Catholicos
Encyclopedia
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain church
es in some Eastern Christian
traditions. The title implies autocephaly
and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch
. In other cases a catholicos heads a particular church
and is subject to a patriarch or other church head. The word is a transliteration
of the Greek
καθολικός, pl. καθολικοί, meaning concerning the whole, universal or general; it originally designated a financial or civil office in the Roman Empire
.
The Church of the East
, some Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox
churches, and some Eastern Catholic Churches historically use this title. In the Church of the East, the title was given to the church's head, the Patriarch of the Church of the East; the title Catholicos is also used for the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
and the Georgian Orthodox Church. In the Syriac Orthodox Church
the Catholicos of the East
was given to the Maphrian
, historically an office below the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.
in 325 AD, this along with canon six confirmed the traditional jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch. In early usage, Catholicoi were created mainly to rule provinces formed outside of the Roman Empire
. The actual extent of their relationship with Antioch is unclear.
The earliest ecclesiastical use of the title Catholicos was by the Catholicos of Armenia, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
, in the 4th century. Sometime later, it was adopted by the bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Persia, who became the designated heads of the Church of the East
. The first claim that the bishop of Selucia-Ctesiphon was superior to the other bishoprics and had (using a later term) patriarchal rights was made by Patriarch Papa bar Gaggai
(or Aggai, c. 317-c. 329). In the 5th century this was claim strengthened and Isaac (or Ishaq, 399-c.410), who organized the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
, used the title of bishop of Selucia-Ctesiphon, Catholicos and Head over the bishops of all the Orient. This line of Catholicos founded the Church of the East and the development of the East Syrian Rite
.
churches of East Syrian Rite
that claim succession to the Catholicos of the East of Selucia-Ctesiphon from the Church of the East.
Referred to as Nestorian
in Western
texts, the term Nestorian was formally renounced in 1976 by Dinkha IV.
churches, it is a modern successor of the historical Church of the East
, also known as the Persian Church, having emerged from a split with the Chaldean Church in the 16th century. It traces its origins to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia, which tradition holds was founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle (Tooma Shlikha) as well as Saint Mari
and Saint Addai in AD 33 as asserted in the Doctrine of Addai
.
It is one of the three Churches of the East that hold themselves distinct from Oriental
and Eastern Orthodoxy
. The Assyrian Church of the East does not use the word "orthodox" in any of its service books or official correspondence, nor does it use any word which can be translated as "correct faith" or "correct doctrine," the rough translation of "orthodox". The adjectives "holy," "catholic," and "apostolic" were officially added to the Assyrian Church of the East's title in conformance with the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed which declares, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church
." In this context, "holy" refers to being set apart for a purely sacred purpose; "apostolic" means founded by one of Jesus's own apostles; and "catholic" is the Greek word for "universal," indicating a worldwide church. In India, it is more often called the Chaldean Syrian Church
. In the West it is often called the Nestorian Church, due to its historical associations with Nestorianism
, though the church itself considers the term pejorative and argues that this association is incorrect. The church declares that no other church has suffered as many martyrdoms as the Assyrian Church of the East.[4]
The founders of Assyrian theology were Diodorus of Tarsus
and Theodore of Mopsuestia
, who taught at Antioch. The normative Christology of the Assyrian church was written by Babai the Great
(551–628) and is clearly distinct from the accusations directed toward Nestorius
: his main christological work is called the 'Book of the Union', and in it Babai teaches that the two qnome (essences, or hypostases) are unmingled but everlastingly united in the one parsopa (personality) of Christ.
is the current Catholicos of the Ancient Church of the East
, which split off from the Assyrian Church in the 1960s.
that claim succession to the Catholicos of the East of Selucia-Ctesiphon of the Church of the East
:
is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church of the East (in full Communion
with the Pope
.)
The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church. It is descended from the historical Church of the East and became independent following a 16th century split with the Assyrian Church of the East. The Chaldean Catholic Church presently has an estimated 2.5 million Chaldean Christian members. They are ethnically Assyrian, sometimes known as Chaldo-Assyrian, indigenous people of Iraq and descended from the ancient Mesopotamians/Assyria
ns. They retain Aramaic as a native tongue.
