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In his message to the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, expressed his condolences over the death of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV. The text of the message is given below.

Your Eminences and Your Excellencies,

Please accept my sincere and deep condolences over the demise of His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV. The death of one of the oldest Primates is a great loss to the whole Christendom.

His Holiness devoted his entire life to serving God and his people, being their true spiritual leader. His Holiness Patriarch Mar Dinkha shared the unhappy lot of life in exile in a foreign land, which befell thousands of Assyrians, forced to leave their homeland in different years.

Today, when a hundred years have passed since the horrible events of the genocide of Christian population in the Ottoman Empire, the Assyrian people are again facing severe persecution for their faith. The sorrow and suffering have come to the biblical land of Mesopotamia, affecting every Assyrian family. The tragedy which befell Assyrians in their historical homeland, Iraq and Syria, caused acute pain to the soul of His Holiness Mar Dinkha. In the moments of hard ordeals he strengthened his people by his own courage and Christian patience. Everyone who ever met with the late First Hierarch remembers his kindness, magnanimity, ardent loving heart and truly biblical wisdom. His Holiness’ earthly life was marked by many afflictions, but he never lost his good spirits and remarkable diligence, taking an active part in the life of his flock. Thanks to his efforts, new communities were established, churches were built and Sunday schools were opened in the Assyrian dioceses all over the world.

In his Primatial ministry, His Holiness Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV harmoniously combined faithfulness to his spiritual tradition and openness to inter-Christian dialogue. The late Primate visited the Russian Orthodox Church on several occasions and was her welcome guest.

Lifting up my prayers for the repose of his soul in the heavenly dwellings, I believe that he will become a zealous intercessor before God for his flock suffering severe persecutions and for the whole land of ancient Mesopotamia. May the Lord make his memory blessed and eternal!

Dear brothers, in these dark days I wholeheartedly wish spiritual strength to you and peace, wellbeing and prosperity to the long-suffering Assyrian people.

With love in the Lord,
/+Hilarion/

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate