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Ambassador of Greece visit His Holiness the Patriarch at
the Mor Aphrem Monastery, Damascus
May 5, 2009:
The
Ambassador of
Greece in
Syria, Mrs Konstantina Zagorianou Prifti,
today visited H.H.
Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas
at the Syrian Orthodox Monastery of
Mor Aphrem the Syriac, in
Ma`arat Sayyidnaya,
near Damascus and offered Easter Greetings. The Ambassador also discussed
about the forthcoming visit of His Holiness to
Greece during the second half of this month. The meeting was
attended by the priests and monks of the monastery.
Source:
Patriarchate
News
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Archbishop of Cyprus
visits His Holiness the Patriarch at
the Mor Aphrem Monastery, Damascus
May 4, 2009:
On
Monday the 4th of May, 2009, the Archbishop of Cyprus H.E. Chrysostomos
II, who is currently on an official trip to Syria visited His Holiness the
Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas at the Syrian Orthodox Monastery of St.
Aphrem the Syrian, in Ma`arat Sayyidnaya
near Damascus. The Archbishop was accompanied by a delegation of bishops from
the Church of Cyprus as well as the Greek Orthodox bishops of Syria.
His Holiness the
Patriarch welcomed the Archbishop Chrysostomos
II on behalf of the Syriac Orthodox
Patriarchate of Antioch
& All the East and in
particular the Monastery
of St. Aphrem the Syrian. On the gracious
occasion, His
Holiness pointed to the depth of the relationship between the Orthodox church,
and our Church, especially with the Antioch Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, as well
as the relationship of Greek and Syriac churches, and scholarships provided
 by
the church and the government in Greece. His Holiness also conveyed his
aspirations to establish good and strong relationship with the Church of Cyprus.
The
Archbishop in his reply speech recalled the role of His Holiness the Patriarch,
the leadership provided by the holy father in the Ecumenical field during the
second half of last century, the good relations which H.H. maintained with all
the heads of the churches in the world and H.H's contributions for the
establishment of formal dialogue among all the Orthodox churches to reach out
for the desired Christian unity.
The Archbishop
Chrysostomos II was
given a warm welcome by the Faculty of St. Aphrem Syriac Orthodox Theological
seminary led by H.E. Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Bishop of Beirut, and the
priests and monks and students of theological college. The
Archbishop thanked His Holiness the Patriarch for giving him a rousing reception
in the monastery of Mor Aphrem the Syriac, in the presence of such a large
number of monks, priests and students, and thanked God, who granted him the
opportunity to visit the great edifice of civilization.
Source:
Patriarchate
News
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ARMENIAN CHURCH SUPREME H.H. ARAM I RECEIVES THE REPRESENTATIVE OF PATRIARCH H.H.
ZAKKA-I
ANTELIAS, Lebanon – On Thursday 30 April 2009, Metropolitan George Saliba
of Mount Lebanon, visited Antelias on behalf of Patriarch H.H. Ignatius Zakka-I
Iwas, and met with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Armenian Orthodox Church.
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, deputy to Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Torkom
Manougian of Jerusalem, Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Director of Ecumenical Relations
of the Catholicosate and Dr. Gerges Saleh, General Secretary of the MECC also
attended the meeting. Discussion focused on various ecumenical issues pertaining
to bilateral relations between the Armenian and Syrian Orthodox Churches, the
Middle East Council of Churches, as well as issues related to Armenian-Syrian
church relations in Jerusalem.
Source:
Armenian Orthodox
Church News
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"The Genocide of
Syrian Christians in the Ottomon Turk
Empire & the Split
in Malankara Church"
April 2009: One of the
first book written by an 'Indian'
author
in English, on the FORGOTTEN
GENOCIDE OF THE SYRIAC CHRISTIANS,
 has
been released in Bombay recently.
The book provides description on the
history of our Syrian Orthodox Church till today, with special emphasize on the
Syrian Christian Genocide that happened between 1895 & 1928 under the erstwhile Ottoman Turk
Empire (the massacre at Diarbakir during Patriarch `Abded-Mshiho-II's
time and more specifically the SAYFO, during first world war when tens of
thousands of Syrian Orthodox were martyred), and its repercussion in Malankara Syrian Church. A brief
introduction to Malankara and Antiochean Syriac Christianity is also included in
the book.
The book is enriched with the forward of Metropolitan H.E. Mor Thimoethos Thomas (Kottayam) and congratulatory
messages from H.E. Mor Theophilos George Saliba (Lebanon), H.E. Mor Julius Hanna
Aydin (Germany) and Malankara Malpan Very Rev. Curien Corepsicopa Kaniamaprambil.
The
author of the book is Mr. John Mathew Narekattu, Mumbai. In Kerala the
book is available at Mor Julius Book Centre at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Kottayam.
Pages: 112
Language: English
Price: Rs. 100/- (US $ 6.00)
Email address of
the author: john_narekattu@hotmail.com
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PATRIARCHAL MESSAGE
Easter message from
Patriarch H.H. Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas
BY THE GRACE OF GOD
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church
 Apostolic Benediction to our beloved Metropolitans and our dear spiritual
children: the Reverend clergy and the faithful of all our Malankara Syrian
Jacobite churches and congregations in the Arabian Gulf Region, USA, Europe,
Australia and Singapore.
At this blessed season of the resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,
we have great joy in reaching you all through this message. St. Paul the
blessed apostle, praising the resurrection of Lord, proclaims: “Death is
swallowed up in victory” (I Cor. 15:54). Man has achieved great progress and
achievements in various fields of science, medicine etc. But on the other side
we see that, the uncertainties of life and threats to human existence are
emerging in diverse forms and measures, than ever before. Various new-new
diseases and maladies for which we fail to find out remedy, and the other forms
of disasters, like terrorism, violence, religious and territorial
fundamentalism, unhealthy competitions etc., adds to that uncertainty of human
life. These all explicitly infer that, man has his existence and hope of life
only through God, who is the true giver and sustainer of life. Our Lord
commanded that “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me,
though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall
never die”. (John 1:25, 26). The poor disciples became immensely dejected
and totally lost at the death of Jesus. But without delay, on the very third
day, He through his resurrection cheered them up beyond their perceptions, and
instilled into them a new dimension and meaning of life. He proved that he is
above death and the other uncertainties of this world. He came out as a grant
victor by defeating the powers of death and satan. No forces could conquer him
and keep him under its fist. Thus, St. Paul derides the evils of this world and
death, and challenges, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your
victory?” And he strongly proclaims that “Having been raised from
death, death no longer has domain over Him”. The apostle again goes on to
encourage us that “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11)
Dear
spiritual children, let us put our trust and hope, only in our Lord and seek the
peace and consolation that He offers, which is above realms of this world. That
only will give us real peace and prospect of life. That only can strengthen us
to live a life of victory even in the midst of adversities, and lead a life
worthy of salvation and eternal life. When we celebrate this feast of the
Easter, let us sanctify and cleanse ourselves of all defilements of this world.
Let us also clothe ourselves with the glory of the resurrection of our Lord and
by Him be we besprinkled with a new fragrance of spirit. We wish you all a
Blessed and Happy Easter and extend our Apostolic Blessings to you. May the
grace of God be with you all forever. Amen.
Source:
http://socmnet.org/Bull_HH/HH_Easter_Msg_2009.jpg
EASTER CELEBRATION IN THE
PATRIARCHAL
CATHEDRAL, DAMASCUS , SYRIA
His Holiness during the Easter day
Holy Qurbono
at the Patriarchal Cathedral,
Damascus
Damascus, April 19, 2009: His Holiness Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas, the
Patriarch of Antioch & all the East and the Supreme head of the Universal Syrian
Orthodox Church led the Holy Mass celebrations on the Easter day at the
St.George Syrian Orthodox Cathedral in Damascus. Their Eminences
Mor Philoxinus
Mattias Nayis,
the Patriarchal Assistant and
Mor Ivanios Paulose Al-Souky,
the Patriarchal-Vicariate of
Damascus, assisted His Holiness during the Easter day Mass.
After the Holy Mass, the
divine, His Holiness accepted the congratulations of all believers.
On the ocassion H.E. Dr. Ghassan Laham, the Minister of State for Presidential
Affairs met His Holiness, and conveyed congratulations of the respected
President of the country, Mr. President Dr. Bashar al-Assad Mukarram.
