Archbishop Mor Severius Jamil Hawa of Baghdad & Basra was elected locum tenens of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Vinod Kuriakose
Archbishop Mor Severius Jamil Hawa of Baghdad & Basra was elected locum tenens per Article 29 of the Constitution of the Syriac Orthodox Church. The locum tenens means “the place holder” (in Arabic Qa`im Maqām, in colloquial Qaymaqām).
The election of the locum tenens has to take place within seven (7) days by majority vote of the bishops. The locum tenens is not permitted to leave the Patriarchate. He is not permitted to make any changes to the Patriarchate, nor can he ordain or take part in financial transactions (Article 32). His main function is to act as a place holder and to convene a Synod to elect the Patriarch.
Metropolitan Mor Severios Jamil Hawa was born on 14th April 1930. His priestly ordination was held on 5th March 1955. Fifteen years later on 18th October 1970, the late lamented Patriarch Mor Ignatius Yakub III ordained him Metropolitan and was appointed as the Archbishop of Baghdad and Basra in Iraq.