Is the Syriac Orthodox Church in communion with Rome?

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I saw this news item on Spero News site, that a monastery is being threatedned by Muslims in Turkey.

I’m just asking - not posting a comment –
is this group Catholic (i.e., in communion with Rome))? I didn’t know where else to ask.

The Spero article refers to the monastery as “the oldest Christian monastery”.

Whether Catholic or not, these good people are being marginalized and threatened, and we need to pray for their protection.

Thanks,
Mimi
 
This church is not in communion with the Holy See, but an independent Orthodox community dating from the time of the apostles in Antioch, that at some point parted ways with mainstream Orthodoxy as well.
It is very sad that this ancient group of Christians are in grave danger. We should pray for their safety.
 
It must be awfully scary for them. May the Holy Spirit protect them. St. Michael the archangel…

Thanks mystified,

Mimi
 
Hi,

The Syriac Orthodox Church is in the Oriental Orthodox Communion.

Here is the monastery in question:



Here is a nice little Trinitarian architecture:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

May the One and Holy Triune God protect them from all evil.

God bless,

Rony
 
Moreover, the Syrian Orthodox ARE in limited communion with the Catholic Church.

No concelebrations, and not submitting to Roman Authority, but acknowleding the validity of Catholic Sacraments and hierarchy, and allowing (at least) Syrian Catholics to register in their parishes without renouncing their Catholicism, and likewise their faithful being allowed to register in Syrian Catholic parishes without renouncing their Syrian Orthodoxy.

The ACE are in a similar position with the Chaldean Catholic Church.
 
The Syriac Orthodox Church is a great Church. Beautiful liturgy. My goddaughter is Syriac Orthodox, and my son’s godparents are Syriac Orthodox. We are Catholic.
 
A Melkite priest I know said that Syriac Catholic and Orthodox priests concelebrated Liturgy in the last couple of years.
 
Cluny said:
A Melkite priest I know said that Syriac Catholic and Orthodox priests concelebrated Liturgy in the last couple of years.
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I’ve been present at a Melkite Divine Liturgy concelebrated with a Syriac Orthodox priest, and received Communion from that priest at the Catholic Liturgy, so I know for a fact that it does happen, regardless of the norms.

It’s obviously the exception and not the rule, but it seems that at least the grassroots level our Churches are growing very close. I would even go so far as to wager that if there wasn’t the concern of breaking with and offending the other Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Syriac Orthodox Church might have even officially restablished ties with the Catholic Communion. That’s just pure speculation on my part, however, based on things I’ve heard regarding their ecumenical discussions and position on matters (they had even entered very positive talks with the Assyrian Church of the East, supposedly, but had to step back from them because of threats of excommunication by other Oriental Orthodox Patriarchs; this information came from an Assyrian priest, so take it as you will).

All in all I see almost no seperation between the Syriac Orthodox and the Catholic Churches as it is. Obviously we still have a ways to go to formalize our Reunion, but to me the fact that we already share so much, officially and unofficially, says a lot, more than a bunch of official documents would.

All that being said, these monks and nuns are in my prayers!

Peace and God bless!
 
The syriac orthodox church is in 90 percent communion with Rome. Pope John Paul II visited current Patriarch of Antioch His holiness Ignatius Zakka visited in 2002 I think at Damascus capital of Syria and made a joined statement. They together celebrated the holy mass also. In the joined statement they made, it is said that there is no difference between the Syriac orthodox church and Roman catholic church in any cases. They also told something on the council of Chalcedon on the nature of our Lord. Now marriage is possible between the members of both the churches and other functions also. I wish current Pope Holy father Benedict 16 will do something to solve the problem.
 
From my understanding, there is the Syriac Orthodox Church, and then there is also the Syriac Rite Catholic Church. The latter is affiliated with Rome. We have a Syriac Rite Catholic Church in Jacksonville where our Emmaus Catholic Young Adult Group meets.
 
NolePaul2009 said:
From my understanding, there is the Syriac Orthodox Church, and then there is also the Syriac Rite Catholic Church. The latter is affiliated with Rome. We have a Syriac Rite Catholic Church in Jacksonville where our Emmaus Catholic Young Adult Group meets.
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Yes, that’s correct, although it would be preferable to refer to the 2nd as the Syriac CC (without the word “Rite”).
 
There is a Syriac Orthodox mission in Roanoke, VA that the Maronite church there has graciously allowed to celebrate the Qurbono in their building. I at least found it interesting that they are using a building of the Maronite church, rather then the Coptic Orthodox church down the street for their Qurbono. I do believe that some of the Syriac Orthodox faithful attend the Maronite Qurbono regularly as well.
 
Formosus said:
There is a Syriac Orthodox mission in Roanoke, VA that the Maronite church there has graciously allowed to celebrate the Qurbono in their building. I at least found it interesting that they are using a building of the Maronite church, rather then the Coptic Orthodox church down the street for their Qurbono. I do believe that some of the Syriac Orthodox faithful attend the Maronite Qurbono regularly as well.
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Spiritually speaking the Maronite and Syriac traditions are very close. In fact, the Maronite tradition is really just a specific monastic expression of the Syriac tradition (St. Maron was a Syriac monk, and the Maronites are the descendants of the Faithful who lived around the monasteries founded on his principles), so it’s not suprising at all that they would be found together. In almost every way the Syriac Orthodox are closer, in terms of tradition, to the Maronites than they are to the equally venerable Coptic tradition.