His Holiness also received a large number of officials of the party and the
state, led by governor of Damascus and the two sub-leaders of the party and the
police and representatives from the Ministry of Awqaf and a large number of
Islamic scholars and heads of Christian communities in Damascus, especially the
Catholic and Apostolic Ambassador in Damascus.
PHOTOS:
Passion Week Services at Suryoyo &
Malankara churches
More Passion
week photos (external links):
 Easter
Day Holy Mass & other celebrations at the Patriarchal Cathedral, Damascus (Chief Celebrant: H.H
Ignatius Zakka-I)
Photos....
Good Friday service at St. Peter's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox
Church, Bahrain (Celebrant: H.G. Mor Aprem Mathews)
Photos....
Good Friday Services at
St. George Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, KUWAIT
(Celebrant:
H.G. Mor Philoxenos Yuhanon)
Photos....
Maundy Thursday service at the St.
Peter & St. Paul Cathedral, Damascus (Chief
Celebrant: H.H Ignatius Zakka-I)
Photos....
Maundy
Thursday service
from Singapore
(Celebrant:
H.G. Mor Thimotheos Thomas)
Photos....
Maundy Thursday service
from
St George Church, Al-AIN U.A.E
(Celebrant:
H.G. Mor Athanasius Elias)
Photos....
Palm Sunday celebration photos from the St. Peter & St. Paul
Cathedral, Damascus Photos....
Palm Sunday photos from St.Marks Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, New
Jersey (Celebrant: H.G. Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim)
Photos....
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H.H. Patriarch
received H.B. Catholicos at the
Mor Aphrem
Seminary on Holy Easter
Mor
Aphrem Seminary,
Damascus: His Holiness the Patriarch Mor
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
received the head of the Church in India, His Beatitude the Catholicos
Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I when the later visited
Mor Aphrem Seminary,
Ma`arat Sayyidnaya,
Damascus on 13th April. The Church fathers exchanged Easter greetings. The
delegation from India included Metropolitans Their Eminences Mor Gregorios
Joseph, the Synod Secretary and Mor Aphrem Mathews.
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Name of ST.
OSTHATHEOS SLEEBA included
in the 5th TUBDEN -
diptych
- will henceforth be recited in all the Malankara Syrian churches -
 March
30, 2009: The historical Patriarchal bull permitting to recite
the name of St. Sleeba Mor
Osthatheos, in
the 5th Tubden, in all the
Malankara Syrian Orthodox churches worldwide has been issued by His
Holiness Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas. The said declaration has been
intimated to the Malankara churches by Catholicos His Beatitude Mor Baselios
Thomas I through his bull read in churches on March 29, 2009. The name
of St. Sleeba Mor Osthatheos will henceforth be recited after the name of St. Gregorios Abded' Jaleel.
Among the 28 church fathers
now remembered in the 5th Tubden, St. Sleeba Mor Osthatheos is one among the five primates
whose sacred remains are interred in Malankara. The other four primates
remembered in the tubden and entombed in Malankara, are Patriarch St. Ignatius Elias III (Manjinikkara, 1932), Maphryono St.
Baselios Yeldho (Kothamangalam, 1685), St. Gregorios Geevarghese
Chathuruthil (Parumala, 1902) and St. Gregorios
`Abded Jaleel (North
Paravur, 1681)).
The names of other declared
saints of Malankara, the Malankara Metropolitan St. Athanasius Paulose (Thrikkunnath
Seminary, Alwaye), Maphryono St. Baselios Shakralla (Kandanad),
St. Koorilos Yuyakkim (Mulanthuruthy) and Malankara Metropolitan St.
Koorilos Paulose (Panampady) are remembered in the respective
churches where their sacred remains are interred.
It was in 2000, the
Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, through bull dated 4th April,
canonized Mor Osthatheos Sleebo and
Mor Gregorios`Abded Galeel,
thereby permitting to recite the 'Quqalya' hymns and prayers of the 'Zadeeqo'
(saints) at their tombs and beseech their intercession (Patriarchal
Encyclical dated April 9th, 2000).
Later in 2005, the bull allowing to recite the name of
St. Osthatheos Sleeba, in the 5th 'Tubden' (diptych), read in Arthat St.
Mary's Simhasana Church where the mortal remains of the holy father is interred, was issued
and now through the latest historical bull His Holiness the Patriarch has
allowed to recite the holy father's name in all the Malankara Syrian
churches.
