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The Departure of the His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Thrice Blessed Memory

March 25, 2014

On behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, our deepest condolences are extended to our brethren in the Syrian Orthodox Church on the loss of the beloved Patriarch, His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas.

His Holiness was known to be a man of fervent love for the Lord Jesus Christ and faithfully served as the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church and the 122nd Successor of St. Peter in the Apostolic See of Antioch for nearly thirty-four years. He was a well-educated man—wise, compassionate, and knowledgeable. His exemplary life in the priesthood and monasticism exceeded sixty-seven years of deep devotion and godly servitude.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and throughout the diaspora will forever remember his sincere alliance and stalwart support, which mirrored the fathers of the unified early apostolic churches. We join in prayer and in honoring the blessed life of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas who helped cultivate the legacy of Orthodoxy amidst a contemporary world of complexities and trepidation.

May his pious memory be eternal.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States