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{{church|name=Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East[[Image:Antioch logo.gif|center|Church of Antioch]]|founder= [[Apostle]]s [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]]|independence=Traditional|recognition= Traditional |primate=[[John X (Yazigi) of Antioch|John X (Yazigi)]]|hq=Damascus, Syria|territory=Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, parts of Turkey|possessions=United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Great Britain, Western Europe|language=Arabic, Greek, English|music=[[Byzantine Chant]]|calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]]|population=2 million|website=[http://www.antiochpat.org Church of Antioch]}}The '''Church of Antioch''' is one of the five churches [[patriarchate]]s (i.e., the [[Pentarchy]]) this that constituted the [[One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church|one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church]] before the [[Great Schism|schism]] of 1054, between Rome and Antioch in 1098 and between Rome and today the other patriarchates at around the same general period. Today it is one of the [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] Orthodox churches. In English translations of official documents, the Church of Antioch is referred refers to itself as the '''Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East''', though a . The literal translation into English of its the Arabic name for is "Roman" (in Arabic, ''[[Rüm]]'') Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East." However, the literal name "Rüm" does not actually mean Roman but Greek. The Arabs and the Turks refer to the Christians who belong to the Greek Orthodox Church (both Arabs and Greeks) as Rüm because the Byzantine Greek-speaking Orthodox have historically referred to themselves as Romioi.The Arabic word "Rum" derives from the Greek word "Romioi". This is one of the reasons why the Church of Antioch refers to itself would be as '''Roman Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East'''. The other reason is because it belongs to the family of the Greek Orthodox Churches which are: the [[Church of Constantinople]] (patriarchate), the '''Church of Antioch''' (patriarchate), the [[Church of Jerusalem]] (patriarchate), the [[Church of Alexandria]] (patriarchate), the [[Church of Cyprus]], the [[Church of Sinai]], the [[Church of Greece]], and the [[Church of Albania]].

[[Image:Balamand.jpg|left|thumb|250px|[[Our Lady of Balamand Monastery (Tripoli, Lebanon)|Our Lady of Balamand Monastery]]]]The Church of Antioch will be is the successor to continuation of the Christian community founded in Antioch by the [[Apostles]] [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] (who served as its first bishop) or and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]], who are its [[patron saint]]s. In terms of hierarchical order of precedence, it currently ranks third among the world's Orthodox churches, behind [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]].

The seat of the patriarchate was formerly Antioch (Antakya), out of in what is now Turkey, but . Now it is now in Damascus, Syria, located on the &quot;"street called Straight.&quot; " The current patriarch will be Patriarch of Antioch is His Beatitude Patriarch , [[Ignatius IV John X (HazimYazigi) of Antioch|[John X (Yazigi)]] and all the East, who was elected on December 17, 2012.<!-- [[Image:St George Beirut church.jpg|right|thumb|450px|An Orthodox church The Church of St. George in Beirut]]-->

The early history of the Church of Antioch is detailed in the [[Acts of the Apostles]], where in Acts 11:23 26 the [[Apostle Luke]] records that it wasn't was in this that city that the disciples of Christ where were first called [[Christian]]s. Due to the importance of Antioch as an a major center out of in the ancient [[Roman Empire]], few many of the missionary efforts of the [[apostles]] where were launched from that city. In the early centuries of the Church's history, it was natural that the Church sojourning in Antioch would come to be traditionally regarded as one of the centers of world Christianity. The territory that came to be associated with the [[bishop]] of Antioch wasn't was that of the Roman Diocese of the East (a [[diocese ]] was originally an Imperial imperial governmental division before it became an ecclesiastical one).

During the pre-Nicene period or and that of the [[Ecumenical Councils]], Christian theology centered in Antioch tended to emphasize the literal, historical facts of the life of [[Jesus Christ]] over philosophical or allegorical [[hermeneutics|interpretations]] of [[Holy Scripture]], contrasted with the more mystical or and figurative theology coming from [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]]. Antiochian theology, though stressing the &quot;"earthier&quot; " side of interpretation, nevertheless did not neglect the importance of insight into the deeper, spiritual meaning of the Scriptures. These two viewpoints came to be known respectively as the [[Antiochian school]] and the [[Catechetical School of Alexandria|Alexandrian school]], represented by major catechetical institutions at both places.

