LETTER OF CONDOLENCE ON THE REPOSE OF MAR APREM METROPOLITAN (MOOKEN)

The Recently Departed and Thrice-Blessed Mar Aprem, Blessed of the Lord, a Great Man of Faith and Prayer, Inspirational Scholar, and Bridge between Eastern and Western Churches! 

May His Memory be Eternal!

From the Ancient Church of the West to the Assyrian Church of the East

To His Holiness Mar Awa III,

Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East,

To Their Graces the Metropolitans and Bishops,

And to all the faithful clergy and laity of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East in India,

With a heavy heart and deep reverence, I write on behalf of the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Ancient Church of the West to express our heartfelt condolences at the passing into eternal rest of His Beatitude Dr. Mar Aprem Mooken, Metropolitan Emeritus of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East in India.

I personally had the privilege of meeting His Beatitude, Mar Aprem Metropolitan, during his visit to Modesto in 2015, and I will always cherish that sacred encounter. In his presence, one felt both the rootedness of the Apostolic faith and the humility of a true spiritual father. His wisdom was not only vast, but accessible; flowing with warmth, humor, and humanity. He was not merely a hierarch, but a theologian of immense depth, a church historian of singular authority, and a relentless advocate for the living heritage of the East Syriac tradition.

The works he authored, on the Assyrian Church of the East, on the theological riches of the East Syriac fathers, and on the complex history of Christianity in India, stand as monuments to a life poured out for the truth of the Gospel and the continuity of the Apostolic Church. Through his translations, pastoral writings, and academic volumes, he reintroduced many in our time to the language and legacy of the Church of the East. In doing so, he built a bridge not only between East and West, but between past and future.

His contributions to the Ancient Church of the West were profound. We saw in him a great father, a mentor, and a beacon of steadfast fidelity. He exemplified that rare harmony of tradition and vision, liturgical discipline and missionary openness, scholarly rigor and pastoral tenderness. He was a living witness to the resilience of the Indian Church and to the vitality of the Apostolic witness under difficult conditions.

The holy Fathers tell us that the saints do not die, but fall asleep in the Lord, awaiting the resurrection of the just. And so, while we mourn, we also give thanks. We entrust the soul of His Beatitude to the mercies of Christ, the High Priest and Good Shepherd. We pray that he may rest in the bosom of Abraham, among the ranks of the faithful departed, and rise in glory on the Last Day.

A PAEAN OF REMEMBRANCE FOR MAR APREM MOOKEN 

Scholar of the East, Shepherd of India, Scribe of the Church 

Blessed art thou, O Mar Aprem, 

Faithful son of the East, 

Who drank from the wells of the fathers, 

And watered the fields of India. 

Thy roots were deep in Seleucia’s soil, 

But thy fruit adorned Malabar. 

Thy lips proclaimed the mystery with joy, 

Thy pen revived the ancient tongue of the East. 

Through thee the voice of Narsai echoed, 

And the songs of Edessa found breath again. 

Thou gavest to the Church her memory, 

And clothed her children in heritage. 

As priest, thou didst offer with reverence; 

As bishop, thou didst guide with mercy. 

In councils, thou stood firm with dignity, 

In solitude, thou prayed with tears. 

Thou didst love the Church not as a throne, 

But as a bride to be adorned. 

Thy books shine as lamps in the night, 

Thy teaching stirs hearts to return. 

Thou called the lost to their fathers’ house, 

And gave the learned a feast of truth. 

The voice of India in thee was strong, 

Yet never severed from the voice of the East. 

Now thou sleepest among the righteous, 

Awaiting the trumpet of dawn. 

Ephrem shall greet thee with his harp, 

And Addai shall rejoice at thy rest,

Mar Thoma rejoices in your accomplishment of his holy vision!

Thy memory is precious in the Church, 

Thy crown awaits in the kingdom of light. 

O Christ, remember Thy servant Mar Aprem, 

Number him among Thy saints. 

Let his prayers guard the flock he loved, 

And his words instruct generations to come. 

May his name be honored in every land, 

And his soul dwell in peace everlasting.

May the faithful of the Church of the East in India, all Assyrians around the world, and indeed all who knew and loved him, find consolation in the enduring fruit of his labors. His Beatitude sowed generously in the field of the Lord; may his legacy continue to bear fruit for generations to come.

May his memory be eternal.

With love in Christ,

+Joseph,

Bishop of the Ancient Church of the West

7 July, AD 2025

Feast of St. Palladius, Apostle to the Irish

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