Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas

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His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas

Mor Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas ( Aramaic ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ, Arabic إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص Ighnatyus Zakka al-Auwal Iwas ; born as Sanharib Iwas (سنحريب عيواص, DMG Sanḥarib Iwas ,ܣܢܚܪܝܒ ܥܝܘܐܨ) on April 21, 1933 in Mosul , Kingdom of Iraq ; † March 21, 2014 in Kiel ) was the 122nd Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch . From 1980 until his death in 2014, he served a total of 33 years (12,241 days), longer than any other Antiochene patriarch.

Consecration

Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas first received the ordination as a psalm singer - this is the first stage as an altar boy in the Syrian Orthodox Church . On November 28, 1948 he was ordained as a lecturer in the St. Ephrem theology seminary in Mosul by Athanasius Thomas Qaṣir. On February 8, 1953, he was ordained as a subdeacon , also in the St. Ephrem theology seminary in Mosul by Gregorius Paulus Behnam. On June 6, 1954, he was consecrated as a monk , also in the St. Ephrem theology seminary in Mosul, the profession was made together with Ṣaliba Shamoun, who later became bishop (Gregorius Ṣaliba Shamoun) by Gregorius Paulus Behnam. Iwas was ordained a deacon in the St. Mary's Church of the Holy Belt , Homs , Syria on December 18, 1955 by Dionysus Gerges Behnam, on November 17, 1957 by the then Patriarch Ignatius Jacob III. ordained a priest. Finally, on November 17, 1963, Iwas received the ordination as bishop in St. George's Cathedral , Damascus , Syria by Ignatius Jacob III. Iwas had to give up the name Sanḥarib and instead took the name Severius. Most recently, Iwas was ordained patriarch on September 14, 1980 on the day of the Feast of the Cross , which happened in St. George's Cathedral , Damascus , Syria . With the consecration, Iwas had to give up the name Severius and since then bear the name Ignatius, which since the year 878 all patriarchs of the Syrian Orthodox Church assume; the election was unanimously on July 11, 1980

family

Sanḥarib Iwas was the fourth of six children of Bashir Iwas (father) and his wife Ḥasibe ´Aṭu (mother). Sanḥarib was born into a Syrian Orthodox religious family in Mosul. Originally his family did not come from Mosul , but from Jazira , Syria , from where his ancestors emigrated around 300 years ago. Some of his ancestors played important roles in society. His grandfather, for example, received an award from King Faisal I because he proved to be an excellent worker and was chief craftsman and state architect. His father, Bashir Iwas, who first graduated from Istanbul University , later became a professor at the local military engineering school. After a few years as a professor, he returned to Mosul, where he founded a woodworking factory. In 1943, when Sanarib was just ten years old, Bashir Iwas died of cardiac arrest. Two years later, in 1945, Sanarib's mother, Ḥasibe, also died when Sanḥarib was twelve years old. Bashir Iwas, his father, was very religious and always wanted one of his sons to become a priest.

education

The young Sanḥarib attended the primary schools of St. Maria and later that of St. Thomas , which were located in his hometown of Mosul. He was always a good student and always got good grades. After the death of his parents, the young Sanḥarib decided to move into the monastery, firstly to fulfill his own wish, which had existed since he was six years old, and secondly that of his father to have a son in the priesthood . Although he first heard discouragement in this regard from his family members, who were extremely worried about the young, orphaned Sanḥarib, as he was only unintentionally brought into this situation and could not really want monasticism , Sanḥarib decided to do so. So at the age of 13 he moved to the St. Ephrem theological seminary in Mosul and was henceforth called Zakka. There he studied and graduated in 1954 with a diploma. From 1955 to 1958 he studied journalism as a monk and also finished this course with a diploma and 97% of the achievable number of points. In 1960 he attended the General Theological Seminary in New York , where he studied oriental languages , philosophy and pastoral theology, graduating from the latter and improving his English skills.

Other things in his time as a monk

In 1955 he joined the Patriarchal Secretariat in Homs , Syria as Assistant Secretary . Later (in 1957) he returned to Mosul and taught Aramaic , Arabic and the Bible in the theological seminary of St. Ephrem . Due to the conviction of the Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem I Barsum of Zakka Iwas, he hired him first as deputy and later as main secretary. After the new Patriarch Ignatius Jakob III. When he took office, the monk Zakka Iwas continued to be the chief secretary of the Patriarch. He traveled a lot during his time as a monk. For example, he visited all the countries of the Orient and often America , with and without the patriarch's company . In 1962 and 1963 he was sent to the Vatican as an observer of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch in the two sessions of the Second Vatican Council . During the second session he was also called to serve the bishop .

Metropolitan

When he was ordained bishop of Mosul on November 17, 1963 by Moran Mor Ignatius Jacob III. he also took the name Severius (after Severus of Antioch ). As a metropolitan, he was particularly interested in organizing youth activities. His diocese prospered excellently. In 1964 he was the companion of the Patriarch Ignatius Jacob III. on his trip to India for the Universal Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church. He was also present when Ignatius Jacob III. consecrated the first Catholicos of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, Mor Baselius Augin I. From 1967 he was also responsible for the Diocese of Europe. In 1969 he was appointed Archbishop of Baghdad and Basra . At the time, he was considered the most prestigious bishop in the Middle East . He opened schools and churches and continued to be very proficient in youth activities. After the death of Mor Timothy Jakob, the diocese of the Mor Mattai monastery was also given to him. In 1978 the newly founded Diocese of Australia was entrusted to him. There he consecrated several churches and organized churches in Melbourne and Sydney , among others .

Discovery of the St. Thomas relic

During the renovation of the altar of the old St. Thomas Church in Mosul on September 1, 1964, Mor Severius Zakka Iwas discovered the remains of the Apostle Thomas . In his homily, when he visited India as Patriarch of Antioch in 1982, he said:

“When we think of St. Thomas, we are particularly delighted because we are very closely associated with St. Thomas. Although St. Thomas enjoyed his martyrdom here in India and was buried at Mylapore , we were the metropolitan of the Church that kept St. Thomas' holy relics for centuries. One day, by the grace of God, we were unexpectedly brought to re-unveil the sacred relics of St. Thomas to humanity. The present generation did not know where the holy relics of St. Thomas were kept. In 1964, however, according to God's will, we were able to discover the holy relics that were kept in the walls of the sanctuary of our St. Thomas Church, which is the cathedral of our Archdiocese of Mosul. "

Some of these relics were given to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church when Catholicos Mor Baselius Augin I visited the Patriarchate in Damascus in 1965 . In 1994, the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church was given another small part of the holy relic to be kept in the old St. Thomas Church in Mulanthuruthy . Three fathers of the Syrian Church who came from the Orient were buried in this church . In 1911 anointing oil was consecrated there by Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Abdallah . Two historical synods of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church were also held in this church, one in 1876 and one in 2004 under the auspices of the Patriarch of Antioch (!).

patriarch

Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas (right) with seminarian Sa'id Karim (left; later Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem II)

On July 11, 1980, the Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church elected Severius Zakka Iwas to succeed the late Patriarch Ignatius Jacob III. On September 14, 1980, Mor Severius was ordained as Ignatius Zakka I by the Indian Catholicos Mor Baselios Paulose II and the Archbishops of the Synod as the 122nd Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church on the chair of the Apostle Peter in Antioch. It was the first time in the Syriac Orthodox Church that the main celebrant of the consecration was an Indian. Ignatius Zakka I from then on bore the title of "Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East, head of the universal Syrian Orthodox Church" and resided in the Mor Ephrem seminary in Ma'arrat Saydnaya near Damascus. In his very first address after he became patriarch, he emphasized the need for a major seminary and center for the Church. This was a great dream for the new patriarch. After moving from the Zafaran Monastery in Turkey to Syria under the new circumstances, the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate lacked a real center. Ignatius Zakka I acquired a large piece of land about 20 miles from the Old City of Damascus, where he built a large seminary with facilities for theology students, accommodation for visitors, a residence for the patriarch, and much more. Although the Patriarchate still officially has its seat in the George Cathedral Damascus , Bab Tuma , Damascus, the Patriarch resides in the Mor Ephrem Seminary in Ma'arat Sayyidnaya , a suburb of Damascus.

As patriarch, Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas promoted a renewal of monasticism and intensified contacts with the Syrian Orthodox "Thomas Christians" in southern India. In Germany, the Patriarch was in 1993 for the inauguration of the Syrian Orthodox Church Mor Aho in Paderborn , in 1998 for the consecration of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Augsburg, in 2000 also for the consecration of the St. Jakob von Sarug Monastery in Warburg , 2001 for the consecration of the Mor Yuhanun da Kfone Church in Delmenhorst and most recently in December 2012, again in Warburg, for the inauguration of Philoxenos Matthias Nayis as the new Metropolitan and Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Germany. Because of the civil war in Syria , he emigrated to Lebanon in 2013. He went to Germany for medical treatment, where he died in a hospital in Kiel. During his time as patriarch, Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas consecrated a total of 59 bishops and one Catholicos ( Baselios Thomas I. ).

Ecumenism

Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas (left) with Baselius Thomas I. (right)

Moran Mir Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas had a very close relationship with the sister churches during his 33 years in office. Through him, among others, the heads of the three Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East ( Syrian Orthodox Church , Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic of Cilicia, the Armenian Orthodox Church ) have met once a year since 1988 . Ignatius Zakka I served as President of the World Council of Churches for five years (1975-1980) during his time as bishop . In 1972 he was present at the Pro Oriente meeting in Vienna to give a lecture on "The Church and the Ecumenical Synod". The following year he gave another lecture, this time with the title: "What makes a synod legitimate and acceptable". The theme of his address to Pro Oriente in 1976 was: "The Needs and Signs of Communion among Local Churches". He also received the rare privilege of preaching in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna in the presence of the cardinal and other Roman Catholic dignitaries. He was the first Syrian Orthodox bishop to be honored in this way. In 1976, 1978 and 1979 Ignatius Zakka I served as an adviser to the papal commission for the revision of the oriental, canonical law of the Catholic Church.

On September 31, 1984 there was a meeting with Pope John Paul II , after a Pope of the Roman Catholic (John Paul II.) And a Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church ( Ignatius Jacob III ) met for the last time in 1980 . The two heads of the church jointly adopted a declaration which contains an extensive mutual recognition of orthodoxy, but which does not go as far as the establishment of the full communion of the Eucharist and the sacraments. For pastoral emergencies, exceptional regulations have been agreed, according to which members of one church may receive sacraments, including the Eucharist, in the other church.

Honors

During his time as a monk, the then Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem I. Barsum named Zakka Iwas one of the most learned students and most efficient administrators the church has seen in modern times. During his time as a priest , as is customary in the Syrian Orthodox Church , he received on April 15, 1959 from the Patriarch Ignatius Jakob III. a cross awarded as an honor. Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas was awarded two honorary doctorates : one from the Swedish Institute for Oriental Studies in Syrian Literature and one from the General Theological Seminary in New York in theology in 1983.

Publications

Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas is the author of many different works in Arabic and Aramaic. His publications include:

  • Evidence for God's Existence (وجود اللّه تعالى)
  • Syriac Orthodox Theology (عقيدة التجسد الإلهي في الكنيسة السريانية الأرثوذكسية)
  • The seven sacraments of the Syriac Orthodox Church (أسرار الكنيسة السبعة)
  • The mysteries of the Eucharist (سر القربان المقدس و المدخل إلى طقس القداس الإلهي)
  • The return of Christ (المسيح آتٍ)
  • Mary and her place in the Syrian tradition (القديسة مريم العذراء في الكنيسة السريانية الأرثوذكسية)
  • Syrian Thought and the Syrian Church in the Fourth Century AD (الفكر السرياني و الكنيسة السريانية في القرن الرابع للميلاد)
  • Biography of Saint Ephrem the Syrians (سيرة مار أفرام السرياني)
  • Islam and the Syrians: A Common History (الإســـلام و الســريـــان: تـــــاريخ مشتـــرك)
  • The Syrian Church of Antioch through the centuries (كنيسة أنطاكية السريانية عبر العصور)
  • Monasticism in the Syrian Church (الرهبانية في كنيسة أنطاكية السريانية الأرثوذكسية)
  • Holidays in the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch (الأعياد في كنيسة أنطاكية السريانية الأرثوذكسية)
  • Sermons (من بيدر المواعظ)

Web links

Commons : Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Zakka Iwas died at the age of 80 in Kiel . Catholic Press Agency Austria, March 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ Yuhanon Dolabani: The Patrirchen of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch . Bar Hebraeus, Glane 1990, p. 294-298 (Aramaic).
  3. ↑ Philoxenus Matthias Nayis: ܩܢܝܐ ܕܝܠܝ . tape 3 . St. Jakob von Sarug Verlag, Warburg 2017, p. 113-114 (Aramaic).
  4. ↑ a b c Patriarch Zakka died. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , March 24, 2014, p. 5.
  5. ↑ Send impulses of faith into the world . Neue Westfälische, December 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas. In: syriacchristianity.info. MALANKARA SYRIAC CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, accessed December 9, 2018 .
predecessor Office successor
Ignatius Jacob III Patriarch of Antioch
1980-2014 		Ignatius Ephrem II Karim
personal data
SURNAME Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Iwas, Sanharib (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Iraqi Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch
DATE OF BIRTH April 21, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Mosul , Kingdom of Iraq
DATE OF DEATH March 21, 2014
Place of death Kiel