Paul (Yazigi)

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Diyarbakir is the former metropolitan of the archdiocese of Aleppo (Haleb), Syria, of the Church of Antioch.

Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo

Life

Metropolitan Paul (Rami) Yazigi was born in 1959 in the coastal city of Lattakya (Syria) into a very devout Christian family. After graduating from the secondary school, where he excelled in his studies, he entered the University of Tishreen and pursued courses for a Civil Engineering degree. While at the university, he was active in youth ministry, sunday school, and Byzantine music training. In 1985, he was ordained a deacon. After graduating, he studied theology at the University of Thessaloniki, graduating in 1989 with a Master's degree and in 1992 with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Theology, with excellence. His thesis, written in Greek, has been published as a book titled: Eschatology & Ethics: The Eschatological Foundations of the Life in Christ According to St. John Chrysostom (Thessaloniki, Greece, 1992). He also studied Byzantine music and iconography in Greece and at Mount Athos.

Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo

In 1992, Metr. Paul was ordained to the priesthood and began teaching patrology, ethics, and homiletics at the St. John of Damascus Institute at the University of Balamand in Lebanon. In 1994, he was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite. From 1994 to 2001 he served as Dean of the Institute of Theology. In 1999, the Holy Synod commended him for his work at the Institute. On October 2, 2000, he was elected Metropolitan of Aleppo by the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch. His election was followed by his consecration as bishop at Mariamieh Cathedral in Damascus on October 20. He was enthroned in Aleppo on October 22.

Since his elevation to metropolitan, Metr. Paul was active in ordination of his clergy. He had, through mid 2008, performed 24 ordinations to the holy diaconate and to the holy priesthood in Aleppo and in Turkey. He was appointed, in September 2005, representative of the Patriarchate of Antioch to the official theological discussions between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He also was commissioned by the Patriarch to minister the region of Hatay in Turkey that is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate.

He was kidnapped in Aleppo along with the Syriac Orthodox archbishop John Ibrahim on April 22nd 2013.

In October 2021, Paul was transferred in absentia to the honorary (titular) see of Diyarbakir, with Ephreim Maalouli becoming metropolitan of Aleppo in his stead.

Succession box: Paul (Yazigi)
Preceded by: Elias (Youssef)	Metropolitan of Aleppo and Iskandaron 2000-2021	Succeeded by: Ephreim Maalouli
Preceded by: —	Metropolitan of Diyarbakir 2021-present	Succeeded by: —

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Writings and translations

• Homelies (I), Triodion and Pentecostarion, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, 2006.

• Homelies (II), Minaion, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, 2006.

• Two Voyagers between heaven & earth, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Bosra, 2005.

• St Arsenios the Capadoc, of Gerontas Paissios, ed. Holy Monastery of Balamand – Lebanon, 1997 (Translation from Greek).

• Psalms 50 & 62, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 74, 1996.

• Staretz Ilarion, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 67, 1995 (Translation from Greek).

• Staretz Samson, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 657, 1995 (Translation from Greek).

• The power of the Name, ed. Holy Monastery of the Dormition – Blemana, 1994 (Translation from English).

• Letter of love – Basics of the Christian faith, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 58, 1994 (Translation from Greek).

• Spiritual Anthologia (I), ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 57, 1994.

• St Cassionos the Roman, ed. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Lattakia, no. 54, 1993 (Translation from Greek).

• Self knowledge and agape according to Gerontas Joseph the Hesychas (Greek), Holy Monastery of Makhairas, Cyprus 2005.

• Brief account of the Ecumenical Activities in the Middle East (English), Fairacres Chronicle, Vol. 36, Issue 2, Spring 2003, Oxford, England, pp. 27-33.

• Woman in the Bible and the Church Fathers (Greek), Synaxis Eukharistias, ed. Indoktos, Greece, 2003, pp. 205-236.

• Fleshly, psychic and spiritual man according to Apostle Paul and to St John Chrysostom, Chronicle of the Theological Faculty of Balamand, issues 3-5, 2001-2002 & 2002-2003, pp. 48-65.

• Globalization (Arabic & English), Chronicle of the Theological Faculty of Balamand, issues 2-3, 1999-2000 & 2000-2001, pp. 155-203.

• Woman in the Bible and the Church Fathers (Arabic), Al Nashra, Patriarchate of Antioch; AL Arabiya, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Bosra.

