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Welcome to Saint Basil’s Syrian Orthodox Church
Welcome to the Homepage of the Saint Basil’s Syriac Orthodox Church Cleveland. The faith of the Syriac Orthodox Church is in accordance with the Nicene Creed. It believes in the Trinity, that is one God, subsisting in three separate persons called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three being of one Essence, of one Godhead, have one Will, one Work and one Lordship. The special aspect of the First Person is His Fatherhood, that of the Second Person His Sonship, and that of the Third Person His Procession.
Exploring Our History and Beliefs
Few Christian denominations can claim the antiquity of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, whose foundations can be traced back to the very dawn of Christianity. The Church justifiably prides itself as being one of the earliest established apostolic Churches. It was in Antioch, after all, that the followers of Jesus were called Christians as we are told in the New Testament, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26).
According to ecclesiastical tradition, the Church of Antioch is the second established Church in Christendom after Jerusalem, and the prominence of its Apostolic See is well documented. In his Chronicon (I, 2), the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea tells us that St. Peter the Apostle established a bishopric in Antioch and became its first bishop. He also tells us that St. Peter was succeeded by Evodius. In another historical work, Historia Ecclesiastica, Eusebius tells us that Ignatius the Illuminator, “a name of note to most men, [was] the second after Peter to the bishopric of Antioch” (III, 36).
In the mid of the 5th century, the Bishop of Antioch, and his counterparts in Alexandria, Byzantium and Rome, would be called Patriarchs. The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch used to be known by his own name; however, since 1293 the patriarchs of Antioch adopted the name Ignatius, after the Illuminator. The See of Antioch continues to flourish till our day, with His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, being the 123rd in the line of legitimate patriarchs.
Church Hierarchy
The Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. He also presides over the Holy Synod, the assembly of all Bishops of the Church.
The local head of the Church in Malankara (India) is the Catholicose of India. The Catholicose is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch and is accountable to the Patriarch, the Holy Synod and the local Malankara Synod. He is consecrated by the Patriarch and presides over the local Holy Synod in India.
The local head of every archdiocese is an Archbishop. He is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch and is accountable to the Holy Synod. The Archbishop is ordained by the Patriarch and at least two Bishops. Some Archdioceses are ‘Patriarchal Vicarates’; the Patriarchal Vicar, regardless of ecclesiastical office, is accountable directly to the Patriarch. The Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America is a Patriarcal Vicarate directly under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch and All The East. The Archdiocese is under the spiritual care of Archbishop His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho who is the Patriarchal Vicar.
Each parish is assigned a vicar. He is under the direct jurisdiction of his Archbishop and is directly accountable to him. The parish is run by a board of trustees (or a committee) which is elected by the parishioners and approved by the Archbishop.
Deacons assist the Archbishop or Priest in the administration of the liturgy.
There are three ranks of priesthood in the Syriac Orthodox Church:
Episcopate: Within it there are the ranks of Patriarch, Catholicose, Archbishop, and Bishop.
Vicarate: Within it there are the ranks of Chor-episcopos and Priest or qasheesho.
Deaconate: Within it there are the ranks of Archdeacon, Evangelical-Deacon (M’shamshono), Subdeacon (Apodyaqno), Reader (Qoruyo) and Singer (Mzamrono).