Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon

For the council held in 359, see Council of Seleucia.

The Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, ^[1] 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 Seleucia-Ctesiphon as its Catholicos, or leader. It marked a major milestone in the history of the Church of the East and of Christianity in Asia in general.

The council was called by Mar Isaac, bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and who was then declared as the primate of the Sassanid church, confirming him as Catholicos and Archbishop of all the Orient. The decision was substantial, as Christians in the Sassanid Empire up to that point were fairly disorganized and persecuted, and Zoroastrianism was instead the primary religion of the Empire. In 409, permission was formally given by the Zoroastrian King Yezdegerd to the Christians to even exist: to worship openly, and to rebuild destroyed churches, though they were not allowed to proselytize.^[2]

The Synod also declared its adherence to the decisions of the Council of Nicea and subscribed to the Nicene Creed.

See also

• Catholicos of The East and Malankara Metropolitan

Notes

1. ^ Ctesiphon was a twin town on the opposite bank of the River Tigris.
2. ^ Wigram, p. 89

References

• Wigram, W. A. (2004). An introduction to the history of the Assyrian Church, or, The Church of the Sassanid Persian Empire, 100–640 A.D. Gorgias Press. ISBN 1593331037.