Ancient Church of the East facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ancient Church of the East |
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| Abbreviation | ACE |
| Classification | Eastern Christianity |
| Orientation | Syriac Christianity |
| Catholicos-Patriarch | Gewargis III Younan |
| Language | Syriac |
| Liturgy | East Syriac Rite |
| Headquarters | Baghdad, Iraq |
| Separated from | Assyrian Church of the East |
| Members | 70,000 in 1968; approx. 75 000, of which 45 000 in Iraq and 20 000 in India (1999) |
The Ancient Church of the East is a Christian church from the Middle East. It is part of a larger group called Eastern Christianity. This church separated from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964. It was led by a person named Mar Toma Darmo.
The Ancient Church of the East is one of three Assyrian Churches. These churches say they continue the traditions of the 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
The name "Ancient Church of the East" was used officially after a big split happened in 1964. This split was because of a decision made by the church leader, Patriarch Mar Shimun XXIII Eshai. He decided to change the church's calendar from the old Julian calendar to the newer Gregorian calendar. The church had used the Julian calendar for a very long time.
Part of the Assyrian Church of the East followed the Patriarch's decision. But others disagreed strongly. This disagreement caused the church to split.
In 1968, the Ancient Church of the East chose its own leader, Mar Toma Darmo. He was against changing the calendar. He also didn't like the idea of the patriarch's position being passed down through families. Other groups who disagreed with Mar Shimun joined Mar Darmo.
In 2011, Mar Mari Emmanuel became a bishop in Australia. However, he was later removed from the church in 2014. This happened because of different ideas about church teachings.
In June 2022, Mar Yacob III Daniel was chosen as the new patriarch. But he stepped down in August of the same year. On November 12, 2022, the church leaders elected Mar Gewargis Younan to be the new patriarch. He was officially made the 110th Patriarch of The Ancient Church of The East on June 9, 2023.
Organisation
Holy Synod
The Holy Synod is a group of important church leaders. They make decisions for the church. Here are some of its members:
- Mar Gewargis III Younan, who is the main leader (Catholicos-Patriarch). His office is in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Mar Yacob Daniel, who is a Metropolitan for 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, another Metropolitan who lives in Canada.
- Mar Shimun Daniel Alkhoury, who is a Bishop for Iraq and the Middle East.
List of catholicos-patriarchs
Prior to 1964
Since 1968
- Thoma Darmo (1968–1969)
- Addai II Giwargis (1972–2022)
- Yacob III Daniel (2022-2022)
- Gewargis III Younan (9 June 2023 – present)
Relationship with the Assyrian Church of the East
When Addai II was the leader, the Ancient Church of the East tried to reunite with the Assyrian Church of the East. One important step was in June 2010. The Ancient Church of the East announced they would celebrate Christmas on the Gregorian calendar date. Before this, they used the Julian calendar date, which meant Christmas was on January 7 for them. This change was meant to help bring the churches closer.
Dialogue for reunification
After Dinkha IV, the leader of the Assyrian Church of the East, passed away in March 2015, talks about reuniting continued.
On May 22, 2015, leaders from both churches met in Chicago, USA. They discussed how they could come back together. Important leaders from both sides were there.
On June 1, 2015, the Assyrian Church of the East leaders met in Iraq. They were supposed to choose a new patriarch. But they decided to wait. They wanted to see if the churches could reunite first. They sent a message to the Ancient Church of the East with their ideas for reunification.
On June 5, 2015, another statement was made. It said the election of the new patriarch would be put off until September 2015. This was to give more time for the churches to unite.
However, the churches could not agree to reunite at that time. On September 18, the Assyrian Church of the East chose Gewargis III as their new leader. He became patriarch on September 27, 2015.
Even though they didn't fully reunite, leaders from both churches still try to work together. After Mar Addai II passed away, talks about reunification happened again in May 2022. But they failed, and a new patriarch was chosen 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
