Holy Synod

PRESS RELEASE Visit of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Rome 1- 4 October 2014

PRESS RELEASE Visit of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Rome 1 – 4 October 2014 His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, came to Rome from 1-4 October to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV arrived with his delegation on Wednesday 1 October. On Wednesday evening a dinner was hosted by His Eminence Cardinal Koch in honour of the Patriarch. On Thursday morning 2 October, there was the private meeting of His Holiness Mar Dinkha with the Holy Father, followed by the meeting of the delegation with the Holy Father, comprising speeches, an exchange of gifts and a group photo. On Thursday afternoon and Friday morning two meetings were held at the office of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The members of the delegation of the Assyrian Church of the East were His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia, Metropolitan of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon, His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California and Secretary of the Holy Synod, His Grace Mar Yohannan Yousif, Auxiliary Bishop of India, Very Rev. Archdeacon William Toma and Very Rev. Cor-bishop George Toma. The Catholic …

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Catholicos-Patriarch Calls 3-Day Rogation for Christians of Iraq

His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos Patriarch of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, has sent an epistle imploring all members of the church and the Assyrian nation to hold a 3 day fast (Rogation) beginning Monday the 1st of September. The purpose of this rogation is to beseech the mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ upon our Assyrian nation and all who are being persecuted in the Middle East, in particular Northern Iraq. May God accept our rogation just as He accepted the rogation of our forefathers the Ninevites.

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Challenges Facing Middle East Christians Conference Held in Amman, Jordan

His Grace Mar Aprim Khamis, Bishop of the Diocese of the Western United States has attended a conference in Amman, Jordan between 3-4 September 2013 examining the challenges and persecution facing Christians throughout the Middle East. His Grace attended representing His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East at the invitation of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad on behalf of His Majesty Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. His Holiness was unable to attend personally due to a range of prearranged programmes. The conference was attended by most Patriarchs of the Middle East, a large number of church representatives and religious leaders from around the world in addition to senior Islamic scholars from the Middle East. On the opening day of the conference His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Chief Advisor to King Abdullah of Jordan for Religious and Cultural Affairs opened the conference stressing the need to promote a culture of democracy and mutual respect in the Middle East. In his remarks His Royal Highness noted: “We in Jordan feel that, for the first time in hundreds of years, Arab Christians have become targeted in …

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