PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH

Church History at a glance...

This Church enjoys the greatest prestige in the history of Christendom since it is the first Church which was established in Jerusalem out of the Apostles, Preachers and other converted Jews, and was grafted in Antioch by those who were converted from among the Arameans and other gentile elements. It can justifiably claim the wealthiest liturgical and musical heritage, besides a proud theological and missionary record. The Church and it's parishoners still use Syriac-Aramaic the language spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. It suffered untold hardships and tragedies including massacres and repeated transfer of the See of the Patriarchate from one locality to another due to political and other developments until it settled in Damascus-Syria. Historians declare that the survival of this Church was nothing short of a miracle. The current Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church is His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. The Church provides spiritual guidance to over four million parishoners throughout the World.