Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Patriarch of Antioch ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ | |
|---|---|
| Syriac Orthodox Church | |
Coat of arms | |
| Incumbent: Ignatius Aphrem II (since 2014) | |
| Style | Moran Mor His Holiness the Patriarch |
| Location | |
| Country | Syria |
| Territory | Holy See of Antioch Syriac Orthodox Church |
| Residence | Mor Aphrem Monastery, Ma`arat Sayyidnaya |
| Headquarters | Bab Touma, Damascus, Syria |
| Information | |
| First holder | Saint Peter the Chief of Apostles |
| Denomination | Oriental Orthodox Church |
| Rite | Antiochian Rite |
| Established | AD 32 at Antioch |
| Cathedral | Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint George |
| Language | Classical Syriac |
The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (Syriac: ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ ܘܕܟܠܗ̇ ܡܕܢܚܐ Paṭriarḵo ḏ-Anṭiuḵia waḏ-kuloh madnho) is the Bishop of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church (Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ). He presides over the Holy Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church, which is its highest authority. The current Patriarch of Antioch is Ignatius Aphrem II, who was enthroned on 29 May 2014 as the 122nd Successor to Saint Peter.
The position of the Patriarch of Antioch was established and first held by Peter the Apostle (Syriac: ܫܹܡܥܘܿܢ ܟܹ݁ܐܦ݂ܵܐ Šemʿōn Kēp̄ā). He officially oversees the Holy Apostolic See at Antioch (modern-day Antakya, in Turkey), though the Patriarch currently resides in Damascus; the Patriarch fled to Syria during the 1915 Assyrian genocide.
The Patriarchate of Antioch is one of three Petrine Sees of the Christian Church as affirmed by the Council of Nicaea, alongside the Patriarch of Alexandria and the Patriarch of Rome. He is the Bishop of Antioch, and considered as Primus Inter Pares or First Among the Equals/Bishops of the Diocese of the East.