Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin
Encyclopedia
Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin (born 20 August 1954) is a Turkish
Christian
religious leader who has been serving since 1986 as the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church
in Istanbul
and Ankara
.
A native of Turkey
's Dargeçit
district, known to its Assyrian/Syriac
native population as Kerburan, parts of which are located in southeastern Anatolia
's Mardin Province
, Yusuf Çetin expressed interest in Syriac Church doctrine
at an early age. In the course of completing his secondary education, he also learned the Syriac language
and subsequently attended his home province's Mor Gabriel Monastery, Syriac Orthodoxy's oldest surviving monastic institution. Having demonstrated exceptional acuity for learning and spiritual instruction, he was ordained a priest in 1971, at the unusually early age of 17, and shortly thereafter was entrusted with instructing theology to the next generation of devout youth. By 1977 he was consecrated with the title of "spiritual" and received an invitation from Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
to come to Syria
, thus enabling his attendance at Damascus
' St. Mor Efrem School of Theology. Receiving a diploma in the aftermath of three years' intensive study, he ultimately received appointment as dean
of the school.
On 28 September 1986, upon the request of Istanbul's community of Syriac faithful, Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin was elevated by the Patriarch to the rank of Metropolitan bishop
and assigned to the Diocese
of İstanbul and Ankara as the Patriarchal Vicar. Twenty years into his service, on 30 November 2006, he held talks with Pope Benedict XVI
as the pontiff initiated his 2006 papal journey to Turkey.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
religious leader who has been serving since 1986 as the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
.
A native of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Dargeçit
Dargeçit
Dargeçit is a district of the Mardin Province of Turkey, traditionally an Assyrian/Syriac town. It had approximately 300 families in 1900. After the "Seyfo" in 1916, many were killed. It was inhabited by the Assyrians/Syriacs, Kurds and Armenians...
district, known to its Assyrian/Syriac
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
native population as Kerburan, parts of which are located in southeastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
's Mardin Province
Mardin Province
Mardin Province is a province of Turkey with a population of 744,606. The population was 835,173 in 2000. The capital of the Mardin Province is Mardin...
, Yusuf Çetin expressed interest in Syriac Church doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
at an early age. In the course of completing his secondary education, he also learned the Syriac language
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
and subsequently attended his home province's Mor Gabriel Monastery, Syriac Orthodoxy's oldest surviving monastic institution. Having demonstrated exceptional acuity for learning and spiritual instruction, he was ordained a priest in 1971, at the unusually early age of 17, and shortly thereafter was entrusted with instructing theology to the next generation of devout youth. By 1977 he was consecrated with the title of "spiritual" and received an invitation from Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas is the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and as such, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name, Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St. George's...
to come to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, thus enabling his attendance at Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
' St. Mor Efrem School of Theology. Receiving a diploma in the aftermath of three years' intensive study, he ultimately received appointment as dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the school.
On 28 September 1986, upon the request of Istanbul's community of Syriac faithful, Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin was elevated by the Patriarch to the rank of Metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
and assigned to the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of İstanbul and Ankara as the Patriarchal Vicar. Twenty years into his service, on 30 November 2006, he held talks with Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
as the pontiff initiated his 2006 papal journey to Turkey.