Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin

Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin (August 20, 1954, Mardin) is the current Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church in İstanbul and Ankara, Turkey.

Yusuf Çetin was born 1954 in the south-eastern Anatolian town of Dargeçit (Kerboran) in Mardin Province. Interested in Syriac Church doctrine, he learned Syriac language and attended the Mor Gabriel Monastery right after he finished his secondary education.

In 1971, he was ordained a priest and taught theology. In 1977, Yusuf Çetin was consecrated with the title of "spiritual". Patriach Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas invited him to Damascus to attend the St. Mor Efrem School of Theology. After three years of education, he graduated with a diploma, and was then appointed Dean of the school.

Upon the request of the Syriac Church community in İstanbul, he was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan bishop on September 28, 1986 by the Patriarch, and Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin was assigned to the Diocese of İstanbul and Ankara as the Patriarchal Vicar.

On November 30, 2006, Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin paid a visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Istanbul and held talks with him in frame of the papal journey to Turkey.

External links

* [http://www.biyografi.net/kisiayrinti.asp?kisiid=2861 Biography net] tr icon
* [http://www.suryanikadim.org/english/metropolit/Metropolit.html Assyrian Church official website]