SOC Patriarch's Omologia

[SyroMalankara]

Thought this would be of interest to us Eastern Catholics, especially of the Syriac Tradition:

The Omologia (a Greek word that means “Statement of Faith”) of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.

Patriarch Michael Rabo (d. 1199) explains: “[The Patriarch-elect] is to write with his own hand a declaration of his Orthodox faith which he is obliged to keep: to act justly and righteously, to adhere to the Apostolic canons, to accept the learned and recognized Church Doctors and the three Synods, to reject heretics, to commit himself diligently striving for the peace and progress of the entire Church of God, to reconcile and bring back the dissidents, and so on. He may not, however, write or declare that he is to submit to anyone of those who are about to install him as they submit to him, for they are not to bring charges against him in any matter unless he deviates from the Orthodox faith.” (Manuscript Vatican Syr 51 which was written in 1172 by Michael Rabo; i.e. an autograph.)

His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II chose to base the theological parts of his Statement of Faith on the one written by Patriarch Ciryacus of Takrit (798-817), preserved in Manuscript St. Mark’s (Jerusalem) no. 129 (published by Dayroyo Mikael Öz in Cyriacus of Tagrit and his Book on Divine Providence) in addition to his own statements. The Statement of Faith was printed on canvas scroll with artwork (image attached). The image in the middle is derived from Manuscript BNF 112 (Paris) dated 1239 (the original image is a Patriarch ordaining a bishop, but was redone to seat the Patriarch of the original image, turn the Patriarch of the original image to the Maphryono, and redo the faces of the two deacons to resemble (as much as possible) Christopher Karim (HH’s nephew) and Sebastian Kenoro (my son). All this art work was done by Kelly Silar.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Here is an English translation of the Statement of Faith:

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen.

His Beatitude, our brother Mor Baselios Thoma I, the esteemed Maphryono of India.
Their Eminences the Metropolitans and Bishops of the Syriac Orthodox Church which is loved by Christ and is protected by the Lord.

Since the Holy Spirit called my weak self and you have chosen me-I, the sinner, servant of the Lord-to be seated, by the Grace of God and not by worthiness, on the see of St. Peter the Apostle, the See of Antioch, and to become a general father for the children of Christ our Lord, the Syriac Orthodox Church, I bow my head in front of Him, He Who called me by His infinite knowledge and His incomprehensible wisdom. And I ask of Him, our High-Priest, for wisdom and help to be able to complete my duties with the fear of God and fitting care, to serve this great and holy rank, to work for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, and to labor for the exaltation of the Holy Church.

Because by the grace of God, and by your decree which you have taken counsel together, I am about to approach the exalted rank of the Patriarchate, these declarations of belief are required of me which are in every respect in accordance with the priestly canons and the teaching of the holy fathers, those which I confess before the all-knowing God that with an unshakeable, unchangeable, and resolute will I will embrace and hold onto them until the end of my life. These things, therefore, which are placed in my mind, which by the aid of God I will preserve until my last breath, without error and correctly, are as follows:

I promise before God and His elect angels, that I will unswervingly keep the orthodox faith, that which is from the beginning and from the time of the holy apostles, which the three hundred and eighteen holy fathers received and confirmed at Nicaea, and the holy synod of one hundred and fifty holy fathers, which was gathered in Constantinople, ratified, and likewise the holy synod of Ephesus.
I confess the doctrine of the holy Trinity. That is, three holy qnumē (hypostases) or parsupē (persons), of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, which are known by three particular characteristics, by unbegottenness, and begottenness, and procession. The Father, then, is unbegotten, as He is the cause for the Son and the Spirit. The Son, however, is begotten from the Father, and not from any other. So the Holy Spirit is also a true qnumo, just like the Father and the Son, for together with the fact that the Son was eternally begotten from the Father, so also the Holy Spirit sprung forth by procession from the same Father, even though without being begotten like the Son, but by procession, as is seemly for the Holy Spirit. The three of them are one in Divinity, one God and one ousia (essence), and also one action, one will, one creatorship, one knowledge, but not three gods.

