Youhana III of the Sedros, Patriarch of Antioch

Youhana of the Sedros

Youhana III, the forty third Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, was a prominent and energetic church dignitary, a pious, intelligent and far-sighted man. He entered the monastic order at the Monastery of Ousebuna where he mastered Greek and Syriac as well as theology. He became the disciple and secretary of Athanasius I and succeeded him to the Apostolic See in 631. He witnessed the Arab conquest of al-Jazira. He was a man who faced difficulties and hardships with patience and the course of events made him compliant. 

At his behest, the Gospels were translated from Syriac into Arabic by skilled Christian Orthodox Arab translators from the Banu ‘Uqayl, Tanukh, and Tay at the request of the Amir of al-Jazira around 643, but this translation did not come down to us. He entered into an elaborate dialogue with this Amir on the establishment of the facts of Christianity, which was written down by Severus, one of his secretaries. It is titled "Letter of the Patriarch Mor Youhana concerning his conversation with the Amir of the Muslims." This letter was translated into French and published by the Orientalis Nau.

Youhana also composed supplicatory prayers known as the sedros or husoyos, which he incorporated into church rituals. They usually begin with praise and glorification. Of these sedros we found a large collection in the oldest copy at the British Museum, most of which undoubtedly came from the pen of this father who was nicknamed "Youhana of the Sedros." They are written in a smooth and splendid style. Nine of these sedros bear his name, the first of which is for Lent, the second for the resurrection, the third and the fourth for the repentance of sinners, the fifth for the dispelling of ordeals, the sixth for evening, night and day, the seventh for the morning, the eighth for the dead and the ninth for the Friday morning of the fifth week of the fasting. We have also found three of his husoyos for the celebration of the eucharist, the first of which begins hus: "Praise be to the pure sacrifice who became the priest of his person;" the second begins thus: "Praise be to the heavenly Lord of hosts;" and the third begins: "O Lord who art truly a good Master." He has also drawn a liturgy which begins: "O Lord, who art delighted by love and enjoyest safety;" a homily on the consecration of the Chrism, beginning thus: "Beloved brethren let us talk philosophically a little bit in behalf of this present sacred feast" and a letter to Marutha, Maphryono of Tikrit, which he wrote at the beginning of his patriarchate.

He also wrote a magnificent doctrinal treatise in thirty-nine pages addressed to Chorepiscopus Theodorus, which he opened with a general proclamation to the children of the Holy Church and declared in detail the creed of faith in support of the true apostolic belief, citing as evidence the fathers, one of whom is John of Jerusalem. Furthermore, he condemned in this treatise the heresy of the Phantasiasts and concluded it with the history of the leaders of this heresy and the account of their false ordinations. 

He died on the fourteenth of December, 648, which is also the day of his commemoration.

Sources: 

• Patriarch Ignatius Aphram I Barsoum (2003), The Scattered Pearls, A History of Syriac Literature and Sciences, Translated and Edited by Matti Moosa, New Jersey