✝️The Holy See of Antioch

The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is held to be the first church of Christianity, established by the Apostle St. Peter in 37 AD, who thereby became the first Bishop of Antioch. From that founding moment, an unbroken chain of apostolic succession has extended across twenty centuries to the present day — a living testimony to the faithfulness of God and the endurance of the ancient Syriac Christian heritage.

The head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II Karim, who resides in Damascus, the capital of Syria. The Church has about 26 archdioceses and 21 Patriarchal Vicariates, with an estimated eight million members globally.

Traditionally, the list of the Patriarchs of Antioch has been inscribed in a spiral form on the Patriarchal Throne at Dayro d-Mor Hananyo (Deir az-Za'faran), the ancient monastery near Mardin in present-day Turkey that served for centuries as the Patriarchal seat. As is not uncommon with historical accounts, sources for the chronological list of Patriarchs differ on exact dates, particularly for the earlier centuries.

Primary Sources for this Chronological List:
  1. History of Syriac Literature and Sciences, Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem I Barsoum; Presseggiata Press, 2000.
  2. Article by H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem Barsoum I, published in the Patriarchal Journal, Damascus, vol. 17 September 1982, pp. 8–14.
  3. Syriac Church of Antioch's History, Part 2, by H.E. Severius Yacoub Touma (The Patriarch); Beirut, 1957, p. 337.
  4. Suriyani Sabha Charithram Viswasa Sathyangalum, by Very Rev. Dr. Kurian Kaniamparambil Corepiscopa, 1982.
  5. Ecclesiastical History of the Patriarchs, by H.E. Metropolitan Y. Dolabani; Netherlands, 1990.
Canonical Patriarch
Non-canonical / Interregnum / Rival claimant
Current Patriarch
Showing all 123 Patriarchs

📜Chronological List of Patriarchs

I. The Apostolic & Early Patristic Era (37–323 AD)

# Name Tenure
1 St. Peter the Apostle 37 – 67
2 St. Evodius 67 – 68
3 St. Ignatius I Nurono (the Illuminator) 68 – 107
4 St. Heron 107 – 127
5 St. Cornelius 127 – 154
6 St. Heros 154 – 169
7 St. Theophilos 169 – 182
8 St. Maximos I 182 – 191
9 St. Serapion 191 – 211
10 St. Ascelpiadis the Confessor 211 – 220
11 Philitus 220 – 231
12 Zbina 231 – 237
13 St. Babylas the Martyr 237 – 251
14 Fabius 251 – 254
15 St. Demetrianos 254 – 260
16 Paul I of Samosate 260 – 268 (d. 272)
17 Domnus I 268 – 273
18 Timaeus 273 – 282
19 Cyril I 283 – 303
20 Tyrannos 304 – 314
21 Vitalis 314 – 320
22 St. Philogonus 320 – 323
23 Paulinos of Tyre 323 – 324
24 St. Eustatheos 324 – 337

Arian Occupation of the See (331–360)

Following the exile of St. Eustatheos, the Arians seized control of the See of Antioch and appointed a series of non-canonical occupants. These are not reckoned among the legitimate Patriarchs in the Syriac Orthodox tradition.

# Name Tenure
— Eulalius 331 – 333
— Euphornius 333 – 334
— Philaclus 334 – 342
— Stephanos 342 – 344
— Leontius 344 – 357
— Eudoxius 358 – 359
— Euzoios 360

II. Post-Nicene to Pre-Chalcedonian Era (360–512 AD)

# Name Tenure
25 Meletius 360 – 381
26 St. Flavian I 381 – 404
27 Porphyros 404 – 412
28 Alexander 412 – 417
29 Theodotos 417 – 428
30 John I 428 – 442
31 Domnus II 442 – 449
32 Maximos II 449 – 455

Chalcedonian Occupation (456–482)

After Maximos II abdicated, the Chalcedonians seized control of the See of Antioch and appointed their own occupants. The legitimate Patriarch Peter II (Qassar) was exiled in 471; the Chalcedonian line runs parallel until Peter II's restoration in 482.

