The Syriac Orthodox Church
The Church of Antioch that still prays in the language of Christ.
The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Its liturgical language is Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, and its Anaphora of St. James is among the oldest eucharistic prayers in continuous use.
History
The Church traces its foundation to the Apostle Peter at Antioch. It separated from the Chalcedonian communion after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 over the formula of the two natures of Christ — a division that modern theological dialogue has largely established to be a matter of terminology rather than of faith.
The Patriarch of Antioch and All the East heads the Church, with the see now based in Damascus and a large diaspora in Europe, India and the Americas.
The West Syriac rite
- The Holy Qurbono (Eucharist), served with more than seventy anaphoras in the manuscript tradition.
- Prayer seven times a day in the Shhimo, the weekday breviary.
- Sung in Syriac with the beth gazo, the treasury of chant modes.
Fasts and calendar
- The Great Fast of fifty days before Pascha, kept strictly.
- The Fast of Nineveh (three days), the Nativity Fast, the Fast of the Apostles and the Fast of the Theotokos in August.
- Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year.
Frequently asked
- Is the Syriac Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox?
- No — it belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family, alongside the Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Malankara Churches.
- What language do Syriac Orthodox Christians pray in?
- Classical Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic closely related to the language Christ spoke, alongside Arabic, Malayalam and English in the diaspora.