Posted on 12/06/2012 8:13:35 AM PST by marshmallow
Moscow, December 6, Interfax - Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All the East has died at the age of 91, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, deputy head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, told Interfax-Religion on Wednesday.
The Antioch Church is one of the 15 Local Orthodox Churches in the world. It comprises parishes located on the territory of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Patriarch Ignatius was born in 1921. In 1942, he was among the organizers of an Orthodox young people's movement, which developed in Lebanon and Syria during WW II. That movement gave new energy to the entire Antioch Church and drew young people to the Church, the Moscow Patriarchate said on its website.
Patriarch Ignatius was elected the 166th Patriarch of Antioch on July 2, 1979. His enthronement took place on July 8, 1979.
At my parish last night, after Divine Liturgy (for St Nicholas Day), we said the Trisagion Prayers for His Beatitude.
The Holy Synod of Antioch will meet soon and choose one of its members as the next Patriarch.
RIP.
I reckon every Antiochian parish in the world that held services said the Trisagion for the Departed, eh? And probably many in other jurisdictions as well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.