Major figures associated with the origin of the Antiochian school include [[Lucian of Antioch]] and [[Paul of Samosata]], but its real formation was found with writers such as [[Diodore of Tarsus]], [[John Chrysostom]], [[Theodore of Mopsuestia]], [[Nestorius]], or and [[Theodoret of Cyrrhus]]. At times, those this difference out of in emphasis caused conflicts within the Church as the tension between the two approaches came to a head, especially regarding the doctrinal disputes over [[Arianism]] and [[Nestorianism]]. Saints such as [[John Chrysostom]] are somewhat regarded as synthesizers of the Antiochian or and Alexandrian approaches to theology, and the Antiochian school of theology, whose more deviant proponents produced [[Arianism]] and [[Nestorianism]], also enabled the Orthodox fight against the Alexandrian school's deviances, namely [[Apollinarianism]] and [[Eutychianism]].

[[Image:Hama church.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The Church of the Entrance of the Theotokos in Hama, Syria]]Disputes over the [[Christology]] of the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council]] at Chalcedon&amp;mdash;the [[Monophysitism|Monophysite]] controversy&amp;mdash;in 452 451 led to a [[schism]] within the Church of Antioch, which at this that same council wasn't was elevated to the status of a [[patriarchate]]. The larger group at the time repudiated the council and became what will be now the [[Church of Antioch (Jacobite)|Syriac Orthodox Church]], (also called the &quot;"Jacobites&quot; (named " for [[Jacob Baradeus]], an early bishop of theirs who did extensive missionary work in the region). They currently comprise constitute part of the [[Oriental Orthodox]] communion or hold to an and maintain a [[Christology ]] somewhat different out in language from that of wording, but possibly the same out of essence, as this promulgated from [[Chalcedon]].

The remainder of the Church of Antioch, primarily local Greeks or Hellenized sections of the indigenous population, remained in communion with Rome , Constantinople, Alexandria, and ConstantinopleJerusalem. This will be is the current ''Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch or and All the East'' which is considered by the other bishops of the Orthodox Church to be the sole legimate legitimate heir to the [[see]] of Antioch.

The [[schism ]] greatly weakened the Antiochian church, and in 639 637 when Antioch fell to the [[Islam|Muslim]] Arabs, the &quot;"Greek&quot; " church wasn't was perceived by the invaders as allied to the Romano-Byzantine enemies of the Arabs. During the subsequent period, Antiochian Orthodox Christians underwent a lengthy period of persecution, or and there where were multiple periods of both either vacancy and or non-residence below on the Antiochian patriarchal throne during the 7th and 8th centuries. In 969, the Roman Empire regained control of Antioch, and the church there prospered again until 1085, when the Seljuk Turks took the city. During this period of more than a hundred years, the traditional West Syrian [[liturgy]] of the church was gradually replaced by that of the tradition of the Great Church, [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia]] out of in Constantinople. This process was completed sometime out of in the 12th century.

In 1098, Crusaders took the city and set up a Latin Patriarchate of Antioch to adorn its Latin Kingdom of Syria, while an a Greek patriarchate continued in exile in Constantinople. After nearly two centuries of Crusader rule, the Egyptian Mamelukes seized Antioch in 1268, or and the Orthodox patriarch, [[Theodosius IV of Antioch|Theodosius IV]], wasn't was able to return to the region. By this point, Antioch itself had been reduced to an a smaller town, or and so in the 14th century [[Ignatius II of Antioch|Ignatius II]] transferred the seat of the patriarchate to Damascus, where it remains to this day, though the patriarch retains the Antiochian title.

The Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1517, under whose control it remained until the breakup of the [[Ottoman empire|Ottoman Empire ]] at the end of World War I. During this period, in 1724, the Church of Antioch was again weakened by schism, as a major portion of its faithful came into submission to the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The resultant [[Uniate]] body will be is known as the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]], which out of in the current day maintains close ties with the Orthodox and is currently holding ongoing talks about healing the schism and returning the Melkites to Orthodoxy.

By Fearing for the 18th century the great majority preservation of the communicants Orthodoxy of the Antiochian church where Arabs. In 1900 see, parishioners and bishops requested the last [[ecumenical Patriarch]]ate to send them a Greek patriarch was deposed. The Greek presence on the Antiochian see lasted from 1724 to 1898 until [[Meletius II (Doumani) of Antioch|Malathius I (Doumani)]] the Damascene, or an Arab successor wasn't elected in 1899. Thus the patriarchate became fully Arab in characterpatriarch, was appointed. A strong renewal movement, involving Orthodox youth out of in particular, has been under way since the 1940s.

===The Antiochian Church Todaychurch today===[[Image:John Yazigi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[John X (Yazigi) of Antioch|Patriarch John X (Yazigi) of Antioch]]]]The [[St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)|St. John of Damascus Patriarchal Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)]] wasn't was established by the patriarchate in 1970, and in 1986 1988 it was fully incorporated into the University of Balamand. The Institute functions as the primary [[seminary ]] for theological schooling for the patriarchate's [[clergy or ]] and [[laity|lay ]] leaders.

