Consecration of Archbishop Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem
On April 10, 2019, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II celebrated the Holy Qurobo at Mor Aphrem Cathedral in Amman – Jordan. During the Qurobo, His Holiness consecrated Very Rev. Raban Gabriel Dahho as Archbishop, Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem, Jordan, and the Holy Lands.
His Holiness was assisted in the Qurobo by their Eminences: Mor Theophilos George Saliba, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon and Tripoli, Mor Dioscoros Benjamin Atas, Patriarchal Vicar in Sweden, Mor Dionysius Issa Gurbuz, Patriarchal Vicar in Switzerland and Austria, Mor Selwanos Boutros Al-Nemeh, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, Mor Theethose Yeldo, Metropolitan of the Malankara Archdiocese of North America, Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis, Patriarchal Vicar in Germany, Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Archbishop of Beirut, Mor Dionysius Jean Kawak, Patriarchal Vicar for the Archdiocese of the Eastern United States of America, Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Patriarchal Vicar in the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Maurice
Representatives of the various Churches in Jordan, as well as a crowd of the reverend priests, monks, nuns, deacons, and faithful, attended the Qurobo and ordination.
During the Qurobo, according to the rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, the new archbishop declared his Orthodox Faith and signed it before His Holiness the Patriarch. His Holiness prayed the prayer of the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of the hand. He laid on his right hand on the head of Raban Gabriel and ordained him as an archbishop.
Then, His Holiness gave the new bishop his fatherly name (Gabriel), and started to put on him the bishopric vestments. The new bishop sat on the bishopric chair; His Holiness placed his right hand over the archbishop’s shoulder and declared thrice: “Axios (worthy)”, while the crowd of faithful repeated the same each time. The new bishop was then carried on the chair so he reads the special reading from the Holy Bible. At the end, His Holiness gave him the crosier (pastoral staff).
Before he continued the celebration of the Holy Qurobo, the new archbishop Mor Gabriel Dahho, then gave a word titled “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28), in which he said: “You entrust to me – Your Holiness – the diocese on whose territory our Incarnate God lived, where the passion of the Christ and His victory over death, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day according to His will.” He added “Here is revealed the truth of carrying the yoke of the cross and following the steps of the Lord towards the Golgotha; there, I meditate him walking in the Holy city of Jerusalem, and get to know the challenges and pains of service; however, I shall never go back, but move forward and bear all difficulties, keeping in mind that, if I seek the strength of resurrection, I have to pass the valley of the shadow of death.”
His Eminence then thanked His Holiness, their Eminences the Archbishops, the Reverend priests, monks, nuns, his family members, and all those who supported him through his life and church service.
After the Qurobo, His Holiness, His Eminence the New Archbishop, and all their Eminences, entered the Hall where His Holiness put on the new archbishop the turban and the black robe with red hems, and gave him the small staff. Congratulations were then offered to the new archbishop.
Source: OCP
