Assyrian Church News Official News Site of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California, Secretary of the Holy Synod and President of CIRED led an ecumenical visit to Russia and Armenia. The Very Rev. Archdeacon William Toma and Very Rev. Cor-bishop George Toma were prevented from attending, as planned, by travel difficulties. The delegation of the Assyrian Church of the East visited the Assyrian community in Moscow and the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR) on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. His Grace Mar Awa was received by Very Rev. Cor-bishop Samano Odisho (Rector of Holy Virgin Mary Church, Moscow) together with the local Assyrian Church of the East community and a representative of the DECR. His Grace, together with Cor-Bishop Samano Odisho, visited the DECR where they were received by Very Rev. Archimandrite Philaret (Secretary), Hieromonk Stephan, and Mr. Sergei Alferov of the DECR. Meeting on July 21, 2015, the delegation of the Church of the East met with members of the DECR in discussion of bilateral dialogue. This meeting was a direct result of the historic visit of the late His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, of blessed memory, to His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, in May-June of 2014. The Assyrian Church …

Youth Associations of the Archdiocese met in Auckland, New Zealand on Wednesday the 1st July. His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia AM Metropolitan, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis (Sydney), Rev’d Fr Ninos Elya (Sydney), Rev’d Fr Antwan Mikhail (Melbourne), Syriac Scholar Prof Rifat Ebied (Sydney) and members of the youth from Sydney, Melbourne and Wellington were welcomed by the Auckland Youth Committee, parish priest Rev’d Fr Toma Kanoon and the Church committee. The clergymen and conference speakers and attendees checked into Auckland Mercure Hotel in the heart of the city. The 2015 youth conference officially began with a warm and traditional welcome by a Maori entertaining group performing the Haka in honour of the guests followed by prayers in St Mary’s Church Manurewa led by His Beatitude. Following the prayers, welcoming speeches were presented in Mar Narsai DeBaz Hall (rear of the Church) by MC Deacon Oliver Sliwa, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis Youth Chaplain, Rev’d Fr Toma Kanon Parish Priest and His Beatitude Mar Meelis. The second day of the conference comprised of seminars at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) where Rev’d Mark Beale of the Anglican Church spoke about Serving God in Body and Spirit, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis spoke …

Beloved Clergy and Faithful of the Assyrian Church of the East in the U.S., greetings and peace in the Name of the Holy Trinity! ​Recently the Supreme Court of the United States legally upheld and created a right for people of the same sex to be married across the United States of America. As the hierarchs of the three dioceses that serve and minister to the flock of Christ in the Assyrian Church of the East in the United States of America, we extend this statement as a reaffirmation of the Church’s eternal teaching regarding marriage and human sexuality. But first, we must remind all faithful that the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States strikes at deep feelings and convictions for many Americans and that, as Christians, our first duty is a Christian love that is as charitable as it is honest. ​Our Lord sought out the disenfranchised from the community of faith, corrected the sin, healed the effects of sin, and restored the sinner to full membership in the People of God. Such a restoration always presumes a life marked by repentance of every Christian. All true Christians respond to sin with a prayerful movement of …

His Grace Mar Emmanuel Yosip, Bishop of Canada has received the award for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Syriac Studies from the University of Toronto after many years of diligent study. His Grace’s dissertation is entitled ‘The Book of Resh Melle by Yohannan Bar Penkaye: An Introduction to the Text and Study of its Literary Genres’. It was defended in a Final Oral Examination at the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies on May 28, 2015. The examination committee for His Grace’s defence was comprised of:  1. Professor A. Harrak (Supervisor) 2. Professor P.A. Beaulieu 3. Professor A.K. Ali 4. Professor A Becker (External Examiner) 5. Professor V. Li (Exam Chair) In addition to his undergraduate studies, His Grace also holds a Master’s Degree in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto. Assyrian Church News offers its congratulations to His Grace on this significant achievement, praying for his continued success as shepherd of the Assyrian Church of the East in Canada.   

For Immediate Release 4 June 2015  The holy Council of Prelates of the Assyrian Church of the East, presided by His Beatitude Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of All India and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, continued its plenary working session on Thursday, June 4, 2015. By the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the Prelates continued to discuss the important matter of the election of the new Catholicos-Patriarch; as the chief shepherd has not yet been elected by the Prelates. Any other news to the contrary is incorrect and null.​  The Council of Prelates continues to seek the prayers of our faithful as their shepherds and fathers in Christ, in our deliberations to elect the new Chief Shepherd and Father of Fathers for our holy Church. May the Lord bless you all in the name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Amen.  Given at the episcopal residence in Dohuk, Iraq, this 4th day of June, 2015. Mar Awa Royel ♰ By Grace: Bishop of California; Secretary of the Holy Synod

The holy Council of Prelates of the Assyrian Church of the East, presided by His Beatitude Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of All India and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, was officially called into session at the episcopal residence in Dohuk, Iraq on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. All the metropolitans and bishops were present for this council for the first full day of the ongoing extraordinary session of the Council.​ By the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the prelates began the important process of electing the catholicos-patriarch to the Holy See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, after the vacancy of the Holy See with the falling asleep in the Lord of the late Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV, of blessed memory. The prelates, in a fraternal and charitable spirit, are in the process of discernment and election, guided by the Holy Spirit. ​The other work of the extraordinary Council of Prelates is concerned with the matter of our present dialogue with the Ancient Church of the East. The Council of Bishops met in a special assembly on June 1, 2015 in Arbel, Iraq, in order to respond to the requests of their bishops. As of the release of this statement, the Council of …