The Chaldean Rite: What Is It?

The Chaldean rite is a liturgical practice system associated with the Assyrian Church of the East (Nestorian Church) and the Roman Catholic patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans. It is practiced by the Church of the East and its modern descendants, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East. The Chaldean Rite, also known as the Chaldean, Assyrian, or Persian Rite, is part of Syriac Christianity and is used by the Nestorians and Eastern Catholic bodies in Syria.

The Chaldean Rite is the oldest of all the Eastern Rites within the Catholic Church, both chronologically and in the form of its liturgy. It is based on the Syriac Christian culture of Edessa and gained its present basic structure in the 7th century. Chaldean Catholics, also known as Chaldeans, Chaldo-Assyrians, or Assyro-Chaldeans, are an ethnoreligious group of Assyrians who practice the Chaldean Rite.

The Chaldean Catholic Church, one of the 23 Eastern Rites within the Catholic Church, is prevalent in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon. It has been united with the Roman Catholic Church since 1830 and intermittently from 1551. The Chaldean Rite is also known as the Chaldean, Assyrian, or Persian Rite.

The Chaldean Rite is also used by the Nestorians and Eastern Catholic bodies in Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, and other regions. Chaldeans are Aramaic-speaking, Eastern Rite Catholics with a history that spans over 5,500 years, dating back to Mesopotamia, which was known as the “Eastern Church”.

What race are Chaldeans?

Chaldeans are not Arabs, as their language is a dialect of Aramaic, not Arabic. They share some traditions with Arabs but their language, culture, and history make them distinct. Many Chaldeans identify as Catholic Iraqis or “Middle Eastern”, which is geographic rather than cultural. Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syriacs have roots in the same region but are religiously distinct, with Syriac being a language that evolved from Aramaic but not Chaldean.

Assyrians and Syriacs, Orthodox Christians, do not follow the pope, while Chaldean Catholics do. Chaldeans are concerned about the survival of their identity, religion, language, and culture, and are working to preserve their identity within other cultures. Some worry that marriage to non-Chaldeans will dilute them. In 2017, Chaldean Catholic bishops urged their people, particularly those who had left Iraq, to persevere and hold onto their Chaldean faith and identity.

Can Chaldean Catholic priests marry?

The Chaldean Church permits its priests to marry and have children. David Nas, for example, has three children. He does not espouse an anti-celibacy stance; rather, he believes that the contemporary cohort of bishops and church leaders are contemplating this option as well. David’s son has expressed interest in becoming a priest and believes that celibacy will eventually become an option within the Church.

Who do Chaldeans worship?

The Mesopotamian pantheon constituted the dominant religious tradition in Chaldea, with major deities such as Marduk, regarded as the progenitor of the divine realm, and Nebo, the god of writing and human destiny. Prior to the establishment of the Chaldean Empire, Marduk was a local deity of limited significance within the city of Babylon.

Is chaldean Catholic the same as Catholic?

Chaldeans, a group with a history dating back over 5, 500 years, are united with the Roman Catholic Church but have separate Bishops and a Patriarch overseeing the Chaldean Catholic Church. Syria is the second largest Chaldean/Assyrian/Syriac population globally, with 1. 6 million Christians. Many are Iraqi expatriates who fled the ongoing unrest in Syria. An estimated 500, 000 Chaldeans/Assyrians reside in the United States, particularly in Arizona, California, and Illinois.

The population is growing due to a constant influx of Christian refugees fleeing Iraq due to religious persecution. Chaldeans began immigrating to the Metropolitan Detroit area in the 1920s for better economic, religious, and political opportunities. Today, nearly two-thirds of Chaldean households own one business, and 39 own two or more. Metro Detroit has the world’s largest population outside Iraq, with an estimated 187, 000 people. The Chaldean community is driven by faith and close-knit family ties, with 10 Chaldean Catholic Churches in Metro-Detroit.

What does the Chaldean Church believe?

The Chaldean Catholic Church is a Christian denomination in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. It is rooted in Saint Thomas and is an Eastern Rite church, with its rites and bishops originating from the Church of the East.

Do Chaldeans drink alcohol?

Islam prohibits the production, transport, and consumption of alcohol, whereas Chaldean Christianity does not. However, unlike Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Chaldeans do not include alcohol in the Eucharist.

Do Chaldean Catholic priests marry?

The Chaldean Church permits its priests to marry and have children. David Nas, for example, has three children. He does not espouse an anti-celibacy stance; rather, he believes that the contemporary cohort of bishops and church leaders are contemplating this option as well. David’s son has expressed interest in becoming a priest and believes that celibacy will eventually become an option within the Church.

Do chaldeans marry their cousins?

Marriage in the Chaldean Church requires a dispensation for first cousins, who must legally marry in a state that allows consanguinity. The Marriage Preparatory Program is designed to help couples become the best versions of themselves, guiding them through marriage preparation classes mandated by the diocese through the Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center (ECRC). A declaration of nullity, or an ecclesiastical annulment, is a formal decision by a Catholic tribunal that a marriage is not valid due to defects in consent or ability. At least one party must be a baptized Chaldean Catholic in good standing, and a dispensation is required for a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic.

Who are the modern day Chaldeans?

The modern Chaldeans, an Aramaic-speaking Catholic Syriac community from northern Iraq, were first identified as ‘Chaldean’ by the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century. This misnomer persisted and developed into a distinctive identity. In modern times, the demands of assimilation in the US and increased hostility and sectarian violence in Iraq have led to a complex and transnational identity. The Chaldeans have emphasized a Christian identity and appropriated the ancient, pre-Islamic history of their namesake as a means of distinction between them and other immigrants from Arab lands.

Yasmeen Hanoosh’s ethnographic history of the modern Chaldeans explores these ancient-modern inflections in contemporary identity discourses, the use of history as a collective commodity for developing and sustaining a positive community image, and the use of language revival and monumental symbolism to reclaim association with Christian and pre-Christian traditions.