Assyrian Patriarch Passes Away

Assyrian Patriarch Passes Away
By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST and the ASSIST News Service
CHICAGO, IL (ANS – March 27, 2015) -- The Patriarch of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, His Holiness Khanania Dinkha IV, died Thursday at 10:04 AM at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
According to the Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org), the cause of death was a virus infection and pneumonia.
The Bishop of India, Mar Aprim Mooken, will serve as acting patriarch until a new patriarch is elected.
Patriarch Dinkha, the 111th Patriarch of the Church of the East, was consecrated as Patriarch on October 17, 1976, serving 39 years at his post. His tenure was the tenth longest in church history. He moved the Holy See of the Church of the East to Morton Grove, a suburb of Chicago, shortly after his consecration because of political instability in Iraq.
AINA said that Patriarch Dinkha was born in Iraq on September 15, 1935. He was ordained a priest on July 15, 1957 and appointed to the ministry in Urmia, Iran. He was consecrated as bishop on February 11, 1962. He became patriarch after Patriarch Eshai Shimun was assassinated in 1976.
Patriarch Dinkha is credited with rebuilding the church, which had neared the brink of destruction after the assassination of his predecessor. He translated portions of the liturgy from classical Assyrian (Syriac) to modern Assyrian and brought stability and peace to a church in turmoil.
“Patriarch Dinkha was a warm, fatherly figure and a role model for members of the Church of the East. His
yearly Christmas and Easter epistles would stress the national Assyrian identity of the three major Assyrian denominations -- the Church of the East, the Chaldean Church of Babylon and the Syriac Orthodox Church,” said a spokesperson for AINA.
“He enjoined members of the church to be faithful citizens of all countries in which they reside, and he would always be thronged by supporters wherever he visited. His most eternal message was that of ecumenism, which he was passionate about, and the desire to see all Apostolic Churches in communion with one another as equals, accepting each other's sacraments and consecrations.
“Under his reign, the Church of the East signed a Common Christological Declaration with the Roman Catholic Church, then headed by Pope John Paul II.”
On September 16, 2008 Patriarch Dinkha conducted a prayer service at the Syriac Orthodox Church in BBrussels. Citing the continuing attacks on Assyrians in the Middle East, he called for the establishment of an Assyrian-administered unit in Iraq's Nineveh Plains and unity of Assyrians from different denominations.
The Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, said in a letter of condolence to the Church, “His Holiness Mar Dinka IV’s life and legacy symbolize the values of faith, strength, humility, and integrity. As a man and a leader, and true steward of the people, he selflessly served and empowered people of all backgrounds. For a lifetime, he served in ranking roles within the Assyrian Church of the East and set a stellar example of stewardship not only in Iraq and the Middle East, but around the globe. His strong faith, coupled with the love of his family and friends, and fellow worshippers, will always be remembered.”
The funeral service will be held on April 8 at St. George Church in Chicago.
Photo caption: Pope John Paul II signing the Common Christological Agreement between the Church of the East and the Roman Catholic church (Photo: AINA).
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