, a hierarchy of the Syrian Orthodox
was erected in the area now known as Iraq
to serve the Christians who were not placed under the Catholicate of the Church of the East. The main See
was located in Tikrit
and the rite used was that of Antioch, i.e. the West Syrian Rite
. The first head of this hierarchy was the Great Metropolitan
Ahudemeh (559-575). The title used from about the 7th century was Maphrian
(or Maphryono). In the 12th century the See was moved to Mosul
and in the 13th century the title became Catholicos of the East. After the massacres of Tamerlane, the Maphrian was forced to leave Persia and this title was used for the general vicar, with nominal right of succession, for the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
In the 17th century many Christians of the Kerala
region in India
decided to leave the Church of Malabar—the local Church that had been connected to the Church of the East
and since the second half of 16th century was under Portuguese
control—and to align themselves under the hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church. They moved from the East Syrian Rite and adopted the West Syrian Rite. The title of Catholicos of the East as an Indian hierarchy was used from the 20th century.The following heads of the Orthodox Church claim succession to the Catholicos of the East.
is the current Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
His title is Catholicos of the East
and Malankara Metropolitan
His title is Catholicos of India.
bears the title Catholicos.
The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin presides over the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church and is the head of the world's 7 million Armenian Orthodox Christians.
There is a Catholicos residing in Antelias
, Lebanon
:
The primacy of honour of the Catholicossate of Etchmiadzin has always been recognized by the Catholicossate of Cilicia.
There once was a Catholicos in Akhtamar, a position that has since been abolished:
.
. With the Islamic invasion this church deteriorated and the provinces came under the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin.
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
es in some Eastern Christian
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
traditions. The title implies autocephaly
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
. In other cases a catholicos heads a particular church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
and is subject to a patriarch or other church head. The word is a transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
of the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
καθολικός, pl. καθολικοί, meaning concerning the whole, universal or general; it originally designated a financial or civil office in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
The Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
, some Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
churches, and some Eastern Catholic Churches historically use this title. In the Church of the East, the title was given to the church's head, the Patriarch of the Church of the East; the title Catholicos is also used for the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
and the Georgian Orthodox Church. In the Syriac Orthodox Church
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
the Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East is an ecclesiastical title used historically by the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, and now used in successor churches. The title Catholicos, or "universal leader", is used in several Eastern Christian churches and implies a degree of sovereignty and...
was given to the Maphrian
Maphrian
The Maphrian was historically the prelate in the Syriac Orthodox Church who ranked second in the hierarchy after the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. The Maphrian, whose title literally means "one who bears fruit", i.e. "consecrator", was originally the head of the church in Persia and the...
, historically an office below the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.
Origin of the title
The title came into common use with the Patriarchate of Antioch sometime after the division of jurisdiction of provinces among the three Churches in the First Council of NicaeaFirst Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325...
in 325 AD, this along with canon six confirmed the traditional jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch. In early usage, Catholicoi were created mainly to rule provinces formed outside of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The actual extent of their relationship with Antioch is unclear.
The earliest ecclesiastical use of the title Catholicos was by the Catholicos of Armenia, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
, in the 4th century. Sometime later, it was adopted by the bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Persia, who became the designated heads of the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
. The first claim that the bishop of Selucia-Ctesiphon was superior to the other bishoprics and had (using a later term) patriarchal rights was made by Patriarch Papa bar Gaggai
Papa (bishop)
Mar Papa , also known as Papa bar Aggai, was Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the capital of Sassanid Persia, in the late 3rd and early 4th century. An important figure in the early history of the Church of the East, he was first in the generally recognized line of Bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, who...
(or Aggai, c. 317-c. 329). In the 5th century this was claim strengthened and Isaac (or Ishaq, 399-c.410), who organized the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
The Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, also called the Council of Mar Isaac, met in AD 410 in Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sassanid Empire of Persia. The council, extended official recognition to the Empire's Christian community, known as the Church of the East, and established the Bishop of...
, used the title of bishop of Selucia-Ctesiphon, Catholicos and Head over the bishops of all the Orient. This line of Catholicos founded the Church of the East and the development of the East Syrian Rite
East Syrian Rite
The East Syrian Rite is a Christian liturgy, also known as the Assyro-Chaldean Rite, Assyrian or Chaldean Rite, and the Persian Rite although it originated in Edessa, Mesopotamia...
.
Autocephalous churches of East Syrian Rite
The following are autocephalousAutocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
churches of East Syrian Rite
East Syrian Rite
The East Syrian Rite is a Christian liturgy, also known as the Assyro-Chaldean Rite, Assyrian or Chaldean Rite, and the Persian Rite although it originated in Edessa, Mesopotamia...
that claim succession to the Catholicos of the East of Selucia-Ctesiphon from the Church of the East.
Referred to as Nestorian
Nestorianism
Nestorianism is a Christological doctrine advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428–431. The doctrine, which was informed by Nestorius's studies under Theodore of Mopsuestia at the School of Antioch, emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus...
in Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
texts, the term Nestorian was formally renounced in 1976 by Dinkha IV.
Assyrian Church of the East
Dinkha IV is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. One of the oldest ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches, it is a modern successor of the historical Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
, also known as the Persian Church, having emerged from a split with the Chaldean Church in the 16th century. It traces its origins to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia, which tradition holds was founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle (Tooma Shlikha) as well as Saint Mari
Saint Mari
Saint Mari was converted by Saint Addai. He is said to have had Mar Aggai as his spiritual director. He is also believed to have done missionary work around Nineveh, Nisibis, and along the Euphrates, and is said to have been one of the great apostles to Syria and Persia. He and Addai are credited...
and Saint Addai in AD 33 as asserted in the Doctrine of Addai
Doctrine of Addai
The Doctrine of Addai is a controversial book about Saint Addai.The story of how King Abgar and Jesus had corresponded was first recounted in the 4th century by the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History and it was retold in elaborated form by Ephrem the Syrian.In the...
.
It is one of the three Churches of the East that hold themselves distinct from Oriental
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
and Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. The Assyrian Church of the East does not use the word "orthodox" in any of its service books or official correspondence, nor does it use any word which can be translated as "correct faith" or "correct doctrine," the rough translation of "orthodox". The adjectives "holy," "catholic," and "apostolic" were officially added to the Assyrian Church of the East's title in conformance with the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed which declares, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church
Four Marks of the Church
The Four Marks of the Church is a term describing four specific adjectives—one, holy, catholic and apostolic—indicating four major distinctive marks or distinguishing characteristics of the Christian Church...
." In this context, "holy" refers to being set apart for a purely sacred purpose; "apostolic" means founded by one of Jesus's own apostles; and "catholic" is the Greek word for "universal," indicating a worldwide church. In India, it is more often called the Chaldean Syrian Church
Chaldean Syrian Church
The Chaldean Syrian Church is an Indian Christian church that is currently an archbishopric of the Assyrian Church of the East. Its members are part of the St. Thomas Christian community, who trace their origins to the evangelical activities of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are almost...
. In the West it is often called the Nestorian Church, due to its historical associations with Nestorianism
Nestorianism
Nestorianism is a Christological doctrine advanced by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 428–431. The doctrine, which was informed by Nestorius's studies under Theodore of Mopsuestia at the School of Antioch, emphasizes the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus...
, though the church itself considers the term pejorative and argues that this association is incorrect. The church declares that no other church has suffered as many martyrdoms as the Assyrian Church of the East.[4]
The founders of Assyrian theology were Diodorus of Tarsus
Diodorus of Tarsus
Diodore of Tarsus was a Christian bishop, a monastic reformer, and a theologian. A strong supporter of the orthodoxy of Nicaea, Diodore played a pivotal role in the Council of Constantinople and opposed the anti-Christian policies of Julian the Apostate...
and Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore the Interpreter was bishop of Mopsuestia from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate...
, who taught at Antioch. The normative Christology of the Assyrian church was written by Babai the Great
Babai the Great
Babai the Great was an early church father of the Church of the East. He set several of the foundational pillars of the Church, revived the monastic movement, and formulated its Christology in a systematic way. He served as an unofficial head of the Nestorian Church from 611 to 628 AD, leaving a...
(551–628) and is clearly distinct from the accusations directed toward Nestorius
Nestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
: his main christological work is called the 'Book of the Union', and in it Babai teaches that the two qnome (essences, or hypostases) are unmingled but everlastingly united in the one parsopa (personality) of Christ.
Ancient Church of the East
Addai IIMar Addai II
Mar Addai II , born Shimun Giwargis, is the incumbent Catholicos Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East and resides in the Apostolic See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Baghdad, Iraq.,He was elected to the position of Catholicos-Patriarch in February 1970, several months after the death of...
is the current Catholicos of the Ancient Church of the East
Ancient Church of the East
The Ancient Church of the East was established in 1968. It follows the traditions of one of the oldest Christian churches, the Church of the East, whose origins trace back to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia...
, which split off from the Assyrian Church in the 1960s.
Eastern Catholic Churches of East Syrian Rite
The following are Eastern Catholic Churches of East Syrian RiteEast Syrian Rite
The East Syrian Rite is a Christian liturgy, also known as the Assyro-Chaldean Rite, Assyrian or Chaldean Rite, and the Persian Rite although it originated in Edessa, Mesopotamia...
that claim succession to the Catholicos of the East of Selucia-Ctesiphon of the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
:
Chaldean Catholic Church of the East
Emmanuel III DellyEmmanuel III Delly
Mar Emmanuel III Delly is the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and Primate of the Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic sui juris Particular church of the Catholic Church and a Cardinal. He was born on October 6, 1927 in Tel Keppe and was ordained a priest on December 21, 1952. He was...
is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church of the East (in full Communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.)
The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church. It is descended from the historical Church of the East and became independent following a 16th century split with the Assyrian Church of the East. The Chaldean Catholic Church presently has an estimated 2.5 million Chaldean Christian members. They are ethnically Assyrian, sometimes known as Chaldo-Assyrian, indigenous people of Iraq and descended from the ancient Mesopotamians/Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns. They retain Aramaic as a native tongue.
Oriental Orthodox Church
In the 6th century, on the initiative of Jacob BaradaeusJacob Baradaeus
Jacob Baradaeus was Bishop of Edessa from 543 until his death. One of the most important figures in the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox churches generally, he was a defender of the Monophysite movement in a time when its strength was declining...
, a hierarchy of the Syrian Orthodox
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
was erected in the area now known as Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to serve the Christians who were not placed under the Catholicate of the Church of the East. The main See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was located in Tikrit
Tikrit
Tikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
and the rite used was that of Antioch, i.e. the West Syrian Rite
West Syrian Rite
The West Syrian Rite, also known as the Syrian Rite or the Syro-Antiochene Rite, is a Christian liturgical rite chiefly practiced in the Syriac Orthodox Church and churches related to or descended from it. It is part of the liturgical family known as the Antiochene Rite, which originated in the...
. The first head of this hierarchy was the Great Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Ahudemeh (559-575). The title used from about the 7th century was Maphrian
Maphrian
The Maphrian was historically the prelate in the Syriac Orthodox Church who ranked second in the hierarchy after the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. The Maphrian, whose title literally means "one who bears fruit", i.e. "consecrator", was originally the head of the church in Persia and the...
(or Maphryono). In the 12th century the See was moved to Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
and in the 13th century the title became Catholicos of the East. After the massacres of Tamerlane, the Maphrian was forced to leave Persia and this title was used for the general vicar, with nominal right of succession, for the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
In the 17th century many Christians of the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
region in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
decided to leave the Church of Malabar—the local Church that had been connected to the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
and since the second half of 16th century was under Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
control—and to align themselves under the hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church. They moved from the East Syrian Rite and adopted the West Syrian Rite. The title of Catholicos of the East as an Indian hierarchy was used from the 20th century.The following heads of the Orthodox Church claim succession to the Catholicos of the East.
