Ignatius Zakka I


Ignatius Zakka I Iwas

122nd Patriarch of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church
Native name
ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ
إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص,
ChurchSyriac Orthodox Church
SeeSee of Antioch
Appointed14 September 1980
Term ended21 March 2014
PredecessorIgnatius Ya`qub III
SuccessorIgnatius Aphrem II
Previous post(s)Archbishop of Baghdad and Basra
Archbishop of Central Europe
Metropolitan Bishop of Mosul
Orders
Ordination17 November 1957
Consecration17 November 1963 (as Bishop)
14 September 1980 (as Patriarch)
by Ignatius Ya`qub III (as bishop)
Baselios Paulose II (as Patriarch)
Personal details
Born
Sanharib Iwas

(1931-04-21)21 April 1931
Died21 March 2014(2014-03-21) (aged 82)
Kiel, Germany
BuriedSts. Paul and Peter Cathedral, Maarat Saidnaya, Damascus, Syria
NationalityIraqi/Syrian/Lebanese[1]
DenominationSyriac Orthodox
Alma materCity 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, born Sanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and, as such, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name, Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St. George's Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus. He succeeded Ignatius Ya`qub III. As is traditional for the head of the church, Mor Severios adopted the name Ignatius.

Zakka was known for his involvement in ecumenical dialogue. He was a president of the World Council of Churches[2] and also a prolific author. He was an observer at Second Vatican Council before becoming metropolitan bishop of Mosul. At the time of his election as patriarch, Mor Severios Zakka was serving as the archbishop of Baghdad and Basra. As patriarch, he established a monastic seminary, met with Pope John Paul II during the Roman Pope's visit to Syria in 2001, and installed numerous metropolitans, including Baselios Thomas I as Catholicos of India. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee in 2005.

Iwas was admitted to a hospital in Germany for angioplasty on 20 February 2014 and died on 21 March 2014.

  1. ^ "وفاة البطريرك عيواص". Annahar. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  2. ^ Tveit, Olav Fykse (21 March 2014). "Condolences on death of Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas". World Council of Churches. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2014.