Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is a title used by the head/regional head bishop of any of certain Eastern churches. The word is a transliteration of the Greek Καθολικος, meaning universal or general. This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, Russia, Armenia, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... Transliteration is the practice of transcribing a word or text written in one writing system into another writing system. ...

Origin of the title

The title rose sometime after the establishment of the five ancient Patriarchs (of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem). It first seems to have been applied to the churches east of the Roman Empire in the Persian, where it is believed to be in the succession of Apostle Thomas. According to Bar Hebraeus Apostle Thomas is the first in the succession in the East. However the historical evidences point to the fact that the office of the Catholicos of the East was founded in the early 5th century when the Persian Church declared its autonomy. Thus the Catholicos of the East became the head of the Persian church. For other senses, see Patriarch (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope of Rome... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, ranking as the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox communion. ... It has been suggested that Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church be merged into this article or section. ... Patriarch of Antioch is the traditional title carried by the Bishop of Antioch. ... The term Patriarch of Jerusalem can refer to the holders of one of three offices: The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is one of the Roman Catholic patriarchs of the east The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is one of nine highest-ranking Eastern Orthodox bishops, called patriarchs The Armenian... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and beyond in Western Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. ... This article describes different viewpoints about the history and tradition associated with the ecclesiastical position called Catholicos of the East, a title used by Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches to denote the head of a Church or a dignitary of the highest order. ... This article describes different viewpoints about the history and tradition associated with the ecclesiastical position called Catholicos of the East, a title used by Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches to denote the head of a Church or a dignitary of the highest order. ...

The area of influence of a catholicos is a catholicate. Some are listed below.

Catholicates of the Assyrian Church

Towards the end of the 5th century a Christology based on the teachings of Nestor split the Persian Church with one section forming an autocephalous Catholicate of the East (which later came to be known as Patriarchate) and another section retaining its ancient ties with the Patriarchate of Antioch. The Church organised under the autocepahlous Catholicate came to be known as Assyrian Church with its flock mainly in Iraq and diaspora. At present there are two Catholicates or Patriarchates in the Assyrian Church of the East.

Catholicate/Maphryonite of the Syriac Church

The historic office of the canonical Catholicate of the East Syrian Orthodox Church within the Antiochean Patriarchate came to be later known as Maphryono (Anglicized as Maphrian; meaning Fructifier) in Syriac after the division in the Church of the East due to Nestorian schism. Historically, the Maphryono ranks second in hierarchy of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church after the Patriarch of Antioch. At least seven of the Maphryonos have later been elevated as the Supreme head of the Syrian Church in the Apostolic See of St. Peter as the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. This historic office of 'Maphryono' came to an end in a council of all the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitans presided over by the then Patriarch of Antioch and all the East in 1861. In 1912 when a dispute erupted in the Indian church, one section of the Church in India declared the revival of this office and thus starts the new history of the Catholicate in India. By the middle of the 20th century both the Orthoodox Churches in India have separate Catholicates with one section declaring itself as autocepahlous while the other remaining under the Syriac Orthodox. The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... The Syriac word Maphryānā, rendered as mafriano, also Anglicized as Maphrian, literally signifying one who bears fruit, i. ... Syriac ( Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ...

Catholicates of the Armenian, Georgian, and Albanian Orthodox Churches

Likewise, the heads of other major churches outside of the Roman Empire also bore the title Catholicos. The title is used in the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches. His Holiness, the Catholicos of All Armenians presides over the Supreme Spiritual Council (the Armenian Church's governing college of bishops), and is the head of the world's 7 million Armenian Apostolic Christians. It is also used in the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, whose head carries the title Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and in the Armenian Catholic Church (in communion with Rome), whose head carries the title Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia. Historically, the title was also used by the chief bishop of Caucasian Albania. Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... Official standard of Karekin II Catholicos of Armenia The Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian: Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի), sometimes called the Armenian Orthodox Church or the Gregorian Church, is the worlds oldest national church and one of the most ancient Christian communities. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... The Armenian Apostolic Church, sometimes incorrectly called the Armenian Orthodox Church is the worlds oldest national church and one of the original churches, having been founded in 301. ... The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church (Saqartvelos Samotsiqulo Avtokepaluri Martlmadidebeli Eklesia in Georgian language) is one of the worlds most ancient Christian Churches, founded in the 1st century by the Apostle Andrew. ... His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia is the head of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. ... After the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the rest of Oriental Orthodoxy, formally broke off communion from the Chalcedonian churches, numerous Armenian bishops made attempts to restore communion with the Catholic Church (Rome). ... This is a list of The Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia. ... Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Caucasian Albania (or Aghbania) was an ancient kingdom that covered what is now southern Dagestan and most of present-day Azerbaijan. ...

Catholicates of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church

H.H. Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Didymus I is currently the legal and canonical Catholicose of the East and Malankara Metropolitan (supported by the Supreme Court of India) of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church. The Catholicos presides over the Holy Episcopal Synod (the college of bishops) and is vested with the prime jurisdiction regarding the temporal, ecclesiastical and spiritual administration of the Indian Orthodox church. The Malankara Orthodox Church holds the view that it was the pre-Nestorian Catholicate, with its autocephalous rank, that was revived in the East for the Orthodox in the 6th century by Mar Yakub Burdana and relocated to India in 1912. Church's tradition holds that it was a part of the ancient succession in the East which begins with Apostle Thomas. The Indian Orthodox Church (also known as the Malankara Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the East, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East) is a prominent member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family in Christianity, founded by St. ...

Catholicate of the Syriac (Jacobite) Orthodox Church

H.B. Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I is presently the canonical Catholicos & the head of the Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite) Christains in India. The Catholicos Baselios Thomas I is also the Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syriac Christian Association, a representative body of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. H.B. presides over the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Universal Syrian Church in India. The Catholicos of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, who is also sometimes referred as Maphryono, ranks second to the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East in hierarchy of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Image:Catholicos Baselius Thomas I . ... His Beatitude Catholicos Baselios Thomas I is Maphriyono/Catholicos of Syriac Orthodox church and the regional head of Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. ... The Syriac word Maphryānā, rendered as mafriano, also Anglicized as Maphrian, literally signifying one who bears fruit, i. ...

Catholicate of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

The title of Catholicos has been taken by other sects of Syriac Churches in India as well. The head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, is often styled Catholicos, but is now legally a Major Archbishop. Its current leader is Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is a Major Archepiscopal sui iuris Eastern Rite Roman Catholic Church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, with historical links to the Syrian Catholic Church. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, a major archbishop is an Eastern Rite hierarch who has the same jurisdiction in his sui juris particular church that an Eastern rite patriarch does, but whose episcopal see is less prestigious than a patriarchal see. ...

See also

• Catholicate
• Catholicos of Armenia
• List of Catholicoi of Armenia
• Catholicos of the East
• List of Catholicoi of the East and Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church

His Holiness, the Catholicos of Armenia and of All Armenians (plural Catholicoi, due to its Greek origin) is the head bishop of Armenias dominant church, the Armenian Apostolic Church. ... This is a list of Catholicoi of Armenia: head bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. ... This article describes different viewpoints about the history and tradition associated with the ecclesiastical position called Catholicos of the East, a title used by Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches to denote the head of a Church or a dignitary of the highest order. ... The local heads of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church is officially titled the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan. ...

External links

• Catholicoses/Maphyonos of the East of the Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite) Church