His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas

Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas, the 121st successor to St. Peter in the Apostolic See of Antioch. His Holiness was born on April 21, 1933 into the faithful family of 'Iwas' in Mosul, Iraq. After the death of his parents, Young Zakka decided to enter into the ecclesiastical life, thus fulfilling the wishes of his beloved father. But then some of his family members who felt bad about the parentless child being dragged into  difficult circumstances, tried to discourage him. However our holy father, who from the age of six dreamt of becoming a monk, remained determined in his choice which finally paved the way for the family too to comply with his decision. Thus he joined the St. Ephrem Theological Seminary in Mosul in 1946 at the age of 13 and was henceforth came to be called 'Zakka'.

On November 28, 1948, young Zakka was ordained 'Koroyoo' (Deacon) by H. E. Mor Athanasius Touma Kasseer and on February 8, 1953, he was elevated to the rank of 'Afodyaknoh' (Half Deacon) by H.E. Mor Gregorios Paulos Behnam.  The very next year he graduated with a diploma from the seminary.

June 6, 1954,  is an important date in the life of His Holiness. The Holy father accepted the order of monastic life on that day. He was then 21. It was Mor Gregorios Paulos Behnam who ordained him, Rabban.On November 17, 1957, Patriarch Mor Yaqub III ordained him a priest.

On  April 15, 1959, the Patriarch decorated him with ‘the Holy cross of the grand monk. On November 17, 1963, Rabban Zakka was ordained Metropolitan by the Patriarch Mor Yaqub III  for the Mosul Archbishopric with title 'Severious'. Thus he came to be known as Mor Severios Zakka.

On June 26, 1980, the Patriarch Mor Ya`qub-III passed away and was entombed at the St. George Cathedral, Damascus. Consequent to this, the Episcopal Synod was called to choose the new successor to the Apostolic See.  The Holy Synod held on July 11, 1980, with His Beatitude the Catholicos of the East Mor Baselios Paulose II in the chair, unanimously elected Mor Severios Zakka, Archbishop of Baghdad and Basra as the new Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. This marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the Church.

On September 14, 1980, Mor Severios was installed as the 122nd Patriarch of Antioch & all the East, by name IGNATIUS ZAKKA I, in a rite officiated by the late lamented Catholicos of the East Aboon Mar Baselios Paulose-II, along with the archbishops of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church.  It was for the first time in the history of the Universal Syrian Church that the chief celebrant for the Patriarchal enthronement was an Indian.