Biography of St. Osthatheos Sleeba
Arthat St. Mary's Simhasana Church, Kunnamkulam
Patriarchal bull permitting to
recite the name of our holy
father St. Osthatheos Sleeba in the 5th Tubden
PHOTOS:
79th Dukrono of St.
Osthatheos Sleeba
Celebrations held at the Arthat St. Mary's Simhasana
Church, Kunnamkulam, where the mortal remains of the
holy father is interred.
For more
photos visit:
Sunday, March 22, 2009 - Feast day
http://www.syrianchurch.org/Photos/DukStSleebOsth2009_2/index.html
Saturday, March 21, 2009
http://www.syrianchurch.org/Photos/DukStSleebOsth2009_1/index.html
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DEFENDING THE FAITH
Battle Over a Christian Monastery Tests Turkey's
Tolerance of Minorities
By ANDREW HIGGINS
KARTMIN, TURKEY -- Christians have lived in these parts since the
dawn of their faith. But they have had a rough couple of millennia,
preyed on by Persian, Arab, Mongol, Kurdish and Turkish armies. Each
group
tramped through the rocky highlands that now comprise Turkey's
southeastern border with Iraq and Syria.
The current menace is less bellicose but is deemed a threat nonetheless.
A group of state land surveyors and Muslim villagers are intent on
shrinking the boundaries of an ancient monastery by more than half. The
monastery, called Mor Gabriel, is revered by the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Battling to hang on to the monastic lands, Bishop Timotheus Samuel Aktas
is fortifying his defenses. He's hired two Turkish lawyers -- one
Muslim, one Christian -- and mobilized support from foreign diplomats,
clergy and politicians.
Also giving a helping hand, says the bishop, is Saint Gabriel, a
predecessor as abbot who died in the seventh century: "We still have
four of his fingers." Locked away for safekeeping, the sacred digits are
treasured as relics from the past -- and a hex on enemies in the
present.
The outcome of the land
dispute is now in the hands of a Turkish court. Seated below a bust of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey's secular founding father, a robed
judge on Wednesday told the feuding parties that he would issue a ruling
after he visits the disputed territory himself next month.
The trial comes at a
critical stage in Turkey's 22-year drive to join the European Union.
When it first came to power in 2002, the ruling AK party, led by
observant Muslims, pushed to accelerate legal and other changes demanded
by Europe for admittance into its largely Christian club. But much of
the momentum has since slowed. France has made clear it doesn't want
Turkey in the EU no matter what, while Turkey has seemed to have second
thoughts.
A big obstacle is Turkey's continuing tensions with its ethnic
minorities, notably the Kurds, who account for more than 15% of the
population and are battling for greater autonomy. Also fraught, but more
under the radar, is the situation confronting members of the Syriac
Orthodox Church, one of the world's oldest and most beleaguered
Christian communities. The group's fate is now seen as a test of
Turkey's ability to accommodate groups at odds with "Turkishness," a
legal concept of national identity that has at times been used to
suppress minority groups.
The dispute over Mor Gabriel is being closely watched here and abroad.
The  EU
and several embassies in Ankara sent observers to a court hearing in
February, and a Swedish diplomat attended this week's session.
Protection of minority rights is a condition for entry into the EU.
Founded in 397, Mor Gabriel is one of the world's oldest functioning
monasteries. Viewed by Syriacs as a "second Jerusalem," it sits atop a
hill overlooking now solidly Muslim lands. It has just three monks and
14 nuns. It also has 12,000 ancient corpses buried in a basement crypt.
The bishop's local flock numbers only 3,000. Mor Gabriel's influence,
however, reaches far beyond its fortress-like walls, inspiring and
binding a community of Christians scattered by persecution and
emigration. There are hundreds of thousands more Syriac Christians
across the frontier in Iraq and Syria and in Europe. They speak Aramaic,
the language of Jesus Christ.
"The monastery is all we have left," says Attiya Tunc, who left for
Holland as a child and returned this February to find her family's
village near here reduced to ruins and overrun with sheep, since most of
the villagers abandoned it. Ms. Tunc says she came in response to
telephone call from Bishop Aktas appealing to former residents to come
back and show their support in the land battle.
