Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. It is one of the five churches that comprised what is now the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church before the Great Schism. It is a major inheritor of Syriac Christianity and has Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, as itsofficial language. Th
e church is often referred to as Jacobite or Monophysite, but these terms are misleading, and not appreciated by the some of the church today. In 2000, a Holy Synod ruled that the name of the church in English should be the Syriac Orthodox Church. Before this, it was, and often still is, known as the Syrian Orthodox Church. The name was changed to disassociate the church from the polity Syria. The official name of the church in Syriac is `Idto Suryoyto Trisuth Shuvho, this name has not changed, nor has the name changed in any other language. The Syriac Orthodox Church is held to be the first church of Christianity established by the Apostle St. The foundation of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch goes back to early Apostolic days. This event in the history of Christianity is recorded in the Book of Acts 11:26 . Apostle Peter Himself established his See 37 AD. He is, therefore, rightly considered the founder and first Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch. The history and name of our Church is also intimately associated with the Arameans or Syrians, the inhabitants of the land of Aram or Syria where Antioch is located. The dialect of the Arameans (Aramaic) became the common language of that area. Still later, just before and after the opening of the Christian era, Aramaic underwent a particularly rich evolution. This evolved new form of Aramaic known as "Syriac", the language of the amalgamated or unified Syrian People. The current head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is the Patriarch H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem Second , who resides in Lebanon. The Church has about 26 archdioceses and 11 Patriarchal Vicariates. The church in Malankara, Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church is an integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church with the Patriarch of Antioch as its supreme head. The local head of the church in Malankara is the Catholicose of India, currently His Beatitude Baselios Thomas I, ordained by and accountable to the Patriarch of Antioch. The Syrian orthodox divine liturgy is performed in Syriac. Both it and the Chalcedonian Antiochian Orthodox Church claim to be the sole legitimate church of Antioch and successor of the Apostle St. There are also three uniate churces headed by Patriarchs of Antiocha: The Syrian Catholic Church, the Maronites and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. There is also an unrelated (so- called Nestorian) Assyrian Church of the East. CATHOLICATE OF THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX (JACOBITE) CHURCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST In the early centuries the Christians in the Persian and the Roman Empires were subject to religious persecutions, so the Church spread its wings without the help of any of the imperial authorities. After the Roman Emperor adorned Christianity in 315, the church in Rome was spared from atrocities, but from then onwards the Persian Kings became much more hostile towards those Christians in Persia as they were considered as agents of the former. It was during this period the office of the Great Metropolitan, which later came to be known as the Catholicate of East, was established in Persia. As the enmity between the empires increased; the leaders of the Church in Persia found it nearly impossible to continue ecclesiastical commune with the universal church. Meanwhile some in the Catholicate of Persia found it more convenient to adopt the Nestorian Christology which was earlier officially dejected by the universal Christian councils for its remarks on the Mother of God; thus they tried to convince the Persian rulers that they distance themselves from the mother Church and the Roman (Byzantine) Empire. By this act, the Christians in Persia who accepted Nestorian Christology could easily win the favour of the Persian rulers while those of non-Nestorian faith suffered severe persecution. As the office of the Catholicate fell into heresy, the Orthodox faithful were wandering in wilderness. The Catholicose of Seleucia meanwhile took over the title 'Patriarch', thus trying to be equal in status with the Patriarch of Antioch. In AD 629, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East elevated St. Marutha (Marooso) asthe first MAPHRIYONO OF THE EAST for the rejuvenated Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) Church in Persia. Later the centre of the Maphrianate was shifted to St.Mathew's Dayro in the city of Mosul in Iraq and continued there till the middle of 19th century. In 1860 the office of Maphrianate was abolished as per the decision of the Syrian Orthodox Church Synod held at Deyrul'alZafran Monastery (Kurkumo Dayro) under Patriarch Ignatius Ya`qub II. The same was re-established in India in 1964 by the Universal Synod held at Kottayam, presided by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III. From the days of