Ignatius Zakka I Iwas | |
|---|---|
| 122nd Patriarch of theUniversal Syriac Orthodox Church | |
 | |
| Native name | ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص, |
| Church | Syriac Orthodox Church |
| See | See of Antioch |
| Appointed | 14 September 1980 |
| Term ended | 21 March 2014 |
| Predecessor | Ignatius Ya`qub III |
| Successor | Ignatius Aphrem II |
| Previous posts | Archbishop ofBaghdad andBasra Archbishop of Central Europe Metropolitan Bishop of Mosul |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 17 November 1957 |
| Consecration | 17 November 1963 (asBishop) 14 September 1980 (asPatriarch) by Ignatius Ya`qub III (as bishop) Baselios Paulose II (as Patriarch) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sanharib Iwas (1931-04-21)21 April 1931 |
| Died | 21 March 2014(2014-03-21) (aged 82) |
| Buried | Sts. Paul and Peter Cathedral,Maarat Saidnaya,Damascus,Syria |
| Nationality | Iraqi/Syrian/Lebanese[1] |
| Denomination | Syriac Orthodox |
| Alma mater | City University of New York General Theological Seminary |
Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas (Syriac:ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ;Arabic:إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص;Ignatios Zakkà ‘Īwāṣ, bornSanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigningSyriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and, as such, Supreme Head of theUniversal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name,Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St. George's PatriarchalCathedral inDamascus. He succeededIgnatius Ya`qub III. As is traditional for the head of the church, Mor Severios adopted the name Ignatius.
Zakka was known for his involvement inecumenical dialogue. He was a president of theWorld Council of Churches[2] and also a prolific author. He was an observer atSecond Vatican Council before becomingmetropolitan bishop of Mosul. At the time of his election as patriarch, Mor Severios Zakka was serving as thearchbishop ofBaghdad andBasra. As patriarch, he established a monastic seminary, met withPope John Paul II during theRoman Pope's visit to Syria in 2001, and installed numerous metropolitans, includingBaselios Thomas I asCatholicos of India. He celebrated hisSilver Jubilee in 2005.
Iwas was admitted to a hospital in Germany for angioplasty on 20 February 2014 and died on 21 March 2014.
Sanharib Iwas was born on 21 April 1931 inMosul,Iraq.[3] His parents named him afterSennacherib, the father ofSt. Behnam.[4] He completed his elementary studies at the school of Our Lady's Parish and was transferred to St. ThomasSyriac Orthodox Church School, both in Mosul. In 1946, he began his theological studies in the city's Mor Ephrem seminary. At the seminary, his birth name was replaced by the name Zakka. There, in 1948, he wasordained as adeacon with the rank ofReader. In 1953, he was promoted to the rank ofsubdeacon. The following year saw Iwas takemonastic vows. He left Mosul at that time to become secretary to the patriarchs,Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum and thenIgnatius Jacob III. In 1955 he was promoted to the rank of full deacon.[3]
On 17 November 1957, Patriarch Ya`qub III ordained Deacon Zakka apriest and, two years later, gave him thepectoral cross asrabban. In 1960, he pursued further study inNew York City. There, he studied oriental languages and completed amaster's degree in English at theCity University and a further master's in pastoral theology at theGeneral Theological Seminary.[3]
In 1962 and 1963, Rabban Zakka was delegated by the patriarch as an observer atSecond Vatican Council. On 17 November 1963, he was consecratedmetropolitan bishop by Patriarch Ya'qub with the name Mor Severios Zakka. The next year, during renovation work on the sanctuary wall of the metropolitan church in Mosul, what were reputed to be the remains of theApostle Thomas were found. In 1969, Mor Severios transferred to bearchbishop ofBaghdad andBasra. Nine years later, he was given additional responsibility for the new diocese of Australia.[3]
Following the death of PatriarchYa`qub III on 25 June 1980, Mor Severios Zakka was elected by thesynod of the church to succeed him the 122nd Syriac Patriarch of Antioch. He was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September, the day of thefeast of the Cross, byMor Baselios Paulose (Paul) II,Catholicos of the East, at St. George's PatriarchalCathedral inDamascus, Syria.[3] As is traditional for the head of the church, he adopted the name Ignatius at this time. Being the first patriarch to be named Zakka, his name is often written as Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. His full titulary is:
Patriarch Zakka, was involved inecumenical dialogue and served as the president of theWorld Council of Churches. Due to his efforts, theChalcedonian schism is not seen to have great relevance any more and, from dialogue with theRoman pope, a reconciling declaration emerged that stated, in part:
The confusions and schisms that occurred between their Churches in the later centuries, they realize today, in no way affect or touch the substance of their faith, since these arose only because of differences in terminology and culture and in the various formulae adopted by different theological schools to express the same matter. Accordingly, we find today no real basis for the sad divisions and schisms that subsequently arose between us concerning the doctrine of Incarnation. In words and life we confess the true doctrine concerning Christ our Lord, notwithstanding the differences in interpretation of such a doctrine which arose at the time of the Council of Chalcedon.[5]
Zakka was a member of different Eastern and Western Academies and authored a number of books on Christian education, theology, history, and culture in Syriac and the Arabic and English languages.[3] He established a monastic seminary, the Monastery of St. Ephrem The Syrian, at MarratSaidnaya. Inaugurated on 14 September 1996, this Monastery forms part of a larger project which will include different centers and facilities.[3] During the visit ofPope John Paul II to Syria in 2001, the Pope paid a historic visit to Patriarch Zakka in Damascus. The meeting took place on 6 May in St. George's Patriarchal Cathedral at Bab Touma. The following year, Iwas installed Mor Dionysius Thomas, the president of the Episcopal Synod of Indian Church, as theCatholicos of India with the titleMor Baselios Thomas I. Celebrations were held for the Patriarch'sSilver Jubilee on 14 September 2005.[citation needed]
Ignatius Zakka made a number of pastoral visits outside Syria, mainly to India where the bulk of Syriac Orthodox Christians reside and Europe, home of the growing Syriac Orthodox diaspora.His first pastoral visit was to India was toKerala from 3 February to 27 March 1982, during which he met with Indian officials and heads of various Indian churches.[6]A second visit to India was in April 2000 to attend theGolden Jubilee of the Chief Metropolitan of the East Mor Cleemis Abraham, it lasted three days. The third visit to India came for the occasion of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Patriarchal enthronement in September 2004, the third visit lasted two weeks.[6] The fourth and last visit was in 2008 for the 80th Birthday celebration of Catholicos MorBaselios Thomas I which also lasted two weeks.[citation needed]
During Ignatius Zakka time as Patriarch and Metropolitan, he had the duty to ordain and consecrate many Metropolitans in the Syriac Orthodox church in addition to hundreds of priests, monks, and deacons. The list includes one future patriarch also.[7]
Zakka was admitted to hospital inKiel,Germany on 20 February 2014; where he died following a cardiac arrest on 21 March 2014.[8] He was entombed at St. Peter's and St Paul's Cathedral, Marrat Saidnayya, Damascus on 28 March.[citation needed]
On 29 May 2014, MorIgnatius Aphrem II, succeeded him as Patriarch.[citation needed]
Ignatius Zakka Iwas was...named Sanharib after the father of Behnam.
| Religious titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch 1980–2014 | Succeeded by |
