Editor and text by Michele Piccirillo ofm (SBF)
Syrians The Syrians consider themselves direct heirs of the primitive community of Jerusalem, the first ‘Christians’, as the first followers of Jesus the Christ were called in Antioch the Syrian capital. This is related in the Acts of the Apostles. The Syrians use Syriac in their liturgy, a language which is related to Aramaic, spoken in Syria-Palestine at the time of Jesus. The head of the church still carries the title Patriarch of Antioch and all of the East. The Patriarchs precede their own name with Ignatius in honour of the bishop martyr Saint Ignatius, successor to the Apostle Peter as bishop of Antioch. The Syrian community in Jerusalem live in Saint Mark’s monastery, traditionally indicated as the house of Mary mother of John Mark. There the Apostle Peter went to when he was miraculously freed from prison, as related in the Acts of the Apostles (12, 3-17). At the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Syrians pray in the chapel facing what is known as the tomb of Joseph from Arimathea. |
Syrian's procession |
Syriac liturgy |
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Syriac monastery of St. Mark |
Syrian's procession at Holy Sepulchre |
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Coptics or Egyptians The Coptics or Egyptians these are the Christians from the church of Egypt where the Gospel was readily welcomed in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria as well as in the towns and villages of the interior along the river Nile. Tradition is unanimous in saying that Egypt received the Christian message directly from Mark the Evangelist a disciple of Peter the Apostle. The study of the Scriptures lead to the setting up of the Catechetic School of Alexandria as early as the end of the second century. The school was enlightened by great thinkers who rendered a precious service to the whole church. The same love for the Word of Jesus was at the origin of the monastic movement for which the church is indebted to the Egyptian Christian community. Lead by the Patriarch or Pope of Alexandria and encouraged by the monks, the community has survived centuries of persecution. In Jerusalem, the community lives in the Monastery of Saint Anthony, behind the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Within the basilica, they look after the small chapel set against the edicule of the Tomb. |
Copts in procession at Holy Sepulchre |
Coptic liturgy |
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Coptic Liturgy |
Coptic liturgy |
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Coptic liturgy |
Coptic monastery of St. Anthony |
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Coptic procession at Holy Sepulchre |
Coptic monk |
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Ethiopians
The Ethiopian Christians date back their origins to the conversion of queen Candace’s minister, evangelized and baptized by the deacon Philip, as related in the Acts of the Apostles (8, 27-40). Rufino the historian relates that at the beginning of the IV century two Syrian monks Frumenzio and Adesio, on their return from a voyage in the Indies, fell capture to pirates who sold them to the king of Aksum. There they preached and set up a Christian community. Frumenzio was ordained as their bishop by Saint Atanasius Patriarch of Alexandria. Local tradition still remembers the arrival, in the V century, of nine Syrian monks (“the nine saints”). The Ethiopians are indebted to these monks both for the translation of the New Testament into Gheez, the ancient language of the country as well as for a massive evangelisation. The liturgy influenced by the Syrian and Coptic tradition preserves its own African characteristic with rhythmic songs and dances accompanied by musical percussion instruments. Saint Jerome wrote, “Every day we receive a good number of monks coming from India, Persia and Ethiopia”. Both the historical sources and pilgrims note the presence of these Ethiopian monks in the monasteries of Palestine. |
Ethiopian procession |
Ethiopian convent |
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Ethiopian liturgical codex |
Ethiopian faithful |
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Ethiopian liturgy |
Ethiopian procession |
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