patriarch ignatius iv

“ I learn my theology from looking at the faces of people.”Delivered at the official memorial for the Patriarch held at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY on December 16, 2012.

Patriarch Ignatius was born in Mouharde, Syria, a village in the Middle East similar to Bethlehem and Nazareth. This is why, when talking about Jesus, he often said, “Jesus was one of us. He talked our language (Aramaic-Syriac); He ate our food, and practiced our traditions.”

What follows is to be considered a diary/stream-of consciousness and not an objective report. I have included thoughts, opinions and, from time to time, what might be considered a value judgment. It was written mostly on the return trip from Beirut so that there might be a record of fresh memories concerning a milestone event in the continuing life of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

Upon hearing that Patriarch Ignatius IV had passed into eternity, I called Metropolitan Philip who agreed that I attend the funeral. That same day, Thursday December 6, 2012, passport and Lebanese Visa in hand, I left for Beirut.

Since 1979, Ignatius IV achieved many milestones during his tenure as Patriarch and earlier as a Patriarchal Vicar. The revival of St. John of Damascus School of Theology at Balamand and the building of the University of Balamand have impacted many beyond the borders of the local Church in the Middle East.

Prayers in the Chapel of St. John Chrysostom upon arrival in Englewood.On Tuesday October 16th, 2012, His Beatitude Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and all The East, arrived in the United States for a short stay which included several official functions. He was met at the airport by His Eminence Metropolitan Philip, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and a contingent of over 30 clergy and laity. His motorcade was escorted by officers from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department to the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey where His Beatitude resided during his stay in this area.

On Thursday October 18th, 2012, an Historic meeting of educators from Lebanon and the United States was held under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Ignatius IV at the Antiochian Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The following people attended and participated in this meeting: