According to a press release from the Levant Institute, the visit took place in conjunction with the 14th World Congress for Syriac Studies and the 12th International Conference on Christian Arabic Studies, organised by the Levant Institute and the Romanian Academy at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest.
The Patriarch participated in the congress alongside His Grace Mar Paulus Benjamin, Bishop of Chicago and the Eastern United States of the Assyrian Church of the East.
About Patriarch Mar Awa III
His Holiness is the 122nd Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the first primate of the Church to have been born in the diaspora, in Chicago, United States. The press release noted that his life story reflects the experience of Middle Eastern Christians over the past few decades.
"The story of Mar Awa III is the story of an entire generation of Eastern Christians who were compelled to rebuild their lives far from the lands where they were born and received the gift of faith, while preserving a heritage nearly two millennia old."
"He is not only the Patriarch of an ancient Church, but also a man whose biography embodies the journey of an entire community: Mesopotamia, the diaspora, the preservation of identity, and the memory of an endangered heritage," the press release noted.
A bridge between East and West
According to the same source, Patriarch Mar Awa III is promoting dialogue among Churches, advocates for the protection of the Christian heritage of the Near East, and supports historic Christian communities affected by conflicts in recent decades.
His Holiness holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and is regarded as one of the leading contemporary scholars of the Syriac tradition. He has authored numerous works on the theology and spirituality of the Assyrian Church of the East.
In a message issued ahead of the event, Patriarch Mar Awa III highlighted Romania's role in fostering dialogue between East and West.
"These events send a very powerful message from the heart of the European Union. Historically, this message serves as a bridge between East and West, and Romania is one of the few countries within the European Union well-positioned to fulfil this important role," His Holiness said.
The World Congress for Syriac Studies and the International Conference on Christian Arabic Studies will bring together scholars and representatives from leading universities and research institutes worldwide, providing a forum for academic and intercultural dialogue dedicated to Syriac and Arabic Christian heritage.
The Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East traces its origins to the ancient Syriac Christian communities of Mesopotamia and links its foundation to the preaching of the Holy Apostle Thomas and his disciples, Saints Addai and Mari.
During the first centuries of Christianity, the Church carried out extensive missionary work, reaching from Persia to India, Central Asia, and China. Following the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431, the Assyrian Church of the East separated from the Orthodox Church, as it did not accept the council's decisions.
Today, the headquarters of the Assyrian Church of the East is located in Ankawa, near Erbil, Iraq, while its faithful are spread across the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Australia.
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