Oriental Orthodoxy in Guatemala

Oriental Orthodoxy in Guatemala refers to adherents of Oriental Orthodox Christianity in Guatemala. Most of the Oriental Orthodox Christians in Guatemala are ethnic Mayans, who are under ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.
History.
Emergence of Oriental Orthodoxy in Guatemala was closely related to the process of canonical revival within particular Christian communities. By 2012, first contacts were initiated between the "Renewed Ecumenical Catholic Church of Guatemala" ("", ICERGUA) and representatives of Syriac Orthodox Church in North America, and within a year full communion was achieved. Leaders of ICERGUA accepted theological positions of Oriental Orthodox Christianity, and ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Antioch. Conversion process was particularly successful among indigenous Maya in Guatemala.
This revival movement was led by Eduardo Aguirre-Oestmann, a former priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guatemala. In 2003, Aguirre formed as a charismatic independent catholic church. In 2006, Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Guatemala, excommunicated Aguirre and adherents of his group. They were excommunicated for schism, and Aguirre also for distancing himself "from the communion and the norms of his priesthood" by founding the "" in 2003. In 2007, Aguirre was consecrated as bishop of by a bishop of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church at the parish church in San Juan Comalapa. was a member of the Worldwide Communion of Catholic Apostolic Churches.
When was collectively received into Syriac Orthodox Church in 2012-2013, it was reorganized as the "Central American Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch" ("", ICASOAC). As of 2015, has not published membership figures but includes a 2009 estimate of membership on its website, which gives figures between 50,000 and 350,000. The Syriac Orthodox Church has announced that membership may be as high as 800,000.