# Name Tenure
33 Martoros 459 – 468
34 Peter II (Qassar) [first tenure; exiled 471] 468 – 471
— Julian (Chalcedonian) 471 – 476
— John II (Orthodox, irregular) cannot be reckoned as legal patriarch while Peter II lived 476 – 478
— Stephanus II (Chalcedonian) 478 – 481
— Callandion (Chalcedonian) 481 – 482
34 Peter II the Fuller (Qassar) [restored from exile] 482 – 488
35 Palladius 488 – 498
36 Flavian II 498 – 512

III. St. Severus the Great and the Chalcedonian Schism (512–544)

The tenure of Mor Severus the Great (512–538) marks the decisive separation of the Syriac Orthodox Church from the Chalcedonian communion. Forced to flee to Egypt in 518 following the Chalcedonian reconquest, Mor Severus continued to exercise his Patriarchal authority in exile until his repose in 538. The See of Antioch was vacant from 538 to 544, the year in which Jacob Baradaeus (Yacoub Burdhono) consecrated Sergius of Tella as Patriarch, restoring the canonical succession.

# Name Tenure
37 St. Severus the Great 512 – 538
— Paul the Jew (Chalcedonian) 518 – 521
— Euphrosius (Chalcedonian) 521 – 528
— Ephrem of Amid (Chalcedonian) 528 – 546
38 Sargius of Tella [consecrated by Jacob Baradaeus] 544 – 546

IV. Early Medieval Era (550–817)

# Name Tenure
39 Paul II the Black of Alexandria [deposed 575 for joining Chalcedonians] 550 – 575
40 Peter III of Raqqa 581 – 591
41 Julian I 591 – 595
42 Athanasius I Gammolo 595 – 631
43 John II of the Sedre 631 – 648
44 Theodore 649 – 667
45 Severius II bar Masqeh 667 – 681
46 Athanasius II Baldoyo 683 – 686
47 Julian II 686 – 708
48 Elias I 709 – 723
49 Athanasius III 724 – 740
50 Iwannis I 740 – 754
— Iwannis Isaac [appointed at behest of Caliph] 754 – ?
— Athanasius al-Sandali [appointed at behest of Caliph] ? – 758
51 George I 758 – 790
52 Joseph 790 – 792
53 Kyriakos of Takrit 793 – 817

V. High Medieval Era (817–1166)

# Name Tenure
54 Dionysius I of Tell-Mahre 817 – 845
55 John III 846 – 873
— The See was vacant from 873 to 878.
56 Ignatius II 878 – 883
57 Theodosius Romanos of Takrit 887 – 896
58 Dionysius II 897 – 909
59 John IV Qurzahli 910 – 922
60 Baselius I 923 – 935
61 John V 936 – 953
62 Iwanis II 954 – 957
63 Dionysius III 958 – 961
64 Abraham I 962 – 963
65 John VI Srighta 965 – 985
66 Athanasius IV of Salah 986 – 1002
67 John VII bar ʿAbdun 1004 – 1033
68 Dionysius IV Yahya 1034 – 1044
— The Holy See was vacant due to internal conflicts for several years.
69 John VIII 1049 – 1057
70 Athanasius V 1058 – 1063
71 John IX bar Shushan 1063 – 1073
72 Baselius II 1074 – 1075
— John Abdun [self-appointed; deposed but continued causing trouble until 1091] 1075 – 1091
73 Dionysius V Lazaros 1077 – 1078
74 Iwanis III 1080 – 1082
75 Dionysius VI 1088 – 1090
76 Athanasius VI bar Khamoro 1091 – 1129
77 John X bar Mawdyono 1129 – 1137
78 Athanasius VII bar Qutreh 1138 – 1166

VI. The Era of Michael I Rabo and His Successors (1166–1421)

# Name Tenure
79 Michael I Rabo the Great 1166 – 1199
80 Athanasius VIII 1200 – 1207
81 John XI Yeshu the Writer 1208 – 1220
82 Ignatius III David 1222 – 1252
83 John XII bar Maʿdani 1252 – 1263
84 Ignatius IV Yeshu 1264 – 1282
85 Philoxenos I Nemrud 1283 – 1292
86 Michael II 1292 – 1312
87 Michael III Yeshu 1312 – 1349
88 Baselius III Gabriel 1349 – 1387
89 Philoxenos II the Writer 1387 – 1421