the establishment of this Maphrianate in India, the Church started to officially use the title 'Catholicos of the East', with his jurisdiction limited to India in the East. In 2002 the office of the Maphrianate was renamed as 'Catholicose of India' in accordance with its actual jurisdiction. Present headquarters of this ancient Maphrianate/Catholicate of the Syrian Orthodox Church is at Puthencuriz, Cochin, with Catholicose Mor Baselios Thomas I as the Chief of the Church in India. In Episcopal dignity the Catholicos rank second to the Patriarch and, as His Holiness's deputy, presides over the provincial Holy Synod. He and all the clergy of the faithful in India pledge loyalty to the Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the supreme authority of the Syriac Orthodox Church throughout the world. There are many instances when a Maphrian (Catholicos) was elevated to the position of the patriarch in the Syrian Orthodox Church. The Churches and Vicar's of Jacobite Church in Aus and Nzld
1. St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Sydney NSW. Rev. Fr. Maneesh Kuriakose +61 405544134
www.stmaryssydney.com
2. St George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Sydney ,NSW
Rev. Varghese +61403524460
3. St George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Oakleigh Melbourne Victoria
Rev. Fr.Bijo (Elias)+61470208820
www.jacobitechurchmelbourne.com.au
4. St.Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church St Albance ,Melbourne
Rev. Fr.Bijo (Elias)+61470208820
5. St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Frankston Melbourne Victoria
Rev.Fr. George Vayaliparambil+61470606908
www.jacobitechurchmelbourne.org
6. St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Shepparton,Victoria
Rev.Fr.Eldo Valiyaparambil +61469660919
7. St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Adelaide ,South Australia
Rev.Fr.Lalmon +61478881189
www.stmaryschurchadelaide.org
8. St.Thomas Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Brisbane Queensland
Rev.Fr.Eldhose Skaria +61422525054
www.stthomaschurchbrisbane.org
9. St. Athanasious Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Canberra ACT
Rev. Joseph Kunnappilly +61470294922
10. St Osthathiose Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Woolongong NSW
Rev. Joseph Kunnappilly +61470294922
11. St.Gregorios Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Alice Springs ,NT
Rev.Fr.Jinu Kuruvila +61432005071
12. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Darwin NT
Rev.Fr.Lalmon +61478881189
www.stthomaschurchdarwin.org
13. Peters & St. Paul Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Perth WA
Rev. Robin +61444532913
www.perthjacobitechurch.com
14. Basil Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Wagga Wagga ,NSW
Rev. Boby Thomas -+61423736872
15. St.Basil Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Newcastle NSW
Rev. Varghese +61403524460
16.St Gregorios Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Wayong, NSW
Rev.Fr Varghese Thombra +61 470247412
17.St Thomas Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Melbourne,Victoria
Rev.Fr.Jacob Joseph +61426774494
www.jacobitechurchmelbourne.com
18.St.Peters & St Pauls Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Adelaide .SA
Rev.Fr.Jinu Kuruvila +61432005071
19.St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Bunbury,Perth.WA
Rev.Fr.Jomon +61466511791
20. St.John's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Mildura VIC
Rev.Fr.Basil +61449755476.
21.St Basil Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Melbourne
Fr. Boby Thomas
+61424786457
22.St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Goldcoast ,OLD
Rev.Fr.Thomas Puthiyamadaththil +61424647981
23.Morth Smooni Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Brisbane,QLD
Rev.Fr.Thomas Puthiyamadaththil +61424647981
24. St Behanam Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Hervey Bay, QLD
Rev. Mathews Joble Yoyaky
+61435097027
25. St Peter JSOC Carins
Rev Fr. Thomas Puthiyamadam
26.St Joseph JSOC Bendigo
Rev. Basil Abraham
CHURCHES IN NEWZEALAND
1. Very.Rev.Fr Joseph Maramkandathil Cor Eppiscoppa. St.Peter's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Auckland .
2. Rev.Fr .Abin Mannakattu Varghese. a.St.Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Hamilton. b.St.George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Tauranga.
3. Fr.Sijo Kallarackal Varghese (Eldhose). a.St.John the Baptist's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Willington. b.Eldho Mar Basolios Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Parlmerston North. c.Mor Gregorius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Whangarei. d.St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Dunedin. e.St.Joseph Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Nelson.
4.Rev.Fr.John Koshy Mannakuzhi. a.Mor Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Newplaymouth. b.St.Kuriyakose Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Hastings. c. Knanaya Service (Auckland ).
5.Rev.Fr. Robin Baby . a.St.George Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Christchurch.
6. Rev.Fr. George Kallapara. No charge now. Deacons in Wellington
1.Dn Elvin Wellington.
2.Dn. Greg Le Paul (Cheriyan).Auckland.
