Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Holy See of Antioch
Incumbent: Ignatius Aphrem II
Location
Country	Syria
Headquarters	Damascus, Syria
Information
First holder	Peter the Apostle
Denomination	Oriental Orthodox Church
Rite	West Syriac Rite
Established	AD 32 at Antioch
Cathedral	Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint George
Language	Syriac
Patriarch	Ignatius Aphrem II (since 2014)

The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ is the Bishop of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church (Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ). He is the Head of the Holy Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and its highest authority.

The position of the Patriarch of Antioch was established and first held by Peter the Apostle (Syriac: ܫܹܡܥܘܿܢ ܟܹ݁ܐܦ݂ܵܐ Šemʿōn Kēp̄ā).^[1][2] He officially oversees the Holy Apostolic See at Antioch (modern-day Antakya, in Turkey), though the Patriarch currently resides in Damascus; the Patriarch fled to Syria during the 1915 Assyrian genocide.

The Patriarchate of Antioch is one of three Patriarchates of the Christian Church as affirmed by the Council of Nicaea, alongside the Patriarch of Alexandria and the Patriarch of Rome. He is the Bishop of Antioch, and considered as Primus Inter Pares or First Among the Equals/Bishops of the Diocese of the East.