Historical Claims
Turkish officials say they have no desire to uproot Christianity. They
point to new roads and other services provided to small settlements of
Syriac Christians who have returned in recent years from abroad.
Mustafa Yilmaz, the state's senior administrator in the area, says
Turkey wants to clarify blurred property boundaries as part of a
national land survey, something long demanded by the EU. He says the
monastery could lose around 100 acres of land currently enclosed within
a high wall, meaning a loss of about 60% of its core property. Some of
that could be reclassified as a state-owned forest, with the rest
claimed by the Treasury on the grounds that it's not being used as
intended for farming or other purposes.
Mr. Yilmaz says none of this would affect the monastery's operations as
the land targeted isn't being used by monks or nuns, and he notes that
the court could yet side in part with the monastery. He says the
government has no desire to hurt a monastery he describes as a "very
special place" that, among other things, helps boost the region's
economy by bringing in throngs of pilgrims and tourists.
Christian activists, says
Mr. Yilmaz, have "blown up" a mundane muddle into a religious issue.
"Look, everyone wants to have more land," he says.
Syriac Christians see a more sinister purpose. They say the Turkish
state and Muslim villagers want to grab Christian land and force the
non-Muslims to leave. "There is no place for Christians here" until
Turkey changes in fundamental ways, says Ms. Tunc.
The dispute has spurred some Muslims in neighboring villages to launch
complaints against the monastery. Mahmut Duz, a Muslim who lives near
Mor Gabriel, lodged a protest last year to the state prosecutor in
Midyat, a nearby town. Mr. Duz alleged that the bishop and his monks are
"engaged in illegal religious and reactionary missionary activities."
Mr. Duz urged Turkish authorities to remember Mehmed the Conqueror, a
15th-century Ottoman ruler who routed Christian forces and conquered the
city now called Istanbul for Islam. He said Turkish officials should
recall a vow by the Conqueror to " 'cut off the head of anybody who cuts
down even a branch from my forest.' " Bishops and priests, Mr. Duz told
the prosecutor, can keep their heads, but "you must stop the occupation
and plunder" of Muslim land by the monastery.
No one at the monastery has been prosecuted for the crimes alleged by
Mr. Duz and other villagers. The monastery says these claims are
ludicrous. It says it tutors 35 Syriac Christian school boys in Aramaic
and religion but conducts no missionary activities.
Syriac Christians take an even longer view than Mr. Duz. They deride
local Muslims as newcomers, saying Mor Gabriel was built two centuries
before Islam was founded. "Mohammed did not exist. The Ottoman Empire
did not exist. Turkey did not exist," says Issa Garis, the monastery's
archdeacon.
A Long List of Raids
Syriac Christians have indeed been living -- and often suffering -- here
for a very long time. Mor Gabriel's history is a "long list of raids,
wars, droughts, famines, plagues and persecutions," says British scholar
Andrew Palmer. "Time and again, they've had to start again from
nothing."
In the eighth century, plague swept through the area and took the lives
of many of Mor Gabriel's monks. Survivors dug up the body of Saint
Gabriel, the monastery's seventh-century abbot, and propped him up in
church to pray for help. The plague, according to tradition, passed.
When disease later ravaged a Christian center to the north, Saint
Gabriel's right hand was cut off and sent there to help. One of the
fingers was then removed and dispatched to avert another crisis
elsewhere. The finger is now missing.
Read the full article here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123638477632658147.html
Courtesy:
Melthodhaye
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Fourth Volume
of the book titled "Martyrs, Saints
& Prelates of the Syrian Church" (in Malayalam) published
March 10, 2009: Fourth
volume of the book titled "Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syrian
Church" authored by Fr. (Dr.) Mani Rajan, in Malayalam, has
been published and is now available for sale in all the Church book
shops in
India.
The first volume
of the book which was out of print is also republished.
Both these books are published by "The Travancore Syriac Orthodox Publishers", Kottayam-4.
Those who need
50
or more copies of the books may contact Fr. Mani Rajan Tel:
0481-2591312 / e-mail:
frmanirajan@yahoo.com.
