Part of a series on |
Eastern Christianity |
---|
The patriarch of the Church of the East (also known as patriarch of the East, patriarch of Babylon, the catholicose of the East or the grand metropolitan of the East)[1][2][3][4] is the patriarch, or leader and head bishop (sometimes referred to as Catholicos or universal leader) of the Church of the East.[2] The position dates to the early centuries of Christianity within the Sassanid Empire, and the Church has been known by a variety of names, including the Church of the East, Nestorian Church, the Persian Church, the Sassanid Church, or East Syrian.[5]
Catholicos–Patriarch of the Church of the East | |
---|---|
Holy See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon | |
Location | |
Country | Iraq |
Headquarters | Seleucia-Ctesiphon (410 – 775) Baghdad (775 - 1317)[6] |
Information | |
First holder | Thomas the Apostle (church tradition)[7] Papa bar Aggai (as bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon)[8] |
Denomination | Church of the East |
Rite | East Syriac Rite |
Cathedral | Church of Kokhe,[9][10] Veh-Ardashir[11] |
Language | Syriac |
Since 1552, rival patriarchal lines were established, traditionalist on one side and pro-Catholic on the other. In modern times, patriarchal succession is claimed from this office to the patriarchal offices of the successor churches: the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Ancient Church of the East.[12][13]
The head of the hierarchy of the Church of the East was the Catholicos-Patriarch of the East