Pytabian Church of the West
 Pytabian Church of the West ܥܕܬܐ ܕܩܥܒܪܒܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ | |
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| Abbreviation | PCW |
| Orientation | Pytabian Christian |
| Theology | Nestorianism |
| Catholicos-Patriarch | Aba XI |
| Region | Eastern Terranihil (Alaia) |
| Language | Pytabian |
| Liturgy | West Syriac Rite |
| Headquarters | Mestaga, Terranihil |
| Origin | 410 Mestaga, Kagoria |
| Separated from | Catholic Church (431) |
| Separations | Pytabian Catholic Church of the West (1245) |
| Members | 7,700,000 (2021) |
The Pytabian Church of the West (Pytabian: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܩܥܒܪܒܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ), sometimes called the Church of the West, is a Nestorian Christian church that belongs to the western rite of Pytabian Christianity. Its liturgical language is Pytabian, a dialect of Aramaic. The majority of its adherents are ethnic Arameans, though there is a significant Kavardan population.
The Pytabian Church of the West is headquarted in Mestaga, Terranihil. Its Catholicos-Patriarch is currently Aba XI. The church is not in communion with the Catholic Church or the Miaphysite Orthodox Churches. The Pytabian Catholic Church of the West split off from the church and rejoined communion with the Catholic Church in 1245 but was defunct by the 18th century.
History
Christianity originated directly south of Alaia, in the Romanyan province of Judea, among Aramaic-speaking Jews. It quickly spread along the Caelean coast to other Aramaic speakers. Christianity became especially common among Pytabian Arameans. They were the natives of the region of Pytabia in southern Alaia who spoke the Pytabian dialect of Aramaic. According to tradition, Pytabian Christianity was founded there by Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century CE.
The Pytabian Church of the West officially organized itself in 410 in Mestaga, Kagoria. The Church of the West shared communion with the Romanyan Church until the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Church of the West sided with Nestorius and broke away from the Romanyan Church. The Nestorian churches were persecuted and many followers fled to Kagoria. Most Kagorians practiced the native Kavardan religion of Habzism, while the ruling class practiced Judaism. Kagoria tolerated minority religious groups and the Kagorian Christian community grew.