There’s also the fact that the Syriac and Maronites (and Melkites, I’ll add) tend to come from the same general area and countries, and there’s typically a lot of intermarriage. This fact has led to the kind of concelebration I mentioned above, something which is sometimes scandalous to those aren’t familiar with the cultural and spiritual dynamics involved. :o

Peace and God bless!
 
Ghosty said:
Spiritually speaking the Maronite and Syriac traditions are very close. In fact, the Maronite tradition is really just a specific monastic expression of the Syriac tradition (St. Maron was a Syriac monk, and the Maronites are the descendants of the Faithful who lived around the monasteries founded on his principles), so it’s not suprising at all that they would be found together. In almost every way the Syriac Orthodox are closer, in terms of tradition, to the Maronites than they are to the equally venerable Coptic tradition.

There’s also the fact that the Syriac and Maronites (and Melkites, I’ll add) tend to come from the same general area and countries, and there’s typically a lot of intermarriage. This fact has led to the kind of concelebration I mentioned above, something which is sometimes scandalous to those aren’t familiar with the cultural and spiritual dynamics involved. :o

Peace and God bless!
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This is true, my family is originally Syriac Orthodox, but we are part of a Maronite parish and celebrate Maronite mass every sunday, because there are strong similarities.
 
Formosus said:
There is a Syriac Orthodox mission in Roanoke, VA that the Maronite church there has graciously allowed to celebrate the Qurbono in their building. I at least found it interesting that they are using a building of the Maronite church, rather then the Coptic Orthodox church down the street for their Qurbono. I do believe that some of the Syriac Orthodox faithful attend the Maronite Qurbono regularly as well.
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Do you know if it is permitted according to the Roman Catholic Church for a Roman Catholic to receive Holly Communion at the Syriac Orthodox service?
 
fruticetum05 said:
Do you know if it is permitted according to the Roman Catholic Church for a Roman Catholic to receive Holly Communion at the Syriac Orthodox service?
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Only if no Catholic minister is accessible. For example, if you are staying in a town with a Syriac Orthodox parish but no Catholic parish, you may receive from the Syriac priest (assuming he permits you to receive that is).
 
I spoke with a Syriac Orthodox priest and he allows Catholics to receive at his parish. I think this allowance is widespread as Syriac Orthodox recognize the validity of Catholic sacraments. I believe the same is true for the Armenian Apostolic Church in regard to Catholic sacraments.
twf said:
Only if no Catholic minister is accessible. For example, if you are staying in a town with a Syriac Orthodox parish but no Catholic parish, you may receive from the Syriac priest (assuming he permits you to receive that is).
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Item 123 shows that several conditions must be fulfilled to a Catholic to receive Communion from the Orthodox.

Moral impossibility means circumstances where observance of the law would require heroism beyond the call of duty, that i.e., extreme inconvenience, or action that is extraordinarily burdensome. The moral order is responsible to the natural law judged by conscience.

The Latin Catholic Church and the 22 eastern Catholic Churches are all Catholic since they are in full communion with the Pope. Apart from them are the non-Catholic churches, which are the Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches, all with valid Apostolic succession. For those non-Catholic churches the following applies:

Sharing in Sacramental Life, especially the Eucharist

a) Sharing in Sacramental Life with members of the various Eastern Churches
  1. Between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches not in full communion with it, there is still a very close communion in matters of faith.125 Moreover, “through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches, the Church of God is built up and grows in stature” and “although separated from us, these Churches still possess true sacraments, above all—by apostolic succession—the priesthood and the Eucharist…”.126 This offers ecclesiological and sacramental grounds, according to the understanding of the Catholic Church, for allowing and even encouraging some sharing in liturgical worship, even of the Eucharist, with these Churches, “given suitable circumstances and the approval of church authorities”.127 It is recognized, however, that Eastern Churches, on the basis of their own ecclesiological understanding, may have more restrictive disciplines in this matter, which others should respect. Pastors should carefully instruct the faithful so that they will be clearly aware of the proper reasons for this kind of sharing in liturgical worship and of the variety of discipline which may exist in this connection.
  2. Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for any Catholic for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick from a minister of an Eastern Church.128
  3. Since practice differs between Catholics and Eastern Christians in the matter of frequent communion, confession before communion and the Eucharistic fast, care must be taken to avoid scandal and suspicion among Eastern Christians through Catholics not following the Eastern usage. A Catholic who legitimately wishes to communicate with Eastern Christians must respect the Eastern discipline as much as possible and refrain from communicating if that Church restricts sacramental communion to its own members to the exclusion of others.
Vatican reference:
vatican.va/roman_curia/po…ectory_en.html

In 1993 was given the DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
  1. Since the celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day is the foundation and centre of the whole liturgical year, [120] Catholics—but those of Eastern Churches according to their own Law [121]—are obliged to attend Mass on that day and on days of precept. [122] It is not advisable therefore to organize ecumenical services on Sundays, and it must be remembered that even when Catholics participate in ecumenical services or in services of other Churches and ecclesial Communities, the obligation of participating at Mass on these days remains.
Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

byzcath.org/faith/documents/instruction.htm
 
Thank you all very much for your responses. It clears it up for me. I was hoping the Syriac Orthodox Church was like the Maronite Church in that regard, but it is not.
 
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