News
Rev. Raban Gabriel Dahho was consecrated on 10 April as the new archbishop for Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Jordan at the hands of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church. The consecration took place at St Ephraim Cathedral in Amman, Jordan.
Representatives of various churches in Jordan, as well as a crowd of 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 his right hand on the head of Rev. 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.
After the new archbishop read a special biblical passage, His Holiness gave him the crosier, or 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.”
Mor Gabriel Dahho 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.”
