Catholic Church in Syria

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The Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

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In 2020, there were 192,000 Catholics in Syria, approximately 1% of the total population. [1] The Catholics of Syria are members of several different Rite/language-specific Churches; mainly the Melkite, [2] but also including Armenian, Chaldean, Syriac, Maronite and in addition to the Latin Church - there are separate but overlapping jurisdictions for the faithful of each Church.

All these bishops are members of the 'national' Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in Syria and of the (vast) regional Episcopal Conference for Arab countries. The Eastern Catholic bishops also belong to the (international) synod of their patriarchate or other specific church.

Dioceses and Archdioceses

[3] [4]

Eastern Catholic particular Churches
Byzantine Rite
Antiochian Rites
Maronites (no Metropolitan)
Syriac (Syrian) Catholic
Armenian Rite (no Metropolitan)
Syro-Oriental Rite (no Archeparchy)
Latin Church

Cathedrals

Syrian popes

Seven popes from Syria ascended the papal throne, [6] [7] many of them lived in Italy, Pope Gregory III, [8] [9] was previously the last pope to have been born outside Europe until the election of Francis in 2013.

Numerical orderPontificatePortraitName
English · Regnal
Personal namePlace of birthNotes
133 – 64/67 Pope-peter pprubens.jpg St Peter
PETRUS
Simon Peter Bethsaida, Galilea , Roman Empire Saint Peter was from village of Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Roman Syria, Roman Empire (located in the modern Golan Heights)
11155 to 166 Papa Aniceto cropped.jpg St Anicetus
ANICETUS
Anicitus Emesa, SyriaTraditionally martyred; feast day 17 April
8212 July 685
– 2 August 686
(1 year+)
Ioannes V.png John V
Papa IOANNES Quintus
  Antioch, Syria 
8415 December 687
– 8 September 701
(3 year+)
Pope Sergius I.jpg St Sergius I
Papa Sergius
  Sicily, ItalySergius I was born in Sicily, but he was from Syrian parentage [10]
8715 January 708
to 4 February 708
(21 days)
Sisinnius.png Sisinnius
Papa SISINNIUS
 Syria 
8825 March 708
– 9 April 715
(7 years+)
Constantinus.png Constantine
Papa COSTANTINUSsiveCONSTANTINUS
 SyriaLast pope to visit Greece while in office, until John Paul II in 2001
9018 March 731
to 28 November 741
(10 years+)
Gregorius III.png St Gregory III
Papa GREGORIUS Tertius
 SyriaSon of a Syrian named John.

See also

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References

  1. Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  2. US State Dept 2022 report
  3. GCatholic.org: Catholic Dioceses in Syria
  4. Catholic-Hierarchy: Current Dioceses in Syria
  5. GCatholic.org: Cathedrals in Syria
  6. John Platts (1825). A new universal biography, containing interesting accounts. Printed for Sherwood, Jones, and co. p.  479.
  7. Archibald Bower, Samuel Hanson Cox (1845). The History of the Popes: From the Foundation of the See of Rome to A.D. 1758; with an Introd. and a Continuation to the Present Time, Volume 2. p. 14.
  8. John Platts (1825). A New Universal Biography: Forming the first volume of series. p. 483.
  9. Pierre Claude François Daunou (1838). The Power of the Popes. Tims. p.  352.
  10. "Saint Sergius I | Pope".