Yohanna Ibrahim

Yohanna Ibrahim (Arabic: يوحنا إبراهيم) also Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim (born August 18, 1948) is the Syriac Orthodox archbishop of Aleppo. He was kidnapped on April 22, 2013, along with Paul (Yazigi), the Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Aleppo.^[1]

Archbishop Gregorios Yohanna (left), of the Syrian Orthodox church of Aleppo, with Austrian politician Reinhold Lopathka (right) in 2012.

Life

Banner in support of the kidnapped bishops in front of the Monastery of Saint Mark, Jerusalem, in 2013.

Ibrahim was born on August 18, 1948, in Qamishly, Syria. He studied Ecclesiastical Studies and Canon Law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute (Roma Istituto Orientale) in Rome from 1973 to 1976. He became a monk in 1973, a deacon in 1976, a priest in 1976, and a bishop in 1979. In 1988 he established the Al Raha Mardin Publishing House in Aleppo.^[2]

Ibrahim received degrees from St. Ephrem Theological Seminary in Zahle Lebanon, the Oriental Institute in Rome, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He received a PhD from Birmingham University in the UK. The title of his dissertation was “Christian Arabs in Mesopotamia before Islam.” Before he became a bishop in Syria, Ibrahim had positions in Iraq, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, and Lebanon. He was on the committees of many religious boards, including the Global Christian Forum, the executive committee of the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.^[3][4]

Kidnapping

Ibrahim disappeared in 2013 while traveling with Boulos Yazigi to negotiate the release of two kidnapped priests. It is believed the kidnappers were Chechen.^[5] In March 2019, a Lebanese newspaper reported that Syrian democrats were negotiating for his release from ISIS.^[6] Assad regime has also been accused of being behind the kidnapping since the bishop was a vocal opponent of Bashar al-Assad.^[7] The abduction occurred a week after Yohanna Ibrahim's public statements in April 2013, which strongly criticised the Syrian regime.^[8]

See also

• List of kidnappings

Works

• "The Concept of Jurisdiction and Authority in the Syrian Orthodox Church on Antioch", tr. Monk Melki ^[9]

References

1. "1000 Days and More, The Kidnapped Bishops of Aleppo". Myocn.net. Archived from the original on 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
2. Orthodoxia. "Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim - Names - Orthodoxia". Orthodoxia.ch. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
3. "Oriental Orthodox Church: October 2012". Orientalorthodox.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
4. "Up to the Minute: "The Deteriorating Situation in Syria: Update from the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo," October 24 | Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs". Wws.princeton.edu. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
5. "A Plea To Free Archbishop Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Archbishop Boulos Yazigi Who Were Kidnapped One Year Ago Today". The Huffington Post. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
6. Teague, Ellen. "Orthodox Syrian Archbishop 'still held prisoner'". The Tablet. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
7. "Report: Number of Christians in Syria Dropped from 1.5 Million to 300,000". Syria Observer. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023.
8. Fahmi, Dr Georges. "Most Syrian Christians Aren't Backing Assad (or the Rebels)". Chatham House. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021.
9. "مطرانية السريان الأرثوذكس - سوريا حلب - The Concept of Jurisdiction and Authority in the Syrian Orthodox Church on Antioch". new.alepposuryoye.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2018-06-23.

Other websites

• M.G.Y.Abraham @Morgregorios on Twitter
• Friends of Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim on Facebook
• Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese or Aleppo and Environs Archived 2017-03-28 at the Wayback Machine official website (Arabic language)