Fact check: Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was excommunicated for 'theological differences'
The actual story is quite different - plus some of his preaching
More about Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was ordained in 2009 and made a bishop in 2011 in the Ancient Church of the East, the Assyrian branch of the Nestorian church. Assyrians speak a dialect of Chaldean, otherwise known as Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
He has a large following on the internet because of his outspoken sermons and he is very popular and beloved by his parishioners. Part of one of his radio talks below.
He was excommunicated - but it was not for “theological differences”. A theological difference is something like “the Son in the Trinity is subordinate to the Father” (a difference between the Nestorian churches and the Greek and Roman /Protestant churches who say the Son and Spirit are coequal with the Father) or “the Virgin Mary was conceived without sin” (a belief of the Roman church not shared by Protestants. )
ABC says he was excommunicated over theological differences
The ABC article ‘What we know about Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was stabbed in the Sydney church attack’ says that “in 2014, the church where the stabbing attack took place broke away from the Ancient Church of The East, after the bishop was ex-communicated over theological differences.”
Here is a list of the so-called ‘theological differences’ - they are not theological differences but disagreements over church practical matters - and the bishop’s response to them:
Allegations against Mar Mari Emmanuel, that he breached the canon laws of the church:
1) That Mar Mari is not allowed to live with his mother. Has to live in the church premises. His answer: The Council of Nicea pointed out that bishops presbyters or deacons could not live with housekeepers, unless she is mother or sister or an aunt or a person above suspicion.
2) That Mar Mari must attend evening and morning prayer on a daily basis. Only attendance at eucharist is required (2nd council of Constantinople)
3) That Mar Mari cannot wear the beruna or head covering (traditional Assyrian head covering) St Ephraim, St Isaac, etc etc
4) That he can't use images of saints in leaflets and on church premises. (he points out that there are statues and images in all churches)
5) Mar Mari is forbidden to run a charity to help those in need
6) Mar Mari is forbidden from being in church hall for tea or coffee after bible preached so called dinners or parties. Acts 6:2 servants of the word and table
7) Mar Mari is forbidden to use words of endearment to members of his parish especially women. "Beloved" in the Bible. Words of endearment do not reflect a relationship but are used to complete strangers to reflect politeness and kindness of heart. a part of Australian culture "Darling and Dearie" etc.
8) Mar Mari is forbidden to lead a guided tour through Jerusalem and wave an Australian flag
9) Mar Mari is forbidden to use a mobile phone and an earphone1.
These are not ‘theological differences’; I cannot help thinking these are actually evidence of the jealousy of the church hierarchy: they do not like his popularity. Particularly outrageous is the assertion that the bishop is not allowed to run a charity.
Jesus’ uniqueness; love is the gospel
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was particularly outspoken against the Covid vaccines, and has been particularly firm when preaching on Jesus’ uniqueness as the Son of God, the Word of God, One whom he says is not depicted correctly by Mohammed in the Quran, where Jesus is only depicted as a prophet.
In the gospels in John 15:5 Jesus lays the foundation, “Without me you cannot do anything.” When it’s a religion it’s about, you have to do this, and this and this, to get to a nice place. In Christianity it’s not a religion, it’s a relationship with a Person. In Christianity it’s not a religion because love cannot be found in law, it can only be found in a person in a relationship, the scripture says if you break the law, the law will break you.
But when I came to the Lord Jesus, he said, “Accept me in your life and let me do all the good things which God wants you to do - let me do them through you and with you.”
So now when people come and ask me, especially youth, I say to them, “You don’t have to go to church. Who told you, you have to go to church? Who told you, you have to go pray? Who told you, you have to read the holy Bible? Who told you you have to fast?” They get a shock, they go back, and change colour, oh, that’s coming from a bishop ? Really ? They feel good at the beginning, because it’s a relief, oh I don’t have to, thank God, I’m gonna go and tell my Mum and Dad, get off my case, Don’t ever force me to go to church, and don’t tell me you have to go to church, the good looking bishop said… so now, but then I say to them, “I’ll ask you this and be honest. Do you love the Lord Jesus. If you’re gonna say yes, then if you love him you have to go to church. If you love him, you have to read the holy Bible. If you love him, you have to pray, you have to fast, if you love Him…” in the autonomous culture, in the self-driven culture, it is very difficult to give up on me, to live for Christ… Again we come back to the church of the 21st century it is Laodikea the final stage of the church -2000 years ago Jesus Christ prophesied, “at the end my church will have gone against me, it’s a rebellious church” - and why it’s a rebellious church? Because again today it’s a self-driven culture, even in the church, even in the leadership of the church, everybody is seeking for their own throne, their own glory, their own power. ‘When I want to be sent to a church please send me to one with a big congregation I don’t want to go to a little village where there’s only a few people there, I won’t be seen I want to go to a church where there’s hundreds and millions of people that come to that church with this I feel I am powerful, I am in charge’ etc.
That is not Christianity, that is not Christ.
Let me say this, dear Patrick, the Christ I came to know through his grace - I’ll die for him any second - I do not give one penny with all love and respect, no matter what happens, because the Christ that came and revealed himself to this piece of wreck, is the only one, He is my King, my Lord, my God, my Saviour, my Redeemer, forever, and I will stand and speak the truth, let the whole world hate me, I do not care, with love and humility I say this, I do not care, I didn’t come for people to love me, I came for Christ to be pleased with me, and says, “This is my son, my beloved, come and inherit the kingdom of your Father that was prepared for you before the creation of the world.” Now the issue is, when I come to Christ, and by His grace, I give my life to Him, when he engulfs, when he takes over, when he rules and reigns over my life, I fear nothing, you know why? Because the moment I don’t have anything worldly, materialistically, I don’t fear to lose anything; when I have nothing, I have fear of nothing. Because when I have Christ I have everything but the issue with Christ is, it’s not materialistic, it’s spiritual. It is love - now Love is the supreme ethic.
I ask an atheist, a Muslim, a Buddhist, any human being, do you want to be loved? Everybody will say yes, you know, even when you look at the serial killers, even when you look at the big drug addicts and the drug dealers, if you trace their life all the way back to childhood I can assure you a huge percentage they were lacking love in their childhood, that’s why they ended up who they ended up. It is that love that forms and shapes and moulds a human being.
It is love that never fails - it is that love that never dies.
Christ is calling us to love Him; He is not calling us to follow a set of rules, guidelines and regulations.
And let me say this to all the religions of the world: you’re talking about, you must fast, and you must do this, and you must do your penances and whatever you have to do. