Archbishop Cyril Aphrem Karim

His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim is the Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch for the Eastern United States of America. One of his passions is inspiring youth to bring the tenets of religion into their daily lives. It is his hope that the first book from Parables & Books, In The Tree House, will help both parents and children to recognize God’s calling and grace.

Born in Kamishly, Syria on May 3, 1965, he entered St. Ephrem’s Theological Seminary in Lebanon in 1977. From 1984 to 1988, Archbishop Cyril pursued higher studies at the Coptic Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt, receiving a Bachelor of divinity degree upon graduation.

In 1985, Archbishop Cyril took the vows of a monk and was elevated to the sacred priesthood. From 1988 to 1989, he served as both the secretary of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and as a teacher at St. Ephrem’s Theological Seminary in Damascus, Syria. In 1989, His Eminence entered St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland from where he received a licentiate of sacred theology degree in 1991 and his doctor of divinity degree in 1994.

On January 28, 1996, His Eminence was consecrated as Metropolitan and Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church for the Eastern United States by His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas at St. Mary’s Syriac Orthodox Church in Kamishly. Archbishop Cyril arrived in the United States on March 2, 1996, and was officially installed at St. Mark’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Teaneck, New Jersey.

In the field of education, Archbishop Cyril blessed and encouraged the establishment of the Archdiocesan Sunday School Committee, a body composed of Archdiocesan Sunday school principals and teachers who have been working together with His Eminence and local clergy in the creation of a unified Sunday School program for the Archdiocese. As a result of the committee’s efforts, unified lesson plans and materials have been prepared to introduce Sunday school students to the faith and traditions of the Holy Church. Moreover, His Eminence has published a series of articles related to the Church titled Essays on Syriac Theology and Spirituality. This has included English translations of various articles written by His Holiness the Patriarch as well as articles contributed by local clergy.

In 2003, Archbishop Cyril published the Book of the Order for the Burial of the Clergy, the last of the series of liturgical texts produced under the editorship of the late Mor Athanasius Yeshue Samuel. Additionally, Archbishop Cyril has seen to the reprint of such works as the Shorter Catechism of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch (1999) by the late Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem I Barsoum and the Book of Scripture Readings for Sundays and Feasts Days (2000) originally published by the late Metropolitan Mor Philoxenus Yuhanon Dolabani of Mardin. His Eminence has encouraged the American Foundation for Syriac Studies to publish several issues of a quarterly entitled Syriac Studies and has helped cosponsor a series of public lectures by scholars on Syriac culture, history, literature and theology. In 2004, Archbishop Cyril authored Symbols of the Cross in the Writings of the Early Syriac Fathers. His Eminence clearly realizes the need for families to better understand and appreciate the richness of their Syriac spirituality and culture. In The Tree House is another step for Archbishop Cyril to accomplish this goal.