During the 2000 years of Christianity, Assyrians have suffered not only because of persecutions by their non-Christian neighbors, but also because of disputes within their own churches. Such frictions in many ways have been more destructive because they disunited Assyrians into alienated and disconnected factions. Alienation between these divided communities squandered precious resources which if used collectively could have fostered self sufficiency, growth, prosperity, and would have contributed to the long term survival of their common culture.
The first division happened in mid fifth century AD caused by a theological disagreement about the nature of Jesus Christ which separated the Assyrian Church of the East from the Syrian orthodox church. The second happened in mid 16th century when another dispute resulted in splintering the church in two branches. The original church of the East and the Chaldean Church. This is a brief history of how the Chaldean Church came into existence and the division of the Assyrian nation.
When Shimun Bar Mama Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East died in 1552 his nephew Shimun Dinkha claimed the right to succeed his uncle as it had become a custom since 15th century. A group of bishops who were against the hereditary system of succession met in Mosul and elected as their leader John Sulaga the head of the Rabban Hormuzd monastery located some thirty miles north of Nineveh. With the help of the Franciscans, arrangement were made for Sulaga to visit Rome and make a profession of Catholic faith.
The Chaldean Church leaders with the help of the Catholic Church and its allies were able to bring the majority of the Assyrian population into the newly formed denomination. It is safe to say that all adherents to the Chaldean Church are converts from the "Assyrian Church of the East" which proves the Assyrian ethnicity of the chaldean church and its members.
A full scale assault against the Assyrian Church of the East was even carried to India among the Christians of Mallabar. Assyrian Missionaries had carried Christianity to the Mallabar province in India since fourth century A.D. Some Assyrian migration to this region had also taken place in that century. These Christians commonly know as Syrian Christians considered the Assyrian Church of the East as their source of religious inspiration and its Patriarch as their spiritual leader. In early 16th century when Portuguese military officials came into contact with them by brute force and treachery they managed to bring this church under the Pope's control.
Finally on Nov. 9th, 1994, by signing a Common Christological Declaration, acrimonious differences between the Catholic church and the Assyrian Church of the East were resolved.
Realizing the futility of discord and divisions among the Syrian Speaking churches Pope John Paul II has taken active interest in cultivating friendly discourse between them. Consequently on Friday, November 29,1996 the patriarchs of the Church of the East and the Chaldean church met to discuss the prospects of unity between the two churches. A joint committee was established to formulate ways to accomplish several joint projects. This indeed is a good news for all concerned but using the term Chaldean as an ethnic identity rather than a religious denomination will continue to divide the Chaldean church members from their Assyrian compatriots.
A short while ago the Chaldean publication "Almuntanda" quoted Bishop Mar Ibrahim as having said that the Chaldean leadership is working on collecting 100,000 signatures to convince the United States census to count members of the Chaldean communities as a separate ethnic group. Such a decision is contrary to the spirit of the intended unity between the two Assyrian churches. It will continue the estrangement of the Assyrians and the Chaldean communities. This may even be unconstitutional because of the constitutional principal mandating separation of Church and State. Given such tactics every religious denomination can qualify as a separate ethnic minority in addition of being a religious denomination.
Advocating a separate national identity for the members of the Chaldean church has had tragic consequences for the members of this church and other Assyrians during the last four and a half centuries. Scarce resources which could have been used to empower their people, culture, language were wasted on religious conflicts. Today both Assyrians and their Chaldean compatriots find themselves driven out of their traditional villages and towns which once served to protect them and their culture from assimilation. Their disunity doubtless played a considerable role in rendering them weak and unable to withstand the atrocities of their common foes. Their divided identity undermines their future survival. Uniting the two factions around one national identity, which has always been Assyrian, will promote cooperation in solving countless problems which threaten their mutual existence.