Ignatius Zakka I

Sanharib Iwas was born on 21 April 1931 in Mosul, Iraq. His parents named him after Sennacherib, the father of St. Behnam.{{cite web On 17 November 1957, Patriarch Ya`qub III ordained Deacon Zakka a priest and, two years later, gave him the pectoral cross as rabban. In 1960, he pursued further study in New York City. There, he studied oriental languages and completed a master's degree in English at the City University and a further master's in pastoral theology at the General Theological Seminary. ==Metropolitan bishop==

In 1962 and 1963, Rabban Zakka was delegated by the patriarch as an observer at Second Vatican Council. On 17 November 1963, he was consecrated metropolitan bishop by Patriarch Ya'qub with the name Mor Severios Zakka. The next year, during renovation work on the sanctuary wall of the metropolitan church in Mosul, what were reputed to be the remains of the Apostle Thomas were found. In 1969, Mor Severios transferred to be archbishop of Baghdad and Basra. Nine years later, he was given additional responsibility for the new diocese of Australia. ==Patriarch of Syriac Orthodox Church==

Following the death of Patriarch Ya`qub III on 25 June 1980, Mor Severios Zakka was elected by the synod of the church to succeed him the 122nd Syriac Patriarch of Antioch. He was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September, the day of the feast of the Cross, by Mor Baselios Paulose (Paul) II, Catholicos of the East, at St. George's Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus, Syria. A second visit to India was in April 2000 to attend the Golden Jubilee of the Chief Metropolitan of the East Mor Cleemis Abraham, it lasted three days. The third visit to India came for the occasion of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Patriarchal enthronement in September 2004, the third visit lasted two weeks. The fourth and last visit was in 2008 for the 80th Birthday celebration of Catholicos Mor Baselios Thomas I which also lasted two weeks. ==Episcopal succession==

During Ignatius Zakka time as Patriarch and Metropolitan, he had the duty to ordain and consecrate many Metropolitans in the Syriac Orthodox church in addition to 66 monks and nuns and hundreds of priests and deacons. The list includes one future patriarch also. • Cyril Aphrem Karim (1996–2014). Metropolitan of the Eastern United States. Later, he was elected as Ignatius Aphrem II, the 123rd Patriarch of Syriac Orthodox Church (2014–Present). • Theophilus George Saliba (1981). Metropolitan of Mount Lebanon • Severus Isaac Saka (1981). Patriarchal Vicar for Syriac Studies • Philoxenus Elias Malke (1982–1984). Metropolitan of Tur-Abdin • Christimous Moosa Salama (1982). Patriarchal Vicar in Brazil • Severus Abrohom (1982). Metropolitan Assistant in India • Eustatius Benjamin (1984). Metropolitan in India • Timothy Samuel Aktash (1985). Metropolitan of Diyarbakir • Philoxenus Yousef (1986). Patriarchal vicar in Istanbul • Julius Abdulahad Shabo (1987). Metropolitan of Sweden • Iwannis Paul (1990). Bishop and Patriarchal Vican in Damascus • Pulicarpus M.B. George (1990). Metropolitan for Eastern Society Evangelism • Eustatius MAtta Rohem (1990). Metropolitan of Al-Jazira and Al-Furat • Malatius John Rajan (1990). Metropolitan of Trishur in India • Clement Augin Kabalan (1991). Metropolitan of the Western United States • Nicolas Zakariya (1993). Metropolitan for Indian dioceses in US & Canada • Gregorius Joseph (1996). Metropolitan of Kugin in India • Dioscorus Benjamin Atash. Patriarchal vicar in Sweden • Severus Malke (1996). Patriarchal vicar Jerusalem, Jordan and the Holy Lands • Dionysius Issa Karbouz (1996). Patriarchal vicar in Germany • Julius Qariaqus (1998). Patriarch secretary and Patriarchal vicar in India • Selwanus Peter (1999–2020). Metropolitan for Homs and Hama • Severus Saliba Toma (2000). Patriarchal vicar in Zahle and Bakaa' ==Death==

Zakka was admitted to hospital in Kiel, Germany on 20 February 2014; where he died following a cardiac arrest on 21 March 2014. He was entombed at St. Peter's and St Paul's Cathedral, Marrat Saidnayya, Damascus on 28 March. On 29 May 2014, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, succeeded him as Patriarch. ==See also==