Babai (Nestorian Patriarch)

For other uses, see Babai (disambiguation).

Babai, also Babaeus, was Patriarch of the Church of the East (the Persian Church), from 497 – 503. Under his leadership, the Persian Church became increasingly aligned with the Nestorian movement, declared heretical in the Roman Empire.

Babai was also known as patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. When he became patriarch, he was married. With the permission of King Djamasp, Babai was allowed to call a synod (council) in 497/499, at which clerical celibacy was abolished, permitting priests and even bishops to marry. Babai died during the reign of King Kobad, during a time while Kobad was at war with the Byzantine Empire.

References

• Stewart, John (1961) [1928]. Nestorian missoniary enterprise: The story of a church on fire. India: Mar Narsai Press. 
• Wigram, W. A. (2004). An introduction to the history of the Assyrian Church, or, The Church of the Sassanid Persian Empire, 100–640 A.D. Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-103-7. 
• Till Engelmann, "Monastisch geprägter Theologe oder theologisch gebildeter Mönch? Das Zentrum der Theologie Babais des Großen," in Dmitrij Bumazhnov u. Hans R. Seeliger (hg.) Syrien im 1.-7. Jahrhundert nach Christus. Akten der 1. Tübinger Tagung zum Christlichen Orient (15.-16. Juni 2007) (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2011) (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum / Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity, 62),

Preceded by Acacius (485–496)

Catholicus-Patriarch of the East 497–503

Succeeded by Shila (503–523)