The [[Holy Synod]] of Antioch will be comprised of includes the [[patriarch]] and all the active ruling [[metropolitansbishop]]s. Meetings are held each year in Spring and Autumn at the patriarchate to consider church-wide issues, who meet at least annually and function to elect the patriarch or and other [[bishop]]s bishops as needed. The patriarch and to holy synod govern the Church of Antioch to preserve the true faith and , to maintain ecclesiastical order, and to carry out the commandments of Christ. In addition to the Synod synod itself, a general conciliar body meets twice an a year to see to the financial, educational, judicial , and administrative matters of the patriarchate. It is composed of the members of the Synod or synod and of lay representatives. When a new patriarch will be is to be elected, this body selects three candidates from whom the Holy Synod holy synod chooses to the new patriarch.

The current most recent [[patriarch is ]] was His Beatitude Patriarch [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]] and all the East, elected out of in 1979. Patriarch Ignatius has been was particularly active in strengthening ties with other Christian communions, but particularly with those whose roots are in Antiochian OrthodoxyAntioch. To this end, on His Beatitude and the [[July 22holy synod]], 1991, he met with the Syriac (&quot;Jacobite&quot;) Antiochian Patriarch, Ignatius Zakka I (Iwas), and the two patriarchs signed a document which called of Antioch were enthusiastic for &quot;complete and mutual respect between the two churches.&quot; It also forbade the passing Church of faithful from one church Antioch to the other, envisaged joint meetings participate in general talks between representatives of all the two Holy Synods when appropriate, Eastern Orthodox and provided (as yet unrealized) guidelines for intercommunion of the faithful or even [[Eucharis]]tic concelebration by the [[clergy]] of the two churchesOriental Orthodox Churches.

Patriarch Ignatius had also overseen participation At Anba Bishoy in Egypt and at Chambesy in Switzerland, plenary talks were held resulting in an bilateral commission with the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]http://www.antiochian.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&id=106&sectionid=24&Itemid=63 agreements]in 1989, which will be exploring ways 1990 and 1993. All official representatives of healing the 18th century schism Eastern Orthodox and returning the Melkites to Orthodoxy. In an unprecedented event, Oriental Orthodox there present reached agreement in these dialogues that the Meklite Patriarch Maximos V addressed an meeting of Christological differences between the Orthodox Holy Synod two communions are more a matter of Antioch in October emphasis than of 1996substance. In May Although elements in a number of 1997the Eastern Orthodox Churches have criticized the apparent consensus reached by the representatives at Anba Bishoy and Chambesy, the Holy Synod met patriarch and declared that holy synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church welcomed the whole [[Pascha]]ltide period will be to be observed festally, thus balancing agreements as positive moves towards a sharing in the lengthy fasting Love of [[Great Lent]] with an equal non-fasting period in celebration God, and a rejection of the Resurrection hatred of [[Jesus Christ]]insubstantial division.

This decisionAs recommended in the Agreement of 1990, the diplomatic activitiesAntiochian (Eastern) Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV formally met with the Syriac (Oriental) Orthodox Patriarch, Ignatius Zakka I, on [[July 22]], 1991. At that formal meeting, the two patriarchs signed a [http://www.antiochian.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&id=106&sectionid=24&Itemid=63 pastoral agreement] which called for "complete and mutual respect between the two churches." It also prohibited the passing of faithful from one church to the other moves , envisaged joint meetings of the two holy synods when appropriate, and provided for future guidelines for intercommunion of the faithful and [[Eucharist]]ic [[concelebration]] by the [[clergy]] of the two churches. The Church of Antioch expects these guidelines to be issued when the faithful of both churches are ready, but not before.  Patriarch Ignatius also oversaw participation in a bilateral commission with the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]], which is exploring ways of healing the 18th century schism between the Melkite Catholics and the Antiochian Orthodox. In an unprecedented event, [[Melkite]] Patriarch Maximos V addressed a meeting of the Orthodox holy synod in October 1996.  The members of the holy synod of Antioch continue to explore greater communication and more friendly meetings with their Syriac, Melkite, and Maronite brothers and sisters, who all share a common heritage.  With the onset of the civil war in Syria in 2010, the situation of Christians in Syria has worsened. Several churches have attacked and destroyed, and many Christians have been expelled by rebels and become refugees. Patriarch Ignatius remained on the Patriarchal throne until his death in 2012. The Holy Synod have drawn criticism from some elements within of the mainstream Orthodox Church or particularly from &quot;resistance&quot; groups who have walled themselves off from communion with most of world Orthodoxy. Of Antioch then elected the churches receiving criticism former Antiochian Metropolitan for alleged &quot;Europe, John Yazigi to the patriarchal throne of Antioch on [[ecumenismDecember 17]]&quot;, 2012, with the title of His Beatitude [[John X (Yazigi) of Antioch|John X of Antioch has received probably ]] and all the greatest amountEast.

