The
Syrian Orthodox Church & Community in the Holy Land
by Jack Khazmo
The Syrian Orthodox Church is an ancient oriental church. Although it is small in number, about five million members
worldwide including India, it is rich in history, liturgy, rituals and language. Many Syrian Orthodox contributed to the Arab Renaissance during the Arab Abassid Caliphate.
The Syrian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land has a congregation of approximately 5000, concentrated in the Jerusalem and Bethlehem areas, with a few members in Ramallah and Jericho. Thousands have emigrated in the last few decades, mainly to North America where they have established
many churches.
The spiritual leader of the congregation is The Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem, His Eminence Archbishop Mar Swerios Malki Murad. He is assisted by five priests, one of them married serves the church community in Bethlehem. The seat of the Patriarchal Vicar is in St.
Mark's Convent, the oldest convent in the Old City of Jerusalem. The church has a number of active institutions. These include St. Mark's Syriac Welfare Association in Jerusalem, which was established in 1927, the Syrian Orthodox Club in Jerusalem with its well-known Scouts' group,
St. Ephraim Welfare Association in Bethlehem, and the Syrian Orthodox Club of Bethlehem. The Committee of St. Mark's Convent, which is appointed by His Holiness Mar Ignatius
Zakka I, head of the Worldwide Syrian Church, assists His Eminence the Patriarchal Vicar to Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Jordan, in running the administrative affairs, especially the Waqf (Church Property).
The Presence in the Holy Land
The history of the church in the Holy Land goes back to the first days of Christianity. St. Mark's Convent is an irrevocable witness to this presence as it contains St. Mark's Church, which is believed by many historians and archaeologists to be the site of the Last Supper and Pentecost, and the house of St. Luke.
The present members of the church are mainly immigrants from south-eastern Turkey after 1915. The Syrian Orthodox Church and its members went through many periods of great difficulty throughout their history, forcing them to move from place to place looking for refuge and security. Many joined other churches which split from the Syrian Orthodox Church.
Rights in the Holy Places
The Syrian Orthodox Church has historic rights, along with four other churches, to worship in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher throughout the year. Though the church does not have as many rights as the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Armenian Orthodox churches, they are important and valuable. Many rights were lost in the past during difficult times; some were taken over by other churches, but the rights that the Syrian Churches still hold in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher include:
1) the right to hold prayers and worship every Sunday throughout the year in the Syrian Orthodox Chapel of St.
Nicodimus.
2) the right to use 18 official entrances to the church.
3) the right to pray during processions in most parts of the church including around and inside the tomb of Christ.
This situation also applies to rights in the Church of the Nativity, and the Church of the Ascension, but the Syrian Church also has rights in the holy places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Churches and Monasteries
The Syrian Orthodox Church maintains a few churches and monasteries in the Holy Land, although a larger number were lost for various reasons in the past. As mentioned earlier, the history of St. Mark's Convent in Jerusalem, which includes St. Mark's Church, goes back to the first days of Christianity. The Church of the Virgin Mary, near Manger Square in Bethlehem, was built by members of the congregation during the 1920s. The Syrian Orthodox Church also maintains chapels in the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Ascension and in the Church of the Nativity. St. John's Monastery on the River Jordan has been closed by the Israelis since 1967, due to its location in the Israeli Military area. No-one is allowed to enter the monastery, which is surrounded by mines.
Those churches and monasteries in Jerusalem lost during the past include the Monastery of Al-adas (Lentils) in Bab Hutta, next to Herod's Gate in the Old City; Monastery of St. Thomas near Jaffa Gate which is now used by the Al-Deisi family; the Church of St. Peter, now the Al-Malawiyah Mosque; the Church of Mary Kar'a whose exact site is in the new Jewish Quarter; the Church of St. Thomas, located next to the Armenian Convent, is now in ruins; the Church of Albashoura next to Suk Al Husor in the Old City was converted into a cafe. Manuscripts in St. Mark's Convent also refer to Syrian Orthodox Churches in Gaza, Akka (Acre) and Jericho, but these were lost for various reasons.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Syrian Orthodox Church is indigenous to this land. It began in Jerusalem. The congregation, however, is not affiliated to a special homeland or political dogma. While Syrian Orthodox
are true to spiritual dogma and beliefs, they do not claim any homeland. They are loyal to the land where they reside, mainly in the Middle East. The liturgy, rites and rituals are ancient, while the church continues to use Syriac (Aramaic), the language of Jesus Christ. This oriental church believes in one nature of Jesus Christ, the nature of God, that contains both the divine and human. It is a
miaphysite church like its sister churches: Coptic, Armenian and Abysinian (Ethiopian). The priest of the church does not wear the crown during religious ceremonies, for the Syrian Church believes that only God, the King of the World, wears the spiritual crown.
References:
1) The Syrian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land, Jacob Koriah, St. Mark's Convent, Jerusalem, 1976.
2) St. Mark's Convent, various ancient manuscripts.
3) St. Mark's Convent, current files and documents.
Jack Khazmo, editor and publisher of the weekly magazine, Al-Bayader Al-Siyasi, is chair of St. Mark's Syriac Welfare association and a member of St. Mark's
Committee
(This article was originally published in http://www.sabeel.org in 1997 and
is republished with permission)
