A Humble Bouquet In Words To Honor H.H. Ignatius Zakka 1

Very Rev. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil

St.George Church Chicago has prepared a 500 page 1/4 sized honor volume as a festschrift to His Holiness to be presented on Sept 14, 2005 at Damascus.

H.B. Basalius Thomas 1 Catholicose in presence of Mor Theethose Yeldo and other Metropolitans will present this to His Holiness on behalf of the members of the Church in Malankara and its diaspora. It contains felicitations from Church Heads, State Heads, Metroplolitans and other leaders. It has a very exclusive interview with His Holiness by Commander Dr.Roy P.Thomas. About 150 pages describes the selected encyclicals, Sermons and articles written by His Holiness on a very varied aspects of church life. This volume contains almost all official ecumenical documents that are signed by the Syrian Church with other sister churches. A few very selected articles by known academicians add to the density of its content. The following paragraphs are from the Preface that I wrote to this great work dedicated to Our Supreme Spiritual head.

It is a great privilege and honor for the Vicar and the members of the St. George Church, Chicago to publish this festschrift to honour His Holiness Ignatius Zakka 1, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch. His Holiness completed twenty five years of his reign as the Patriarch of Antioch. This is a rare occasion for the Syrian Orthodox Church and its members everywhere. As a token of our filial loyalty and steadfast allegiance to the Holy Throne and His Holiness we planned a monumental publication and we are happy that we could present this very humble bouquet of words to limelight the life and works of our supreme spiritual Pontiff.

His Holiness was called by the Holy Spirit to the pontificate while serving as the Archbishop of Bagdad and was enthroned on September 14 ,1980. It was God's providence and the blessing to the faithful of the Church in India that the Archbishop of Bagdad, Mor Severiose Zakka discovered the Holy Relics of the Apostle Thomas in the year 1964, the same year in which peace was established in the Church in India and a Catholicose was installed in the canonical legitimate line. His Holiness also partcipated the installation along with the then Patriarch H.H. Ignatius Yacoob 111.

Eventhogh the peace did not last long, the blessings of the Apostle St.Thomas followed His Holiness to include for the first time in History the name of St. Thomas in the fourth diptych in the Holy Eucharist.

His Holiness is very unique person in his life and contribution. A very hard working scholar, an erudite monastic of par excellence, a loving and caring spiritual father, an adminisrator of prudence and patience, an articulated and moving orator, a skilful and powerful writer, an open minded traditionalist , an ecumenist and at the same time the guardian of orthodoxy and above all a genius of all standards.

His Holiness has been actively involved in the ecumenical move­ment for a long while now. The Second Vatican Council, the Vienna based Pro-Oriente foundation, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches were enriched by the scholarly participation and leadership of the then Archbishop Mor Severiose Zakka. After becoming the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Holiness became the President of the Middle East Council of Churches. At the last general assembly of the World Council of Churches, His Holiness was elected as one of the seven Presi­dents of the Council. The Patriarch has been also accorded the title " Protector of the Pro Oriente". The agreements that has been reached on Christology between the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches are considered to be a significant ecumenical contribution of His Holiness.

Antioch is the place where the followers of Christ were first called the Christians (Acts 11-26). St. Peter the chief of Apostles is con­sidered as the first Patriarch of Antioch. Before going to Rome, Peter consecrated St. Ignatius as his successor there. His Holi­ness Zakka 1 Iwas is the 122nd Patriarch in this legitimate apos­tolic lineage. The See of Antioch during its prestigious times had hundreds of Archbishoprics and numerous episcopates, extend­ing further to India and China. Antioch was considered the mother of all Churches, second only to Jerusalem in its ecclesiastical prominence.

The Syrian Orthodox Church has also been blessed with the rich heri-tages of the Syriac patrimony and literature. The Patriarchate of His Holiness Zakka 1 is also blessed with the resurgence of Syriac literature. The universities of Europe, America and India have eminent professors who are specialized in this field and are con­tributing to expound the hidden pearls in the vast ocean of Syriac Literature. His Holiness, himself a profound scholar, is promoting the growth and spread of this important heritage.

It is our humble objective to bring to limelight some of the signifi-cant contributions of His Holinesa Zakka 1 in the above mentioned arena of Syriac literature and the over all development of the Syrian Orthodox Church through this festschrift.

We are all blessed to live in a period of our Church with a holy father like His Holiness Zakka 1 as our Supreme Head. His Patriarchate proved to be the most flourshing and fruitful in every aspect of Church life.

May Bod bless His Holiness Ignatius Zakka 1 our beloved Patriarch and the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church.

We dedicate this festschrift to His Holiness for the glory of God and His Church.
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