Chaldean Christians
 Chaldean Catholics from Mardin, 19th century. |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Iraq |
550,000 |
 Syria |
40,000 |
 Iran |
20,000 |
 Turkey |
8,000 |
| Religions | |
| Syriac Christianity (in union with Rome) | |
| Scriptures | |
| The Bible | |
| Languages | |
| Chaldean Neo-Aramaic | |
Chaldean Christians (Neo-Aramaic: ܟܲܠܕܵܝܹ̈ܐ (
/kʌldaieɪ/), are ethnic Assyrian adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church, most of whom converted to Catholicism from the Church of the East in the 17th and 18th centuries.[1] In addition to their homeland, migrant Chaldean catholic communities are found in the United States, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada and Australia.[2]
Geographically, the Chaldeans originate from central Assyria, the Nineveh plains[verification needed], where the ruins of the ancient Assyrian capitals of Nineveh and Nimrud are located.[3]
Chaldean Christians shouldn't be confused with the Christians of St. Thomas of India (also called the Chaldean Syrian Church), who are also sometimes known as "Chaldean Christians" but are ethnically Nasrani (speakers of Malayalam).
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[edit] Chaldeans in Iraq and Turkey
The 1896 Statistics of the Chaldean Catholics[4] counted 233 parishes and 177 churches or chapels. The Chaldean Catholic Clergy numbered 248 priests; they were assisted by the religious of the Congregation of St. Hormizd (Rabban-Hormizd) who numbered about one hundred. There were about 52 Chaldean schools (not counting those conducted by Latin nuns and missionaries). At Mosul there was a patriarchal seminary, distinct from the Chaldean seminary directed by the Dominicans. The total number of the Chaldean Christians is nearly 1.4 million, 78,000 of whom are in the Diocese of Mosul.
The patriarch considers Baghdad as the principal city of his see. His title of "Patriarch of Babylon" results from the identification of Baghdad with ancient Babylon (Baghdad is 55 miles north of the ancient city of Babylon and corresponds to northern Babylonia). However, the Chaldean patriarch resides habitually at Mosul and reserves for himself the direct administration of this diocese and that of Baghdad. There are five archbishops (resident respectively at Basra, Diyarbakır, Kirkuk, Salmas and Urmia) and seven bishops. Eight patriarchal vicars govern the small Chaldean communities dispersed throughout Turkey and Persia. The Chaldean clergy, especially the monks of Rabban-Hormizd, have established some missionary stations in the mountain districts inhabited by Nestorians. Three dioceses are in Persia, the others in Turkey.
The liturgical language of the Chaldean Church are Chaldean Neo-Aramaic. The liturgy of the Chaldean Church is written in Syriac.
The literary revival in the early 20th century was mostly due to the Lazarist, Pere Bedjan, a Persian Chaldean catholic, who devoted much industry and learning to popularizing among his people, including Catholics, Orthodox Christians and the Assyrian Church, their ancient chronicles, the lives of Assyrian saints and martyrs, even works of the ancient Assyrian doctors.[5]
In mid-March 2008, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Paulos Faraj Rahho was found dead, having been kidnapped two weeks earlier. Pope Benedict XVI condemned his death, by saying it was an act of inhuman violence. Sunni and Shia Muslims also expressed their condemnation.[6]
Chaldean catholics today number approximately 550,000 of Iraq's estimated 800,000 Assyrian Christians.[1] Perhaps the best known Iraqi Chaldean catholic is former Iraqi deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz (real name Michael Youhanna).[1]
[edit] Predominantly Chaldean catholic towns in Iraq
- Alqosh (ܐܠܩܘܫ)
- Amedi (ܥܡܝܕܝܐ)
- Ankawa (ܥܢܟܒ݂ܐ)
- Araden (ܐܪܕܢ)
- Baqofah (ܒܝܬ ܩܘܦ̮ܐ)
- Batnaya (ܒܛܢܝܐ)
- Duhok (ܢܘܗܕܪܐ)
- Karamles (ܟܪܡܠܫ)
- Shaqlawa(ܫܩܠܒ݂ܐ)
- Tel Isqof (ܬܠܐ ܙܩܝܦ̮ܐ)
- Tel Keppe (ܬܠ ܟܦܐ)
- Zakho (ܙܐܟ݂ܘ)
[edit] See also
- Emmanuel III Delly
- East Syrian Rite
- West Syrian Rite
- List of Chaldean villages
- Assyrian people
- Chaldean
[edit] References
- ^ a b c BBC NEWS (March 13, 2008). "Who are the Chaldean Christians?". BBC NEWS. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7271828.stm. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
- ^ Edmund Ghareeb, Beth Dougherty (2004). Historical Dictionary of Iraq. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810843301. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uIyjeUAR5zYC.
- ^ "ASSYRIAN IDENTITY IN ANCIENT TIMES AND TODAY". http://www.aina.org/articles/assyrianidentity.pdf. "...many modern Assyrians originating from central Assyria now identify with "Chaldeans"..."
- ^ by Mgr. George 'Abdisho' Khayyath to the Abbé Chabot (Revue de l'Orient Chrétien, I, no. 4)
- ^ "New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia". http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03559a.htm.
- ^ "Iraqi archbishop death condemned". BBC News. 2008-03-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7295672.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-31. from BBC News
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
[edit] External links
- Chaldean Catholic Church Mass Times and Catholic Resources
- http://www.chaldeannews.com
- http://www.chaldean.org
- http://www.kaldaya.net/
- http://www.ichaldean.com/
- http://www.kaldu.org/index.htm
- The last Chaldean villages in Turkey
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