Paul (Yazigi)

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His Eminence Paul (Yazigi) is Metropolitan of Aleppo (Haleb), Syria.

I. Before the Archpastoral Diakonia

1- Birth & Childhood

His Eminence PAUL (Rami) Yazigi was born in 1959 in the coastal city of Lattakya (Syria). Being raised in a very devout family, he was taught from his youth to love and care for the Church. He lived in Lattakya and excelled in his studies. After graduating from the Secondary school, he pursued a Civil Engineering Degree at the University of Tishreen. During his university studies, he played a leading role in youth ministry, Sunday School, and Byzantine Music Training.

2- Theological Academic Profile

- Studies: His Eminence studied Theology at the University of Thessaloniki and obtained both a Masters (1989) and a Ph.D. (1992) in Theology, having graduated with excellence. His Thesis written in Greek has been published in a book, “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 the best schools of Greece and in Mount Athos.

- Teaching: Since 1992, His Eminence Teaches Patrology, Ethics and Homiletics at the Theological of St John Damascene at the U.O.B (University Of Balamand) in Lebanon.  Deanery: He was appointed Dean of the Theological of St John Damascene at the U.O.B from 1994 until 2001. In 1999, the Holy Synod gave His Eminence a written letter commanding him of his work there. During the same period, he has been appointed Abbot of Balamand Monastery, to which he gave a special attention to the Monastery, repairing and supporting it, with the help of His Beatitude Patriarch IGNATIUS IV.

3- Ordination

Year 1985: ordination to the holy diaconate.

Year 1992: ordination to the holy priesthood.

Year 1994: elevation to the dignity of archimandrite.

Year 2000: elected as Metropolitan of Aleppo by all the members of the Holy Synod (October 2), ordination at Mariamieh Cathedral in Damascus (October 20), enthroned in Aleppo (October 22).

II. Archpastoral Diakonia

1. Ordinations

During his archpastoral ministry, His Eminence has performed 24 ordinations to the holy diaconate and to the holy priesthood of the below mentioned clergymen:  In Aleppo: Archimandrite Silouan Moussi, Archimandrite Dimitrios Sharbak, Archimandrite Efraim Toumeh (now ministering at the Archdiocese of Bagdad & Koweit), Archimandrite Elias Toumeh, Hieromonk Symeon Dib, Hieromonk Kyrillos Obeid, Presbyter Elias Farah, Hieromonk Basilios Kodsieh, Hieromonk Andrea Marcos, Hierodeacon Romanos Daoud, Hierodeacon Moises AL Khassi, Hierodeacon Antoine Ibrahim and Hierodeacon Gabriel Azar;  In Turkey: Presbyter Esper Teymour (Mersin), Presbyter Dimitrios Dogeim (Antioch), Presbyter Jean Dalloul.

2. Synodical Commissions

Member of the Synodical Commission for the preparation of the Antiochian General clerico-laic Convention.  Representative of the Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East in the Official Theological between the Orthodox and Catholic Church, since September 2005.  Commissioned by the Patriarch to minister the whole region of Hatay in Turkey that is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate.

3. Official Receptions

• Year 2005:

- September 26: His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I, at Sts Peter & Paul Cathedral in Antioch.

• Year 2004:

- May 12: His Beatitude Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Narsis Bedros 19th. - March 6: Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Office for the unity of Christians at the Vatican. - October 30: Her Highness Queen of Spain, Sophia.

• Year 2003:

- December 25: His Excellency the Syrian Prime Minister, Mr Mohammad Naji Otri. - November 29-30: His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Christodoulos.

• Year 2002:

- March 15- 17: Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Office for the unity of Christians at the Vatican, at the inauguration of St Joseph Church in Hamdanieh (Aleppo).

• Year 2000:

- October 21-22: His Eminence Pierre Duprey, late president of the Pontifical Office for the unity of Christians at the Vatican, at the Enthronement of Metropolitan Paul in Aleppo.

4. Official Visits

• Year 2005: (April 15-17) visit to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and all Jordan, Amman, Jordan.

• Year 2004: (August 14-16) presiding the Dormition festivities at the Holy Monastery of Makhairas, Cyprus.

• Year 2001: (September) visit to some monasteries in Mount Athos.

5. Ecumenical Relationship

• Friend of St Egidio community: participation, since 2002 up till now, to their annual international conferences in September, and to their annual bishops conference in February.

• Friend of Focolary Fellowship: participation to “International Ecumenical Conference of Bishops”, in Istanbul, November 23-December 1, 2003.

• Friend of Minster Abbey community, in Ramsgate-Kent, in U.K., and participation to their international meetings: “East-West meeting” (September 2002), “Contemporary Monasticism” (September 2004).

6. International Conferences

• Year 2005:

- October 26: “Christian Mysticism: Gerontas Joseph the Hesychast”, at Limassol – Cyprus, organized the Archdiocese of Limassol and the University of Athens and the University of Thessalonica. Paper presented: “Self knowledge and agape according to Gerontas Joseph the Hesychast”.

- September 25-29: representation of H.B. Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, at “Hatay 1st International Conference”, organized by the Turkish Government, in Antioch – Turkey.

- September 4-7: the 9th International Conference “The Divine Liturgy according to Eastern and Western Traditions in the light of the ecumenical relationship”, in Assizi – Italy, organized by the Franciscan Spiritual Pontifical Institute (Antonianum) Rome and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Thessalonica. His Eminence presided over one of its sessions.

- June 26-28: the 9th Tarsus-Antioch International Conference “Apostle Paul from Tarsus to Antioch: architecture, history, religion”, in Antioch – Turkey, organized by the Franciscan Spiritual Pontifical Institute (Antonianum) Rome and Mustafa Kamal University. Paper presented: “Fleshly, psychic and spiritual man according to Apostle Paul and to St John Chrysostom”.

• Year 2004:

- November 3-7: the 18th International Conference “Christian Thessalonica”, in Thessalonica – Greece, organized by the University of Thessalonica. Paper presented: “Theory and Praxis according to ST Gregory Palamas - Contribution to contemporary monasticism”.

- September 20-24: the 1st International Conference “Christianity & Culture: facing plurality”, in London – U.K., organized by Trinity Institute for Christianity and Culture – TICC (Church of England). Paper presented: “The Christian vision of unity in a multicultural world – the approach of ST Maxim the Confessor”.

- September 5-7: The international Conference “Religions & Cultures: the courage to a new humanism”, in Milan – Italy, organized by St Egidio community. Paper presented: “The biblical vision of the Family – Contemporary issues”.

• Year 2003:

- September 5-7: International Conference “Peace & War: Faiths and Cultures in dialogue”, in Aachen – Germany, accompanying H.B. Patriarch Ignatius IV, organized by St Egidio community. Paper presented: “Symphony and heterophony among religions – Demarcation line between religiosity and fundamentalism”.

• Year 2002:

- September 12-18: “East-West meeting”, in Ramsgate-Kent – U.K., organized by Minster Abbey. Paper presented: “Brief account of the Ecumenical Activities in the Middle East”.

- September 1-3: International Conference “Faiths and Cultures in confrontation & dialogue”, in Palermo – Italy, organized by St Egidio community. Participation to Panel: “Christians & Muslims living together in Syria”.

• Year 2001:

- September 26-30: the 5th International Conference for Orthodox Theological Faculties, in Belgrade – Yugoslavia, as dean of ST John of Damascus Faculty of Theology at University of Balamand – Lebanon. Paper presented: “Theology facing the 3rd Millenium”.

• Year 2000:

- August 21-26: Conference of Christian Catechism, in Beirut – Lebanon. Paper Presented: “The Christian Ecumenical Catechism”.

7. Publishing: Writings and Translations into Arabic

• 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).

8. Published articles

• “Self knowledge and agape according to Gerontas Joseph the Hesychast” (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.

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