The Chaldean Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Tehran () is an Archeparchy (Eastern Archdiocese) of the Chaldean Catholic church (

Syro-Oriental Rite The East Syriac Rite, or East Syrian Rite (also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite), is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturg ...

) in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, with its archiepiscopal see, St. Joseph's Cathedral, in the national capital

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. Despite its Metropolitan rank, it has no

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

History

The archeparchy was established in 1853 in the city of

Sanandaj Sanandaj (; ) is a city in the Central District of Sanandaj County, in the Kurdistan province of Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. With a population of 414,069, it is the second largest Kurdish city a ...

(Sehna, Sinna),

for the Iranian Christians in and around

Senaya Senaya or Sanandaj Christian Neo-Aramaic is a dialect of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic originally spoken by Christians in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province in Iran. Most speakers now live in California, United States and few families still live in Tehr ...

, on territory split off from the Metropolitan Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Kirkuk (in

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan () refers to the Kurds, Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan in West Asia, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdist ...

). In 1944, the archdiocese moved its headquarters to

, the capital of

. On 3 January 1966, it lost territory to establish the non-Metropolitan

Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Ahvaz The Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Ahvaz (or Ahwaz)(informally called Ahvaz of the Chaldeans) is a non-Metropolitan archeparchy (Eastern Catholic archdiocese) of the particular Chaldean Catholic Church ''sui iuris'' (Syro-Oriental Rite in Syriac ...

, also in Iran. The Assyrian community of Sanandaj gradually migrated to Tehran from 1960 to 1968, lived in the same district of Agha Zaman (now Namak), and frequently visits Sanandaj as their birthplace. There are still some Assyrian houses from the early 1900s intact and in use today. It enjoyed a papal visit from

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

in November 1970. On 16 March 1971, the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Sehna was renamed the Archdiocese of Tehran.catholic-hierarchy.org
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Metropolitan Archeparchs (archbishops)

; ''Metropolitan Archeparchs of Sehna (Sanandaj, Sinna) * Girolamo Shimun Kashat † (ordained Bishop on 7 September 1857) * Youhanna Nissan† (12 May 1914 – 20 April 1937) * Abraham Elias, C.M. † (appointed 6 September 1938 – died 15 February 1940) * Yosep Sheikho † (appointed 22 May 1944 – retired 7 Mar 1970) * Zaia Datchou (between 1960 and 1970s) ; ''Metropolitan Archbishops of Tehran'' * Youhanna Semaan Issayi † (succeeded 7 Mar 1970 – died 7 Feb 1999) *

Ramzi Garmou Ramzi Garmou (born in Zakho, Iraq on 5 February 1945), was the Assyro-Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Tehran on the Assyro- Chaldean Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tehran. Garmou was consecrated a priest on 13 January 1977 and joined the Epar ...

(succeeded 7 Feb 1999 – ), also Patriarchal Administrator of

Ahvaz of the Chaldeans Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to Persians, Arabs and other groups such as Qashqai and Kurds. Languages spoke ...

(Iran) and

Apostolic Visitor In the Catholic Church, an apostolic visitor (or ''Apostolic Visitator''; Italian: Visitatore apostolico) is a papal representative with a transient mission to perform a canonical visitation of relatively short duration. The visitor is deputed ...

of the

Chaldean Catholics The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic particular church ('' sui iuris'') in full communion with the Holy See and the rest of the Catholic Church, and is headed by the Chaldean Patriarchate. Employing in its liturgy the East Syri ...

in Europe (where they have no proper ordinary).

Diocesan properties

* Mart Maryam Church, located in the Aqa Zaman district (turned into historical building) * Sharif Abad Garden (Amiryeh Park) located at Abidar mountain * Public Bath located in the Aqa Zaman district (now Namak district) The Pahlavi School, built in 1916 in the Aqa Zaman district, is no longer there as it has been destroyed for a main street in recent development.

References

External links

* http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/tehr0.htm

Source and External links

GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tehran, Metropolitan Archeparchy Chaldean Catholic dioceses Eastern Catholicism in Iran Religious organizations established in 1853 1850s establishments in Iran 1853 establishments in Asia Assyrians in Iran