I confess that one of these holy qnumē, I mean the Word God, at the end of times was incarnated for the sake of our salvation from the Holy Virgin, unacquainted with coupling, Mary the Mother of God, who in her soul and in her body was first purified by the Spirit, and He became like us in everything, ‘apart from sin’, as it is written. And thus He was born from her, truly but without passion, and not by false illusion, since He did not cause a body to descend for Him from heaven, nor did He pass through the Virgin as though through a pipe, but He was incarnate from her essence, without tearing the seals of her virginity. And so He was one kyono (being) in His eternal state, and He is the same one being in His incarnate state. But He, however, who was simple and not composite, invisible and untouchable, the same He became composite for our sake, in His manifestation from the Virgin, simultaneously visible and touchable, eternal and temporal, and not one and another. But He Himself is one composite kyono (being) and qnumo (hypostasis) .
These things are such understood. While I acknowledge the teachers of orthodoxy, the holy fathers, and reverently embrace their teachings, I cast down as preachers under anathema all those who were corrupters of the orthodox.

I believe in the Sacraments of the Church and I accept the Holy Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments. I promise to uphold the Apostolic Canons, Church Law, and the Patristic Tradition, and I shall never depart from them at all.
I promise to walk in the path of serving the house of God and the faithful honorably, truthfully, flawlessly, actively, and diligently; to be unwavering in fasting and prayer for myself and for the flock of Christ that was entrusted to me to shepherd; to be peaceful, humble, and hospitable to all as our Lord Jesus Christ taught; and to stay far away from drunkenness, greed, usury, conflicts, grudges, cruelty, and vengeance, as Paul the Apostle taught.

I vow to work with my brothers, the bishops of the Church with the love of God and in a spirit of fraternity so that our entire service will be for the glory of God and the exaltation of His Holy Church.

 

[SyroMalankara]

I also proclaim the oneness of faith with my partners in the Apostolic ministry, the shepherds of the sister Oriental Orthodox Churches. I accept the general statements of faith produced by the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, in particular the statements produced in Chambésy in 1990 and 1993. I consent to the agreement that took place between my two immediate predecessors and the Heads of the Church of Rome in 1971 and 1984, as well as the agreement with the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in 1991.

I, Cyril Aphrem, who by the mercy of God am the Metropolitan of the Eastern United States, having made this confession of faith which is set down above, and having read and carefully considered the matters in it, and all of them having pleased me, and having agreed with it, I have signed with my signature. And I confirm that I will adhere to all of those things in it all the days of my life, without transgression or deviation. And I have confessed these things as though before God and his angels.

– From the facebook page of Dn. George Kiraz, Ph.D., Master of Ceremonies at the Patriarchal Enthronement

https://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1326910/hr/1621538326/name/PAphremII-Omologia.jpg

 

[spina1953]

Thought this would be of interest to us Eastern Catholics, especially of the Syriac Tradition:

The Omologia (a Greek word that means “Statement of Faith”) of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.

Patriarch Michael Rabo (d. 1199) explains: “[The Patriarch-elect] is to write with his own hand a declaration of his Orthodox faith which he is obliged to keep: to act justly and righteously, to adhere to the Apostolic canons, to accept the learned and recognized Church Doctors and the three Synods, to reject heretics, to commit himself diligently striving for the peace and progress of the entire Church of God, to reconcile and bring back the dissidents, and so on. He may not, however, write or declare that he is to submit to anyone of those who are about to install him as they submit to him, for they are not to bring charges against him in any matter unless he deviates from the Orthodox faith.” (Manuscript Vatican Syr 51 which was written in 1172 by Michael Rabo; i.e. an autograph.)

His Holiness Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II chose to base the theological parts of his Statement of Faith on the one written by Patriarch Ciryacus of Takrit (798-817), preserved in Manuscript St. Mark’s (Jerusalem) no. 129 (published by Dayroyo Mikael Öz in Cyriacus of Tagrit and his Book on Divine Providence) in addition to his own statements. The Statement of Faith was printed on canvas scroll with artwork (image attached). The image in the middle is derived from Manuscript BNF 112 (Paris) dated 1239 (the original image is a Patriarch ordaining a bishop, but was redone to seat the Patriarch of the original image, turn the Patriarch of the original image to the Maphryono, and redo the faces of the two deacons to resemble (as much as possible) Christopher Karim (HH’s nephew) and Sebastian Kenoro (my son). All this art work was done by Kelly Silar.

I thought Latin Catholic find this to be very good and sincere. Seems to me that he will do very well as Patriarch.