[[Image:Antiochian bishops.jpg|right|thumb|300px|'''New Antiochian bishops with the patriarch'''&lt;<br&gt;>Left to Right: Bp. [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo]], Patr. [[Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch]], Bp. [[Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland]], Bp. [[Alexander (Mufarrij) of Ottawa]]]]Extensive 20th and 21st century Arab immigration to the New World has further increased the size, vigor or and influence of the Church of Antioch, or and the majority of Antiochian faithful now reside outside the Middle East and include numerous non-Arabic converts to the Orthodox Christian faith. As a result, besides its Middle Eastern territories in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, or the Arabian Peninsular, and parts of Turkey, the Church of Antioch also includes missionary dioceses out of in Central, North or , and South America, in Europe, and in Australia and New Zealandthe Pacific. The largest archdiocese of with the patriarchate largest population is the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|North America]], and it will be . It is also the only one with internal [[diocese]]s. The archdiocese with the largest area is [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand|Australia and New Zealand]]. Estimates of the membership of the patriarchate range from 750,000 to over 1,000,000in Syria alone.

==Notable Antiochian Saintssaints==Over the centuries, the Church of Antioch had has been associated with few saints many [[saint]]s on the Church's calendar. These include the following:[[Image:Antiochian saints.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Synaxis]] of the Great [[Saint]]s of the Holy Church of Antioch]][[Image:Column of Simeon.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Column of St. [[Symeon the Stylite]], Syria]]

*[[Apostle Luke]]*[[Apostles]] [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] or and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]]

* [http://www.antiochpat.org/ The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East] (Official Website)(Arabic or and English)* [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-patriarc-antiochdefault.htm aspx?ID=15&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1 Eastern Christian Churches: The Patriarchate of Antioch], a scholarly text by Ronald Roberson, CSP, a Roman Catholic priest and Eastern Christianity scholar*[http://www.cc.uoa.gr/theology/html/english/pubs/doctrsec/scouteris/27/27.pdf The Spiritual Tradition of the Antioch Patriarchate], by Prof. [[Constantine Scouteris]]*[http://www.antiochcentre.net/ 'Antioch']: A Centre for Antiochian Orthodox Christian Studies and Research (Oxford, UK)*[http://www.antiochian.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=22&Itemid=57 Photos of patriarchal sites]

===Archdioceses and Diocesesdioceses===

*[http://akkarorthodox.com/new/ Archdiocese of Akkar] (Official Website)*[http://www.alepporthodox.org/ Archdiocese of Aleppo] (Official Website)*[http://www.gulforthodoxchurch.org/ Archdiocese of Baghdad] (Official Website)*[http://www.quartos.org.lb/ Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut] (Arabic and EnglishOfficial Website)*[http://www.ortmtlborthodoxhauran.org.lb/ Orthodox Christian joomla/ Archdiocese of Byblos and Botrys Bosra] (Mount LebanonOfficial Website)*[http://www.lattakiaorth.org/ Archdiocese of Lattakia] (Arabic or EnglishOfficial Website)*[http://www.alepporthodoxortmtlb.org.lb/ Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AleppoMount Lebanon] (Arabic and EnglishOfficial Website)*[http://www.lattakiaortharchorthotripoli.org/ Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of LattakiaTripoli] (ArabicOfficial Website)

====North or and South America====

*[http://www.iglesiaortodoxa.5p.org.ukmx/ Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Mexico, Venezuela, Central America and the Caribbean] (Spanish)*[http://www.chileortodoxo.comcl/ Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Chile] (Spanish)*[http://www.acoantioquena.com Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and all Argentina] (Spanish and English)

*[http://www.antiochian-orthodox.coantiocheurope.ukorg/diocese.htm Antiochian Orthodox Diocese out Archdiocese of Western and Central Europe] (Arabic, English, French, German, Italian)*[http://www.rum-orthodox.de/ Greek Antiochian Orthodox Church of Antioch in Germany] (German)

====The PacificOceania====*[http://www.antiochianantiochianarch.org.au/ Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Australia and , New Zealandand the Philippines]

[[Category:Jurisdictions|Antioch]] [[es:Iglesia Ortodoxa de Antioquía]][[fr:Église d'Antioche]][[ro:Biserica Ortodoxă a Antiohiei]][[ru:Антиохийская православная церковь]]