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Baselios Marthoma Paulose IIBaselios Mar Thoma Paulose II
Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II is the 91st reigning Catholicos of the East and 21st reigning Malankara Metropolitan and as such, Supreme Head of the Indian Orthodox Church. He was enthroned Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on 1 November 2010...
is the current Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
His title is Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East is an ecclesiastical title used historically by the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, and now used in successor churches. The title Catholicos, or "universal leader", is used in several Eastern Christian churches and implies a degree of sovereignty and...
and Malankara Metropolitan
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
Baselios Thomas I is the current Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox churchHis title is Catholicos of India.
Armenian Apostolic Church
The head of the One Holy Universal Apostolic Orthodox Armenian ChurchArmenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
bears the title Catholicos.
The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin presides over the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church and is the head of the world's 7 million Armenian Orthodox Christians.
- Catholicos of Etchmiadzin (Chief Shepherd and Pontiff to all Armenians dispersed throughout the world) of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
- Karekin IIKarekin IICatholicos Karekin II is the current head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.He was born as Ktrij Nersessian in Voskehat, Armenia, on August 21, 1951. He entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at Echmiadzin in 1965 and graduated with honors in 1971. He was ordained to the diaconate deacon...
is the current Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
- Karekin II
There is a Catholicos residing in Antelias
Antelias
Antelias is a town in Lebanon. It is located around 5 km to the north of Beirut. Its inhabitants are mainly Christians and include Armenians , Maronites, Greek Catholics and Greek Orthodox ....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
:
- Catholicossate of the Great House of Cilicia (Since 1441).
- Aram IAram IHis Holiness Aram I is the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia and has been Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 1995...
is the present Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia
- Aram I
The primacy of honour of the Catholicossate of Etchmiadzin has always been recognized by the Catholicossate of Cilicia.
There once was a Catholicos in Akhtamar, a position that has since been abolished:
- Catholicos of Akhtamar IslandAkdamar IslandAkdamar Island also known as Aght'amar or Akhtamar, is the second by size of four islands in Lake Van in the south of Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey, about 0.7 km2 in size, situated about 3 km from the shoreline. At the western end of the island a hard, grey, limestone cliff rises 80 m...
(1116-1895)
Armenian Catholic Church
- Catholicos of the Armenian Catholic ChurchArmenian Catholic Church|- |The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church sui juris in union with the other Eastern Rite, Oriental Rite and Latin Rite Catholics who accept the Bishop of Rome as spiritual leader of the Church. It is regulated by Eastern canon law...
(in full CommunionFull communionIn Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with the PopePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
).- Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church. His full title is officially "Patriarch Catholicos of the House of Cilicia"
Iberia
The title of catholicos is also used in the Georgian Church, whose head carries the title Catholicos-Patriarch of All GeorgiaCatholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
Catholicos–Patriarch has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010. The first Catholicos–Patriarch of All Georgia was Melkisedek I...
.
- Catholicos of Georgian Orthodox Church
- Ilia IIIlia IIIlia II is the current Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church...
is the current Catholicos of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
- Ilia II
Caucasian Albania
Historically, the title of Catholicos was also used by the chief bishop of Caucasian AlbaniaCaucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
. With the Islamic invasion this church deteriorated and the provinces came under the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin.
See also
- Catholicos of ArmeniaCatholicos of ArmeniaThe Catholicos of All Armenians is the chief bishop of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches that do not accept the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The first Catholicos of All Armenians was Saint Gregory the Illuminator...
- List of Catholicoi of Armenia
- Catholicos of Georgia
- Catholicos of the EastCatholicos of the EastCatholicos of the East is an ecclesiastical title used historically by the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, and now used in successor churches. The title Catholicos, or "universal leader", is used in several Eastern Christian churches and implies a degree of sovereignty and...
- List of Catholicos of the East