The
cost per copy is Rs. 45/-
For pdf formats of the books,
visit:
Historic Resources
/
Syriac Book Store
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IN THE
NAME OF THE SELF – EXISTANT
SEMPITERNAL OF NECESSARY EXISTENCE THE ALMIGHTY
IGNATIUS
PATRIARCH OF THE HOLY SEE OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST
SUPREME HEAD OF THE UNIVERSAL SYRIAC ORTHODOX CHURCH
ZAKKA-I, IWAS
“The Sacrament of
Priesthood”
The Apostle Paul wrote,
saying:
“One does not take this
honor upon himself; but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.”
(Hebrews 5:4)
We offer
apostolic benediction and benevolent prayers to our brethren, his
Beatitude Mor Baselius Thomas I, Catholicos of India, and their
eminences the Metropolitans, our spiritual children the Patriarchal
Vicars, monks, priests, nuns, deacons and virtuous deaconesses, and our
blessed Syriac Orthodox people worldwide. May the divine providence
embrace them through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
and St. Peter the head of the Apostles, and the rest of the saints and
martyrs. Amen.
Dearly beloved
We ask for your well being
and extend to you our apostolic blessing and benevolent prayers, and we
say:
The sacred sacrament of priesthood is a divine gift that God bestows
upon people whom He chose from among the faithful. He calls them and
they answer His call and dedicate their lives for His service and
receive the legitimate canonical ordination through the work and power
of the Holy Spirit. Thus, they obtain authority that distinguishes them
from the others regarding the service and the administration of the
church. (Mathew 10:1-15, Luke 10:1-12) according to the level of
authority given to them, and granting its holy sacraments to those who
deserve them i.e. baptism, confirmation, absolution of sins to
repentants, isolating offenders and unrepentant heretical criminals,
performing prayer services, and guiding and shepherding the faithful.
(John 20:21, Acts 20, 1Peter 5)
Yes indeed, when the Lord Jesus was fulfilling His divine mission in
flesh, He chose twelve apostles and seventy disciples to be stewards to
His mysteries (1Corinthians 4:1). He called upon them to perform
religious services and ecclesiastic sacraments (Luke 6:13). In this
regard, we read from the holy gospel of Luke, “When morning came, He
called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also
designated apostles.” (Luke 6:13) “Then Jesus came to them and said,
‘All authority in 2 heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore,
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’” (Mathew 28:18&19), “So
Jesus said to them again, ‘peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me,
I also send you’, and when He had said this, He breathed on them and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained.” (John 20:21-23). According to our father’s teachings, the
Lord ordained His disciples as bishops when “He had led them out to the
vicinity of Bethany, He lifted His hands and blessed them. While He was
blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.” (Luke
24:50-51) According to ordination, the bishop receives authority to:
teach, absolve, consecrate, shepherd and Judge. The Lord established the
sacrament of priesthood just after He declared the establishment of the
church following Peter’s confession that He is the “Son of the Living
God.” He said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and
blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And
I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My
church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven.” (Mathew 16:17-19). The apostles observed this
sacrament and ordained priests in every city (Acts 13:2-3), The book of
Acts of the Apostles mentions that, “As they ministered to the Lord and
fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed,
and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2&3). We also
read about them choosing priests to carry out church services as
mentioned in the book of Acts about Paul and Barnabas, “And when they
had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they
returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the
disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘we must
through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. So when they had
appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they
commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” (Acts 14:21-23).
The apostle Paul urges his disciple Timothy to ordain priests, by
saying, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a
prophetic message when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”
(1Timothy 4:14). The apostle Paul also wrote to Titus stating the
qualities which priests should have, saying “you must teach what is in
accord with sound doctrine, teach the older men to be temperate, worthy
of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in
endurance.”(Titus 2:1-2) St. Paul also talks about the gift of
priesthood in his epistle to the Hebrews, saying, “One does not take
this honor upon himself; but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.”
(Hebrews 5:4) and also says, “and in the church God has appointed first
of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of
miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others,
those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different
kinds of tongues.” (1Corinthians 12:28). Nowadays, bishops are the
successors of the apostles. They obtained their authority by laying
hands of their predecessors. (Acts 14:23). They chose priests in every
church, and this continues uninterrupted until present day.
