Patriarch of Antioch

Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title carried by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" (επισκοπος, "episkopos", from which the word 'bishop' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period. This diocese is one of the few for which the names of its bishops from the apostolic beginnings have been preserved.

History

It was in the city of Antioch (modern day Antakya in southeast Turkey) that Christians were first so called (Acts 11:26). Traditionally, Saint Peter established the church in Antioch, and was the city's first bishop. Ignatius of Antioch (martyred c.107) was also bishop of the city, and a prominent apostolic father. By the 4th century, the bishop of Antioch had become the most senior bishop in a region covering modern-day eastern Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran. His hierarchy served the largest number of Christians in the known world at that time. In consideration of this and its ancient origins, the Patriarchs of Antioch were considered the most senior of the various Patriarchs of Christendom, which included the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and the Patriarch of Rome.

Despite being overshadowed in ecclesiastical authority by the Patriarch of Constantinople in the later years of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Antiochene Patriarch remained the most independent, powerful, and trusted of the Eastern Patriarchs until the conquest of Eastern Christianity by Islamic armies began in the late 7th century. The Antiochene church was a centre of Christian learning, second only to Alexandria. In contrast to the Hellenistic-influenced Christology of Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople, Antiochene theology was greatly influenced by Rabbinic Judaism and other modes of Semitic thought — emphasizing the single, transcendent divine polytonic|οὐσια (substance), which in turn led to adoptionism in certain extremes, and to the clear distinction of Christ of polytonic|δύο φύσεις (two natures: dyophysitism): one participating in humanity, the other in divinity. Lastly, compared to the Patriarchates in Constantinople, Rome, and Alexandria which for various reasons became mired in the theology of imperial state religion, many of its Patriarchs managed to straddle the divide between the controversies of Christology and imperial unity through its piety and straightforward grasp of early Christian thought which was rooted in its primitive Church beginnings.

However, with the advent of internal schisms such as that over Monophysitism and followed by the Islamic conquests, the Patriarch's ecclesiastical authority became entangled in the politics of imperial authority and later Islamic occupation. Being considered independent of both Byzantine Imperial and Arab Moslem power but in essence occupied by both, the "de facto" power of the Antiochene patriarchs faded. Additionally, the city suffered several natural disasters including major earthquakes throughout the 4th and 6th centuries and anti-Christian conquests beginning with the Zoroastrian Persians in the 6th century, then the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century, then the Muslim Seljuks in the 11th century, and culminating in its final obliteration by Muslim Mamluks in the 13th century. Lastly, the ecclesiastical schisms between Rome and Constantinople and between Constantinople and Alexandria and Antioch left the Patriarch's authority isolated, fractured and debased, a situation which further increased when the Franks took the city in 1099 and installed a Latin Patriarch of Antioch.

Current patriarchs

Today, no fewer than five church hierarchs claim the title of Patriarch of Antioch, three of whom are in full communion with the Pope of Rome. (These three head autonomous churches that are part of the Roman Catholic Church; though they are in communion with the Holy See, they are not the part of the Latin Rite, but are instead Eastern Catholic Churches.) All five see themselves as part of the Antiochene heritage and claim a right to the Antiochene See through apostolic succession, although none are actually based in the city of Antakya. This multiplicity of Patriarchs of Antioch as well as their lack of location in Antioch, reflects the troubled history of Christianity in the region, which has been marked by persecution and internecine struggles since the Islamic conquest. Indeed, the Christian population in the original territories of the Antiochene patriarchs has been all but eliminated by assimilation and expulsion, with the region's current Christians forming a small minority.

Depending on how history and the canons of the Church are interpreted each Patriach's claim to the original See of Antioch can be sustained with proof as follows:

1. If Flavian II was Patriarch until his death then it means that
*the Melkite, Greek Orthodox and Maronite Patriarchs are the continuation of the original See and
*Severus was not Patriarch at any time and thus the Syriac Catholic and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs are not the continuation of the original See. 2. If Flavian II was legally deposed and Severus was indeed the Legal continuation of the Patriarchate then
*the Syriac Catholic and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs are the continuation of the original See.
*the Melkite, Greek Orthodox and Maronite Patriarchs are not the continuation of the original See.
3. Further, if John Maron was legally elected Patriarch in 685 and the actions of the Byzantine Emperor to depose him were illegal then it means that the current legal continuation of the Patriarchate is the Maronite Patriarch.
4. The Melkite versus the Greek Orthodox Patriarchs - The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches both recognize that Cyril VI was legally elected Patriarch in 1724 and that that current Greek Orthodox church of Antioch was a later creation to serve the faithful that did not choose to enter full communion with Rome. As such, the Melkite Patriarch has the legal claim to the Patriarchate.
5. The Syriac Orthodox and the Syriac Catholic both recognize that Andrew Akhidjan was legally elected Patriarch in 1662 who re-entered communion with Rome but later Patriarchs severed that Communion. [ [http://stsharbelpeoria.org/the_evolution_of_the_patriarchate_of_antioch stsharbelpeoria.org | The Evolution of the Patriarchate of Antioch ] ] Later Michael Jarweh was elected Patriarch in 1782 and he again re-entered communion with Rome which caused those that opposed union to separate and form a new ecclesial body that today is called the Syriac Orthodox Church. As such, the Syriac Catholic Patriach has the legal status as the continuation of the original See of Antioch over the Syriac Orthodox Church provided of course that Severus was indeed legally elected Patriach which the Catholic Church does not accept.

The current Patriarchs of Antioch are:

# Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Ignatius Zakka I is the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, which is part of the Oriental Orthodox communion. His see is based in Damascus.
# Ignatius IV (Hazim), Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Ignatius IV is the leader of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and thus is one of the four hierarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. His see is based in Damascus.
# Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Maronites. Nasrallah Sfeir is the leader of the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Catholic Church and uses the Antiochene liturgy. His see is based in Bkerké, Lebanon.
# Gregory III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Alexandria, and Jerusalem of the Greek Melkites. Gregory III is the leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Catholic Church and uses the Byzantine liturgy. His see is based in Damascus.
#The Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East of the Syrians is currently vacant. Its Patriarch is the leader of the Syrian Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church that is in full communion with Catholic Church's Holy See at the Vatican and uses the Antiochene liturgy. The see is based in Beirut. Until February 2008, the Patriarch was Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad.

At one point, there was at least nominally a "sixth" claimant to the Patriarchate. When the Western European Crusaders established the Principality of Antioch, they established a Latin Rite church in the city, whose head took the title of Patriarch. After the Crusaders were expelled by the Mamelukes in 1268, the Pope continued to appoint a titular Latin Patriarch of Antioch, whose actual seat was the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The last holder of this office was Roberto Vincentini, who died without a successor in 1953. The post itself was abolished in 1964.

See also

* Latin Patriarch of Antioch
* List of Patriarchs of Antioch
* List of Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch
* List of Maronite Patriarchs
* List of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch
* List of Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch
* List of Syrian Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch

References

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01567a.htm "Catholic Encyclopedia":] Antioch, Church of. Full history
* [http://www.pgc-lb.org/english/index.shtml Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem]