Ancient Church of the East facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ancient Church of the East |
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| Abbreviation | ACE |
| Classification | Christian |
| Orientation | Syriac |
| Catholicos-Patriarch | Gewargis III Younan |
| Language | Syriac |
| Liturgy | East Syriac Rite |
| Headquarters | Baghdad, Iraq |
| Separated from | Assyrian Church of the East |
| Members | approx. 75,000, of which 45,000 are in Iraq and 20,000 in India (1999) |
The Ancient Church of the East (often called ACE) is a Christian church from the Middle East. It is part of a larger group of churches known as Eastern Christian denominations. This church separated from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964. It was led by Mar Toma Darmo at that time.
The Ancient Church of the East is one of three Assyrian Churches. These churches believe they continue the traditions of the very old Church of the East. The other two are the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church. Since 1969, the main office of the Ancient Church of the East has been in Baghdad, Iraq.
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Started
In 1964, a big change happened in the Assyrian Church of the East. Its leader, Patriarch Mar Shimun XXIII Eshai, decided to switch from the old Julian calendar to the newer Gregorian calendar. This change caused some members of the Church of the East to disagree.
This disagreement led to a split, also known as a schism. The group that broke away called itself the Ancient Church of the East. In 1968, they chose their own patriarch, Mar Toma Darmo. Mar Darmo strongly disagreed with two main things. First, he did not like the idea of the patriarch's position being passed down through families. Second, he opposed the switch to the Gregorian calendar and other modern changes. Other groups who also disagreed with Mar Shimun joined Mar Darmo.
Recent Leaders
In June 2022, Mar Yacob III Daniel was chosen as the new patriarch. However, he stepped down just two months later, in August 2022. On November 12, 2022, the church's Holy Synod elected Mar Gewargis Younan to take his place. Mar Gewargis III Younan was officially made the 110th Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East on June 9, 2023, in Baghdad.
How the Church is Organized
The Holy Synod
The Holy Synod is a group of important church leaders. They help guide the church. Here are the current members:
- Mar Gewargis III Younan, who is the main leader, called the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Whole World. His main office is in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Mar Yacob Daniel, who is a Metropolitan (a high-ranking bishop) for the area of Baghdad and Basra. His office is in Baghdad and Basra.
- Mar Zaia Khoshaba, who is a Metropolitan for Canada and the United States. His office is in Toronto, Canada.
- Mar Toma Aramia, who is also a Metropolitan and lives in Canada. His office is in Toronto, Canada.
- Mar Shimun Daniel Alkhoury, who is a Bishop for Iraq and the Middle East.
List of Catholicos-Patriarchs
Leaders Before 1964
Leaders Since 1968
- Thoma Darmo (1968–1969)
- Addai II Giwargis (1972–2022)
- Yacob III Daniel (2022–2022)
- Gewargis III Younan (June 9, 2023 – present)
Relationship with the Assyrian Church of the East
When Addai II was the leader, the Ancient Church of the East tried several times to reunite with the Assyrian Church of the East. A big step was in June 2010. The Ancient Church of the East announced it would celebrate Christmas on the Gregorian calendar date. Before this, the church used the Julian calendar date for Christmas, which meant Christmas Day was on January 7th in the Gregorian calendar. This change started on December 25, 2010.
Talks for Reunification
After Dinkha IV, the leader of the Assyrian Church of the East, passed away in March 2015, talks about reuniting the churches continued.
On May 22, 2015, leaders from both churches met in Chicago, Illinois. Important members from the Ancient Church of the East included Yacoub Daniel, Zaia Khoshaba, and Gewargis Younan. From the Assyrian Church of the East, there were Gewargis Sliwa, Awa Royel, and Iskhaq Yousif.
On June 1, 2015, the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East met in Erbil, Iraq. They were supposed to choose a new leader. Awa Royel announced that they had sent a reply to the Ancient Church of the East's ideas for reunification. They asked for a quick answer. Because of this, the election for the new Patriarch was put on hold until the next week, June 8, 2015.
On June 5, 2015, Aprem Mooken officially stated that the election for the next leader of the Assyrian Church of the East was delayed until September 2015. This delay was to allow for the churches to possibly reunite.
However, the churches were not able to reunite at that time. On September 18, 2015, the Assyrian Church of the East chose Gewargis III as their new head. He was officially made Catholicos-Patriarch on September 27, 2015.
Even though they did not reunite, leaders from both churches have continued to work together in different ways. After Mar Addai II passed away, reunification talks failed again in May 2022. This led to the election of a new patriarch for the Ancient Church of the East.
See also
In Spanish: Antigua Iglesia del Oriente para niños
- Assyrian people
- Chaldean Catholic Church
- Chaldean Syrian Church
- Church of the East
- East Syrian Rite
