Lebanon: Syriac Patriarch Mor Ignatius Younan III celebrates 25th anniversary

BEIRUT – In a celebratory ceremony, Syriac Patriarch Mor Ignatius Younan III celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary. In the presence of all Syriac Catholic bishops from around the world, brother patriarchs Syriac Maronite Patriarch Mor Bechara Boutros Raï and Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ephrem II and many invitees.

The anniversary ceremony was held after a special holy mass on the concluding day of the Holy Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church held in Harissa, Lebanon.

Mor Younan III was put in the spotlights with a read-out congratulatory letter from Catholic Pope Francis of Rome, and speeches by Mor Bechara Boutros Rai and Mor Ignatius Ephrem II who reminisced the time when the two were bishops in the United States.

Among the invitees was President of the Universal Syriac Union Party in Lebanon Ibrahim Mrad and Vice-President Layla Latte.

The ceremony was live broadcasted on satellite channel Noursat (our news desk learned that many viewers were disappointed that most of the holy mass and ceremony was held in the Arabic language instead of the Syriac language which is the liturgical language of the Syriac churches).