In this regard, the apostle Paul writes, “and the things you have heard
me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust the reliable men who
will also be qualified to teach others.” (2Timothy 2:2)
In our church, we have three levels of priesthood clearly shown in the
holy gospel:
1 – Bishops, meaning the
administrator, the general spiritual shepherd. It relates to the
leaders, higher and lower in authority and administrative relations. It
consists of three ranks: Patriarch, Metropolitan and Bishop.
2 – Priests, (Acts 14:23 &
1Titus 1:5) the monk-priest (Raban) and Archpriest (Khuroyo) formerly
ordained as bishop’s assistant in country sides. He is nowadays the
head-priest of a certain church or a certain Archdiocese. Then the rank
of priest who, in general, celebrates the holy sacraments and all
spiritual services except those assigned to bishops, such as: ordination
of priests and deacons, and appointments of church personnel in the
Archdiocese.
It is worth noting that:
First: these three levels
existed in the priesthood of the Old Testament, i.e. headpriests,
priests, and Levites and was modified in the New Testament.
Second: These three levels
resemble the three levels of angels as mentioned by St. Clemis of
Alexandria who wrote: “the ranks of bishops, priests, and deacons
resemble the glory of the angels.”
Third: Below each level
there are three ranks forming a total of nine heavenly ranks.
3 – Deaconry or God’s
service (Acts 6:6, 1Timothy 3:8-10): Its ranks are: the evangelical
deacon, the sub-deacon, also called deacon of epistles, the reader, and
the singer. The Archdeacon is the head of all the deacons in the
Archdiocese.
The only servant of the sacrament of priesthood is the bishop who has
the right to lay hands on the candidate to be ordained (Acts 6:6;
13:2-3). The visible part of the sacrament of priesthood is laying the
hand of the bishop on the head of the candidate and the special prayer
whereby the bishop asks for the divine grace to dwell upon him by the
power of the Holy Spirit. The invisible part is the grace granted by God
to the ordained, along with the authority to bind and lose, teach,
discipline, absolve and consecrate.
The fruits of the sacrament of priesthood are: Preserving the ranks of
priesthood in the church, committing to the order, working in accordance
with duties and privileges of shepherds and flock, bestowing God’s
blessings on believers, performing the Seven sacraments of the church
according to their clergy levels, teaching the truth of the noble
Christian faith, and adorn themselves with the esteemed virtues and
setting themselves as examples for the faithful, by speaking and
working, so that the name of the Heavenly Father will be glorified,
honoring priestly ranks, loving their flock and working for the
salvation of their souls, “Every high priest is selected from among men
and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer
gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who
are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to
weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as
well as for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 5:1-3). Therefore, priests
and bishops should care about the salvation of the souls of believers,
“Therefore, keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which
He bought with His own blood.”
Christian faithful have to honor their priests and their shepherds
because they are Christ’s servants and stewards to His mysteries.
(1Corinthians 4:1). In this regard, St. Paul writes, saying, “We urge
you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you
in the Lord and admonish you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12 & Hebrews 13:7). The
Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “He who receives you, receives Me”
(Mathew 10:40), and “he who listens to you listens to Me; he who rejects
you rejects Me.” (Luke 10:16). Therefore, in honor of the Lord Jesus, we
honor His servants. On the occasion of the holy Great Lent, we ask the
Lord to accept your fasting, your prayers and your charity works, and
make you worthy to celebrate His resurrection with joy, happiness, and
sound health, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, St.
Peter the head of the apostles, and the rest of the martyrs and saints.
Issued at our Patriarchal house in Damascus – Syria
On the Seventh day of February, in the
year Two Thousand and Nine of our Lord, Which is the 29th year of our
Patriarchal Enthronement
Lent Encyclical in Syriac:
http://www.soc-wus.org/patriarchate/Enc%20Syr.%2009.pdf
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Important Movable
Feast days -2009
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Gregorian
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Julian |
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Great Lent
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Feb 23 |
Mar 1 |
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Easter |
April 12 |
April 19 |
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Ascension |
May 21 |
May 28 |
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Pentecost |
May 31 |
June 7 |
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Download
100 years Calendar
[Feast
days from
2000 to 2100]
 GREGORIAN
JULIAN
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www.SaintGregorios.org
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St. Koorilos Paulose
Kochuparambil
(Malankara
Metropolitan)
December 15, 1917 |
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Biography
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