arabic grammar, went to Koufa, and there he learned classic Syriac,
and contacted Syriac scholars using their help in creating Arabic
grammar. He depended heavily on Syriac grammar and grammarians following
the same order of organization, classification and rules as those of
Syriac language. Most importantly, he borrowed the dot system in
distinguishing the words and short vowels which the great Syriac scholar
Mar Yacub of Urhoy had already invented them. In the realm of intellect,
some Arab philosophers, such as Ibn Sina, learned wisdom and acquired
knowledge from Greek origins via Syrian sources. Kindy wrote in one of
his theses: “They (the Syrians) were to us a way and means to a lot of
knowledge. Without them, these pioneer authentic works would not have
been made available to us”. Another Arab scholar writes: “We can say
that it was the Syrians who first taught Moslems philosophy . It is them
who translated to us, secondly; therefore, Moslems were influenced by
the philosophy of the Syrians”.

14- THE PRESENT STATUS

The children of the Syrian Orthodox Church
of Antioch are spread, today, all over the world. They exist in
significant numbers in the countries of the Middle East, (Syria,
Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and the Gulf States), Turkey,
Europe (mainly in Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands), North and South
America, Australia and India. The church has about three million
followers, half of which are in India In all these regions, the Syrian
Orthodox people enjoy a respectful status, and occupy good positions,
for they adhere to their faith, and Christian virtues. they are examples
of good, loyal, and sincere citizens. They are hard workers enjoying
high social standers. A western researcher and historian wrote: “It is
not difficult for divine providence to make the roots of these people
take hold deep into the ground once again, so that they produce abundant
fruit; for they have been liberated from the hegemony of foreign
doctrine and foreign power as well as from injustice, atrocities and
severe persecutions that they endured for a long time. At present, with
all their weakness, they represent ancient churches that were at one
time blooming all over the land. The head of the church today is His
Holiness Mar Ignatius Zakay I Iywas. His title is “Patriarch of Antioch
and all the East, and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox
Church”. He is the heir of St. Peter’s throne. There are 28 Archdioceses
in the church today eight of which are in India, and the rest is
scattered over the countries where Syrians exist.

St.Peter’s &
St.Paul’s Patriarchal Cathedral in Ma`arat
Sayyidnaya, Damascus

15- CONCLUSION

This is a true, probably incomplete,
picture of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Church of the East
of noble origin. The Church of complete spiritual personality as to
faith, doctrine, liturgy, service and evangelization. The Church whose
body has been so torn apart by divisions and schisms that she has had
many names and directions. Perhaps with prayer and dialogue her wounds
can be treated and her scattered parts can be brought together so that
communion in faith can be restored, excommunications can be removed and
replaced by blessings, its unity can be fulfilled as it was in the dawn
of Christianity according to the spirit of the Gospel where the Lord
says ” So that all become one”.