VII. Late Medieval & Early Ottoman Era (1421–1640)

# Name Tenure
90 Baselius IV Shemʿun of Beth Manʿem 1421 – 1444
91 Ignatius Behnam al-Hadli 1445 – 1454
92 Ignatius Khalaf 1455 – 1483
93 Ignatius John XIII (Mardin) 1483 – 1493
94 Ignatius Nuh of Lebanon (Ba Qufi) 1493 – 1509
95 Ignatius Yeshu I (Qilleth) 1509 – 1512
96 Ignatius Jacob I (Sawro) * 1512 – 1517
97 Ignatius David I (Maʿdan) 1517 – 1520
98 Ignatius Abdullah I Stephan (Qalʿat Mara) 1520 – 1557
99 Ignatius Niʿmet Allah I (Mardin) 1557 – 1576
100 Ignatius David II Shah (Mardin) 1576 – 1591
101 Ignatius Pilate I (Mansuriyeh) 1591 – 1597
102 Ignatius Hadayat Allah (Mardin) 1597 – 1639

VIII. Ottoman Period to the Present (1640–)

# Name Tenure
103 Ignatius Shemʿun I (Turabdin) 1640 – 1659
104 Ignatius Yeshu II Qamsheh (Amid-Diyar Bakir) 1659 – 1662
105 Ignatius Abdul Masih I (Urhoy-Edessa) 1662 – 1686
106 Ignatius George II (Mosul) 1687 – 1708
107 Ignatius Isaac ʿAzar (Mosul) 1709 – 1722
108 Ignatius Shukr Allah (Mardin) 1722 – 1745
109 Ignatius George III (Urhoy-Edessa) 1745 – 1768
110 Ignatius George IV (Mosul) 1768 – 1781
111 Ignatius Matthew (Mardin) 1782 – 1817
112 Ignatius Yunan (Mosul) 1817 – 1818
113 Ignatius George V (Aleppo) 1819 – 1837
114 Ignatius Elias II (Mosul) 1838 – 1847
115 Ignatius Jacob II (Qalʿat Mara) 1847 – 1871
116 Ignatius Peter IV (Mosul) 1872 – 1894
117 Ignatius Abdul Masih II (Qalʿat Mara) [deposed 1905] 1895 – 1905
118 Ignatius Abdeh d-Aloho II (Sadad) 1906 – 1915
119 Ignatius Elias III (Mardin) 1917 – 1932
120 Ignatius Afram I Barsoum (Mosul) 1933 – 1957
121 Ignatius Jacob III (Bartelleh) 1957 – 1980
122 Ignatius Zakka I Iwas (Mosul) 1980 – 2014
123 Ignatius Ephrem II Karim Current 2014 – present

☩The Apostolic Continuity

From the first century to the twenty-first, the Holy See of Antioch has maintained its apostolic succession through persecution, exile, schism, conquest, and martyrdom. The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch holds with firm faith that this chain of consecration, reaching back to the Apostle Peter himself, constitutes the living bond between the early Church of the New Testament and the faithful of today.

This apostolic legacy extends globally, most notably encompassing the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church in Malankara (India). Tracing its roots to the missionary labors of the Apostle St. Thomas, the Malankara Church has for centuries maintained an indissoluble spiritual and canonical bond with the Patriarchal See of Antioch, looking to the successor of St. Peter as its supreme spiritual head.

Each Patriarch in this succession assumed the name Ignatius in honor of the martyr St. Ignatius I Nurono — the third Patriarch of Antioch and one of the Apostolic Fathers — a tradition that has been maintained without interruption since the medieval period. This practice is itself a liturgical and theological statement: every Patriarch stands in the same office, bears the same witness, and is accountable to the same Lord.

His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II Karim, the 123rd successor of St. Peter in the See of Antioch, continues to shepherd the global community — from the ancient lands of the Middle East to the vibrant archdioceses of India and the worldwide diaspora — guiding the faithful amid the enduring challenges and triumphs of the twenty-first century.