Irbil: Catholicos-Patriarch Mar-Mar Geevarghese III has announced his retirement. He said he was stepping down due to health reasons. The contents of a letter written by Mar Geevarghese III on February 3 for Assyrian bishops globally were released in a statement issued on February 19, signed by the Assyrian Bishop of California, Mar Ava Roel and Secretary of the Assyrian Bishop’s Synod.
In his letter, the Patriarchs have invited the bishops to attend the Syrian Syrian Syrian Syrian Conference, which will be held from April 22-27 in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital, Irbil. Having recovered from a serious illness while in Germany last December, he was able to carry out the responsibilities of the great mission entrusted to him. In a statement signed by the bishop of Roel, the Patriarch says he has decided to leave.
The statement states that the Holy Spirit is inspired by the will of God and to pray to the Lord Jesus, the Lord of the Church, to help the bishops to elect the Patriarchs. On March 16, 2015, Mar Geevarghese was ordained as the 121st Catholic of the Eastern Assyrian Church. He was known as an advocate of peace. At his first meeting with Pope Francis in Rome in November 2016, the pope convened an ecumenical meeting in Bari on July 7, 2018, following his request to hold a meeting with the heads of the Eastern Church to discuss issues in the Middle East.
