Historical Development

By the 4th century, these three apostolic sees (Rome, Antioch and Alexandria) were given the designation ''episcopate''. The Bishop of the See of Antioch obtained the title of ''patriarch'' in 451. The Bishop of the See of Alexandria (in the first half of the 3rd century) and the Bishop of the See of Rome (in the first quarter of the 6th century) received the title of ''pope''. In the last quarter of the 6th century, the Greeks gave the title of ''patriarch'' to the Bishop of the See of Istanbul.

Until the 13th century, the Syriac patriarchs who sat on the Apostolic See of Antioch were called by their personal names. When Yusuf Vahib, Metropolitan of Mardin, was elected patriarch in 1293, inspired by the name of İğnatius Nurani, he placed the title ''İğnatius'' before his personal name. From that date onward, all succeeding patriarchs began to use this title ''İğnatius''.

Until the time of Patriarch Mor Severius (until 518), the patriarchal see was in Antioch. Owing to Byzantine pressure, which intensified for political reasons, it fell into an itinerant position in the environs of Antioch until the 7th century. After this date, forced to flee from one place to another like a migrant, it passed from the environs of Antioch and Malatya to Amid and Mardin. After the Monastery of Mor Barsavmo in the vicinity of Malatya, it moved to the Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana) in Amid. In 1293, in the time of Patriarch İğnatius V, known as İbni Vahip, it was officially established at the Monastery of Deyrulzafaran. In 1932 it was moved to the city of Homs by Patriarch Afrem I Barsavm. In 1958 it was transferred by Patriarch Yakup III to Damascus, the capital of Syria, where it is currently located. Although this see of the Syriac Church is in Damascus, it still proudly bears the title ''Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East''.

Divisions within the Church

The dogmatic frictions that arose within the church brought many adverse consequences with them. Nothing remained in its original form. When the political games and political ambitions of the period were added to the disagreements and Christological disputes, the ''unity'' of this see, like that of the Syriac people, was shaken, and it split into seven sees bearing the same name.

By virtue of its geographical position, in the early periods the Syriac Church of Antioch was divided into two branches, western and eastern. The church formed by the Western Syriacs lived in the lands under the rule of the Roman Empire (in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Anatolia). And it was spiritually subordinate directly to the see of Antioch. The church formed by the Eastern Syriacs, on the other hand, lived under the rule of the Persians in Mesopotamia, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkestan, Iran and India. The spiritual administration of this church was conducted by a general bishop called the catholicos or maphrian, subordinate to the patriarchal see of Antioch.

Until the end of the 5th century, the religious centre (maphrianate) of this church was in Medain (in present-day Iraq). However, a section of the Syriacs who adopted the teaching launched in this century by Nestorius, Patriarch of Istanbul, which ran contrary to the general doctrine of the church, separated from this centre and established an independent centre of their own, again in Madain. And in 762 this centre was moved to Baghdad. The church that separated from this centre of the Church of the East in 1553 and attached itself to the pope was given the name Chaldean Church. In 1713, the patriarchate of this church, whose centre was in Baghdad, was given the name ''Patriarchate of Babylon''.

The ''see'' of Antioch, governed by a legitimate patriarch until the 4th century, incurred the wrath of the Byzantines in 518. The Byzantines, who seized the see through oppression and violence, sent Mor Severius, the patriarch of the time, into exile and installed in his place three illegitimate Chalcedonian patriarchs (supporters of the Council of Chalcedon). After these three illegal patriarchs, the Melkite (Malkoye) patriarchate (the Greek Orthodox Church) began in 543. In the 7th century, the Maronite Patriarchate was founded, independent of the Melkite patriarchal see. This see attached itself to the Church of Rome in the 13th century. Later the Melkites divided once again and in 1824 founded the Catholic Melkite patriarchate (the Greek Catholic Church). In the middle of the 17th century, the Syriac Catholic patriarchate was born. Sadly, all these sees today bear the title ''Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East''.

At the end of the 13th century, upon the death of Patriarch Filüksinos Nemrud, a new patriarchal see named the patriarchate of ''Mardin and Turabdin'', independent of the main see, was established; however, this patriarchal see, proclaimed in 1292 by Kostantin, Metropolitan of Malatya, could not continue. It came to an end with the death of the said person. But when administrative approaches lacking in common sense were added to internal turmoil, another see was founded in 1364 under the name ''Patriarchate of Turabdin''. This patriarchal see, which chose the Monastery of Mor Yakup in Salah in Turabdin as its centre, continued until 1839. (2)

Conclusion

It is a deeply thought-provoking fact that the Syriac Church of Antioch, which holds a respected and deep-rooted position within the Christian world through its effective services in the fields of faith, dogma and liturgy, has been divided into seven independent churches as a result of schisms. I take great spiritual pleasure in keeping alive the dream of the day when these churches, which share the same ethnic origin, the same church liturgy (tıks), the same language (Syriac) and the same historical culture, will unite in the subtleties of the message of Christ that underlies the motto ''one flock and one shepherd'' (John 10:16). For those who think with common sense in the sense of Christ cannot keep themselves from openly confronting the truth that only one patriarch can sit on an apostolic and holy ''see''.