Ignatius Aphrem II

His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II ܡܪܝ ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܬܪܝܢܐ إغناطيوس أفرام الثاني Patriarch of Antioch and all of the East
123rd Patriarch of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church
Native name	Syriac: ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܬܪܝܢܐ Arabic: إغناطيوس أفرام الثاني
Church	Syriac Orthodox Church
Diocese	Antioch
See	Holy See of Antioch
Elected	31 March 2014
Installed	29 May 2014
Predecessor	Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Orders
Ordination	1985
Consecration	28 January 1996
Rank	Patriarch
Personal details
Born	Saʿid Karim (Syriac: ܣܥܝܕ ܟܪܝܡ, Arabic: سعيد كريم) (1965-05-03) May 3, 1965 (age 59)
Nationality	Syrian; American
Denomination	Syriac Orthodox
Parents	Issa and Khanema Karim
Previous post(s)	Metropolitan and Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese of the Eastern United States Teacher at St Ephrem’s Theological Seminary, Damascus Secretary of Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Education	B.A Divinity from Coptic Theological Seminary STL from St Patrick's College, Maynooth Doctor of Divinity from St Patrick's College, Maynooth Doctor of Philosophy enrolled from Fordham University[1]
Alma mater	St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Coptic Theological Seminary, Fordham University

Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II (Syriac: ܡܪܢ ܡܪܝ ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܬܪܝܢܐ Moran Mor Ignaṭius Afrem Trayono, Arabic: إغناطيوس أفرام الثاني Iġnāṭīūs Afrām al-Ṯānī; born 3 May 1965 as Sa'id Karim; Arabic: سعيد كريم, romanized: Saʽīd Kārīm) is a Syrian-American Christian prelate who is serving as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church since 29 May 2014.

Before his election to the patriarchate, he was the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of the Eastern United States, and was known as Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim in that post.^[2] In that role he established 11 new parishes, introducing a number of new programs for the youth, and worked for inter-church unity.^[3][4]