Patriarch-Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud called to Eternal Rest

Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud was born on 18 September 1930 in Meskaneh, Syria. He was ordained a priest on 17 October 1954 and took a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome. On 2 July 1977 he was elected as the Bishop of Cairo (Egypt) by the Syrian Patriarchal Synod and confirmed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on 22 July 1977. He was Ordained a Bishop on 18 September. He was a member of the Commission for the Revision of the Eastern Code of Canon Law and chaired the commission that translated the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches into Arabic. On 1 July 1994 he was appointed the Archbishop of Homs for Syrians, Syria. On 13 October 1998 he was elected Patriarch of Antioch for the Syrian Catholics and enthroned on 25 October. His Beatitude was appointed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II as Perfect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 25 November 2000. His Beatitude was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 February 2001.

His Beatitude Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud is a close friend of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. It is during his tenure as the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was raised to a Major Archiepiscopal Church. His Beatitude laid the foundation stone for St. John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla on 28 December 2000. His Beatitude officiated the Sunthroniso of His Beatitude Cyril Baselios as the first Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church on 14 May 2005 at St.Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. His Beatitude blessed the foundation stone of the Catholicate Centre, Trivandrum on 15 May 2005. His Beatitude became Perfect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 9 June 2007.

The funeral ceremony will be held at Vatican. His Excellency Most Rev. Thomas Mar Eusebius, the Bishop of USA will represent the Holy Episcopal Synod of our church and His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos during the funeral service.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church expresses its deep sentiments and Prayers on the Demise of His Beatitude- Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud. May God give eternal bliss!