*Note* It’s the Friday of Sorrows. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lady in Passiontide for the Ordinariate. Viernes de Dolores in Spanish speaking countries. A blessed feast to you all and of Saint Isidore the Farmer.
*Note* Jacobite and Syriac Orthodox are the same. This Church is part of the overall Oriental Orthodox Church
Overview: Mathieu Nakkar was part of the Syriac Orthodox Church and later converted to the Syriac Catholic Church.
Metropolitan Mathieu Gregory Nakkar
Born: 1794 – 1795
Died: 22 March, 1868
Mar Mathieu Nakkar was born into a powerful family in the Syriac (Jacobite) Orthodox Church that had given the Jacobites several Bishops. He became a Priest under his Uncle, a Metropolitan whom Nakkar succeeded after his uncle’s death. From there he became known for his zeal/hatred of the Syriac Catholics and turned many in to Turkish authorities.
Later he was sent by his Patriarch to Southern Lebanon Because Most of the Syrian Orthodox population had entered into communion with Rome, including Bishop Jacob al-Maliani. There, Nakkar continued his persecution of Catholics like St. Paul.
‘Holy Fire’
He continued his persecutions into other areas. When he couldn’t find a Catholic Bishop he was after, Nakkar decided to go to Jerusalem to participate in Holy Week and the Holy Fire.
The Holy Fire is an alleged miracle that happens every year in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. An orthodox Bishop locks himself up in a room and ‘awaits’ for heaven to light his fire. Fire is claimed to not burn. It’s a ‘unconsuming fire’
As is the Custom of the Orthodox, he went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the ‘miracle’ of the Holy Fire happens on the Eve of Easter. The Orthodox view this ‘miracle’ as an approval of God for their church.
Nakkar truly believed that the Holy Fire was a miracle.
He Joined the rest of the believers on Holy Saturday in 1832 with his Deacon. He received the consuming fire and put it under his Deacon’s long beard — It caught on fire.
The Metropolitan was in shock. He began to doubt that the ‘miracle’ of the Holy Fire was real, and if the miracle was not real was God approving of his Church?
The Syrian Paul
While continuing to persecute Catholics in Aleppo, he looked for a place to stay while he waited to turn Catholics into Turkish authority. He mistakenly thought he had reached an inn, but providentially ended up staying with French Lazarist Fathers.
He was welcomed by the superior of the Lazarists and they discussed topics of theology. The topic of natures of Christ and found the Lazarists view on the dual nature of Christ convincing. The Lazarists let Nakkar read their books, including a Syrian Doctor of the Church — Saint Ephrem. He
studied and prayed.
And on November 27, 1832, He publicly rejected his heresies and was received into the Catholic Church, By the Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church, Mar Jarweh.
He continued his work and like St. Paul became persecuted. He converted several schismatics and the Jacobite Patriarch was furious and he was arrested and placed in jail.
They tried to make him curse the Council of Chalcedon (Which the Oriental/ Jacobite ‘Orthodox’ reject) and Nakkar refused, His jailers struck his mouth and broke his teeth.
Nakkar was nursed by Kurdish nobles and continued his work for over 30 years! He converted many Jacobites and assuredly received his heavenly reward on March 22, 1868.
The Holy Unia rightfully calls him ‘A Syrian Saul’.
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Catholic Hierarchy | Archbishop Mathieu Nakkar
The Holy Unia | Mar Matthew Gregory Nakkar (1795 – 1868) A Syrian Saul
Catholicism org | Mar Matthew Gregory Nakkar, A Syrian Saul
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A huge thanks to @MilitantThomist on YouTube for the idea. He tests the ‘Holy Fire’ on his stream.
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