Out of Syria: Archbishop Cyril Karim

Cyril Karim is archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch for the Eastern United States of America, which is affiliated with the Syrian (Oriental) Orthodox Church of Syria. The Syrian Orthodox Church counts 32 parishes and 33,000 members in the United States. Born in Syria, Archbishop Karim studied in Egypt and Ireland. He is the author of a children’s book, In the Tree House. In New Jersey, where the archdiocese has its offices, he led protests against the possibility of an American military strike on Syria.

Tell us a bit about Syrian Christianity.

On my first visit to the United States, I was wearing my clerical robes and the man sitting next to me asked, “Are you a priest?” I said, “Yes, I am a priest in the Syrian Orthodox Church.” He said, “There are Christians in Syria?”