MORAN MOR IGHNATIUS EPHREM THE FIRST PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST
1932-1957

 Extracts from H.H.'s Biography

       Was born in Mosul - Iraq on 15th June 1887, and was christened by the name of Job (Ayoub, as pronounced in Syriac).

       Obtained his education in Mosul, and mastered both Arabic and French.

       In the year 1905, left Mosul to Za'faran Monastery, which used to be the SEE of Our Church, where he joined the other students at the Seminary there to master the Syriac language, and study philosophy, theology and other similar subjects.

       Moreover, and between Paris and Jerusalem, he added to his knowledge in Philosophical Sciences during the years 1913-1916.

       On 31OCT1905, he was ordained by Bishop Bahnam Samarji as a Reader and Sub-Deacon (Aphodyacon as pronounced in Syriac).

       On 31MAR1907, was ordained by H.H. Patriarch Abdallah the Second, as a Deacon, and on the second day he was promoted to the rank of monk, choosing for himself the name of our Syrian Scholar St. Ephraim, hence the name Ephrem came.

       On 08MAR1908, he was once again promoted to become a monk/priest by H.H. Patriarch Abdallah the Second, and was appointed as a lecturer in the Patriarchal school at Za'faran Monastery.

       In the year 1911 became the head of the Za'faran Monastery printing house, where he supervised the printing and publishing of several liturgical books, and had the chance to finalise and print several of his own writings.

       H.H. undertook a scientific trip during which he was able to see all the churches and monasteries, which are scattered around the Middle East, and was able to see the scrolls, those scrolls, have unfortunately been mostly destroyed during the Second World War.

       In the year 1913 visited most of the European Capital Cities with an aim to visit those cities famous libraries, he was able to see the libraries in Florence, Rome, Paris, Berlin, London especially the Cambridge library, bearing in mind that all those libraries contain a lot of Syriac heritage in the form of scrolls, books etc..

       In the year 1917 was appointed as a Vicar for Syria, and on 20MAY1918 was ordained as its Archbishop by H.H. Patriarch Elias the Third, at which time more responsibilities were added, whereby he became responsible on the church in both Aleppo and Lebanon.

       In the year 1919 H.H. represented the Syrian Orthodox Church at the Peace Convention held in Paris.

       In the year 1927, he went to Lausanne, and Geneva as an Apostolic Delegate to attend the International Religions Convention. During this visit he was also able to attend some of the United Nation's Council sessions.

       In the year 1928, he went on a visit to The United States of America in an attempt to check on the Syrian Orthodox Churches' situation there.

       During the years 1922 and 1923 he took care of those refugees coming from Celicia. Also in the year 1924 he took care of the Edessa's people who headed to Aleppo as refugees.

       In the year 1932, and at the time when the Syrian Orthodox Church lost its Patriarch H.H. Moran Mor Elias the Third, the Bishop Severius Ephrem was elected as Acting Patriarch (to take care of the Church's matters until the completion of the appointment of new Patriarch). However, on 30JAN1933 he was appointed as the Patriarch of Antioch, and named Moran Mor Ighnatius Ephrem the First.

       In the year 1939 he inaugurated the Seminary in Zahla - Lebanon, and in the year 1945 this Seminary was transferred to Mosul - Iraq.

       On 23JUN1957 departed this world to the eternal life, and his body was buried in The Syrian Orthodox Church (Um Al-Zunnar Church) Homs - Syria.

       Several books, translations (either printed or written by himself) in the Syrian heritage and literature. Also arranged for several indexes for the Syrian scrolls, which are scattered all around the world in different libraries (either the public or private libraries).

Source: The Light, Volume 1.33, 23 June 1996
Produced by St.Ephaim's Syrian Orthodox Church; Perth - Western Australia

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