• The Christian vision of unity in a multicultural world – the approach of St Maxim the Confessor (Arabic), Al Nashra, Patriarchate of Antioch.

Sermons

Elevation of the Cross

• Elevation of the Cross-1 The Sign of the Cross
• Sunday After Elevation Who I Am & What I Own

Luke Sundays

• 1st Sunday of Luke The Fisher’s and The Apostle’s Faith
• 3rd Sunday of Luke Mankind And Divine Providence
• 4th Sunday of Luke The Sower & the Earth
• 5th Sunday of Luke The Human Sensitiveness About Life And Death
• 8th Sunday of Luke Who Is My Neighbour
• 9th Sunday of Luke The Fool

Nativity/Epiphany

• Nativity Christ's Cradle or Grave
• Sunday before Epiphany Prepare the way of the Lord
• Epiphany The Divine Pleasure and Human Love

Triodion

• Sunday of the Prodigal Son The Door of Repentance
• Sunday of the Last Judgment The meaning of love
• Sunday of Forgivness The Healing of Humanity

Great Lent

• Sunday of Orthodoxy The Icon & The Vision of GodThe Vision of GodOrthodoxy through the Past and into the Future
• Sunday of Gregory Palamas Sin from a Palamite View and from a Rational view
• Veneration of the Cross Is Christ the last ChristianThe Eternal Wooden Altar
• Sunday of St John Climacus Prayer and fastingFaith and Pain
• Sunday of St Mary of Egypt The Pleasurable or the WearisomeThe Blood of Christ and our Baptism

Holy Week

• Palm Sunday The King of Peace

• Great Monday (Mattin) The Unfruitful Fig Tree

• Great Tuesday (Mattin) The Dynamic Love & the Rigid Attitude of the Pharisee

• Great Wednesday (Mattin) Chastity & Resurrection

• Great Wednesday (Liturgy) Theory & Practice

• Great Friday (Mattin)The Golgotha of History

• Great Saturday (Mattin) The Death of God & the Life of Man

Pentecostarion

• Pascha Christ is Risen

• Sunday of Thomas My Lord and My God

• The Myhrr bearers Women The Myrrh-Bearers

• Sunday of the Paralytic The Living and Life-Giving Word

• Sunday of the Samaritan Who is Jesus Christ Risen from the Dead and Living Eternally

• Sunday of the Blind Man Pain & the ResurrectionThe Christening of Creation

• The Ascension The Divine Glory & Human Joy

• The Fathers of 1st Ecumenical Synod The Unity of Christians

• Pentecost The Kneeling Service

Matthew's Sundays

• 1st Sunday of Matthew Jesus, the All in All

• 2sd Sunday of Matthew The Call of the First Disciples

• 4th Sunday of Matthew The Effective Word of God

• 5th Sunday of Matthew Thy Kingdom Come

• 6th Sunday of Matthew An Age of Spirit or of Matter

• 10th Sunday of Matthew The Mustard Seed of Man’s Work & the Mountains of Grace

• 11th Sunday of Matthew The Bond Linking Myself to my Neighbor

• 14th Sunday of Matthew The Heavenly Wedding Garments

• 17th Sunday of Matthew Faith & the Atheism of Religions

Minaion

• The Three Hierarchs The Three HierarchsThe Word and Pastoral Care

• The Feast of Sts Peter & Paul The Kiss of Virtues

• Feast of St. John the Theologian Heavenly Wings

• The Feast of the Archangels Who Are You

Articles

• Metropolitan Paul's lecture as Dean of St John Damascene Institute of theology - Balamand, at the opening of the academic year 98 - 99 Who is the Theologian
• Metropolitan Paul's lecture, at Cambridge University Autumn 2002, addressing the students of the master degree program The Scope of Knowledge and that of Faith
• Metropolitan Paul's lecture, November 8th 2002, addressing the members of the Orthodox Institute at Camvridge University and memvers of St Alban & Peter Fellowship Fleshly, Psychic and Spiritual Man - Flesh’s and Soul’s Warfare - According to the Apostle Paul and St John Chrysostom
• Metropolitan Paul's lecture, September 11th 2002, at "East & West Meeting", Minster Abbey, U.K. A Brief Account of Ecumenical Activities in the Middle East
• Metropolitan Paul's lecture at the International Peace Conference in Aachen - Germany, September 7th 2003, organized by St Egidio Community Symphony and Heterophony Among Religions-Demarcation Line between Religiosity and Fundamentalism-

External links

• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo