This is the first of the Apostolic Churches of the East, prior to the disputes that led to the convocation of the Council of Ephesus.
Following a little of the history of this Church, we know that the region between the two great rivers Tigris and Euphrates, also called Mesopotamia, is the geographical area in which this Church, known as Assyrian, was born and developed. Later it was established in Turkestan, China and India. Because of its great missionary activity, the Nestorian Church may be described as a missionary Church and a mother Church that brought numerous peoples to the Christian faith.
In its time some important cities stood out, such as Edessa, Nisibis and Seleucia-Ctesiphon, true theological and cultural centers where most of the leaders of society and of the Church were formed.
According to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, tradition attributes the evangelization of these territories to the Apostle Saint Thomas on his evangelizing journey toward India. Another tradition presents Addai or Thaddeus, one of the seventy-two disciples of the Lord, and Mari as having been sent by Saint Thomas himself to evangelize the territories of Assyria, Persia and Media.
It is called Nestorian because it follows the doctrine of Nestorius. He was a monk of Antioch, where he learned theological science, and was raised to the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the year 428. He affirmed the existence of two natures and two persons in Christ, a doctrine condemned at the Council of Ephesus (431).
A decisive event and a key date mark this Church: the Synod of Seleucia in the year 486, when they formally adopted the Nestorian doctrine as their own.
At the end of the eighth century it began to develop a great literary activity. This period constitutes the golden age of the literature of the Nestorian Church. It is also in this period that it reached its greatest expansion, between the eighth and thirteenth centuries.
Until the twelfth century, the Nestorian Church had many faithful and bishops. From that century onward its influence gradually lost intensity; this occurred especially in the fourteenth century because of the various persecutions they suffered at the hands of Mongols, Kurds, Turks and Persians.
Characteristics of the Nestorian Church:
– In their ecclesiology they admit the primacy of the Roman Pontiff among all the Patriarchs and that this primacy comes from Peter. They do not admit, however, that this primacy is one of universal jurisdiction over all the faithful. They explicitly accept only the Council of Nicaea; but, in keeping with their principles, they implicitly accept the Council of Constantinople. They explicitly reject the Council of Ephesus and the following councils.
– The highest authority is called Catholicos; he always bears the name Simon and has the title of Patriarch. Although he is celibate, the title and hierarchy are transmitted hereditarily among his relatives, a fact that has caused real problems within the Assyrian Church itself. His dignity symbolizes that of the Patriarch-head of the Nestorian nation, and its members are called Assyrians.
The members of this Church today scarcely exceed one hundred thousand, and they are found chiefly in northern Iraq, among the Malabars of India, and in America. Since the middle of this century, the Patriarch has resided in Chicago.
– Nestorian theology does not properly have a sacramental theology. Their concept of the sacraments is as follows:
Baptism is conferred with a long ceremony similar to the Mass and is administered by triple immersion. Together with baptism, the priest confers the sacrament of Confirmation on the baptized person.
As for the Eucharist, they believe in the real presence of Christ and that it is effected by the epiclesis, but following their erroneous principle that there are in him two natures and two persons. They give communion under both species.
The sacrament of Penance exists only for apostates, but confession is not required of them. Nevertheless, in the ancient liturgical books there is a formula of absolution, with all the requirements for conferring this sacrament.
They do not have the sacrament of Extreme Unction, although there is a custom of anointing the sick with oil, together with the priest’s prayer for them.
As for Holy Orders, like all the Eastern Churches they have five orders: priesthood (episcopate), presbyterate, diaconate, subdiaconate and lectorate.
The secular clergy, though not religious, may be married, and they consider Matrimony a true sacrament, but admit that it is dissoluble in case of adultery.
– The Nestorians say nothing about the Immaculate Conception or original sin. They reject Purgatory, although they pray for the dead, believing in the postponement of the reward until the last judgment.
Chaldean Church:
A part of the historic Nestorian Church accepted communion with Rome beginning in the sixteenth century, although attempts at rapprochement go back many centuries earlier. This small Uniate portion is known by the name of the Chaldean Church. That is why there are faithful of the Chaldean rite in the Church.
In 1681 the East Syriac Church was raised to the rank of a Patriarchal Church. The patriarch currently resides in the city of Baghdad.
The number of its faithful is about three hundred thousand, and they are established in different countries: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and the USA.
Rapprochements between the Assyrian Church and the Catholic Church
In November 1994, His Holiness John Paul II signed a Christological Declaration with the Assyrian Patriarch of the East, His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, in which the same faith in Jesus Christ is proclaimed.
Recently there was another decisive step toward unity when both Churches offered their faithful the possibility, in certain cases, of access to the Eucharist. It is established that “when necessity requires, Assyrian faithful may participate in a Chaldean celebration of the Holy Eucharist and receive Holy Communion.” In the same way, Chaldean faithful (that is, those in full communion with Rome) “for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, may participate in an Assyrian celebration” and receive the Eucharist.
These guidelines constitute a notable step forward in ecumenical relations. The measure, however, as the communiqué issued yesterday indicates, “is not to be equated with full Eucharistic communion,” although it is a true advance “towards that blessed day when it will be possible to celebrate the Holy Eucharist together in peace.”
Source: El Teólogo Responde
