Holy See of the East

Holy See of the East is an honorary name of the sees of a number of Christian churches in the Middle East and India.

The Sees of the Patriarchs of the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Catholicos-Patriarchs of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Catholicos-Patriarchs of the Ancient Church of the East, which emerged from the erstwhile Church of the East succeeds the Holy See of the East in their respective Churches.

The Head of the Syro-Malabar Church,^[1] the Head of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Head of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church, the Head of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church are commonly known as the successors to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas among their respective Churches.

The See of the patriarchs of the Syrian Orthodox Church and Syriac Catholic Church is known as the Holy See of Antioch and All the East.

Saint Thomas Christians after the Coonan Cross Oath who welcomed the Bishop Gregorios of the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1665 Church of Antioch the Holy See of the East, since St.Peter is the founder of this church. The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church which evolved from the Malankara Syrian Church as a part of the Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See also claims the title of the Catholicos and the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas.^[2]

East Syriac Rite Churches[]

Ancient Church of the East[]

Patriarch Mar Addai II, is the Catholicos of the Ancient Church of the East.

The current Seat of the Catholicos of Ancient Church of the East is in Baghdad, Iraq.

Assyrian Church of the East[]

The current Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East is Mar Gewargis III, who took charge after the death of Mar Dinkha IV in 2015. The current Seat of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Assyrian Church of the East is in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Syro-Malabar Church[]

The official title of the Head & Father of the Syro-Malabar Church is the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas and the Metropolitan and Gate of All India. The church is headed by the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Cardinal Maran Mar George Alencherry.

The current Seat of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is in Mount St. Thomas near Kakkanad, Kerala, India.^[3]

Mar Thoma Syrian Church[]

The official leader of the church is the Mar Thoma metropolitan of the apostolic see of st Thomas his beatitude the most reverend Theodosius Mar Thoma. The current seat of the mar thoma metropolitan is in Thiruvalla, Kerala, in the cathedral

Chaldean Catholic Church[]

The Chaldean Catholic Church is a part of the Eastern Rite Churches under the patronage of Pope Francis of Rome and under the leadership of the Patriarch, Louis Raphael I Sako. The patriarchal see is Babil(Babylon).

West Syriac Rite Churches[]

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church[]

The official title of the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church also known as Indian Orthodox Church is the Catholicos of the East on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. The present Catholicos is Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, who was enthroned on 15 October 2021 in Parumala, Kerala at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala. The current seat of the Catholicos of the East is in Kottayam, Kerala, India.

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church[]

The official title of the Head & Father of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas in India and Malankara Metropolitan. The church is headed by the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum, Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos.

The current Seat of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is in Catholicate Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.^[4]

References[]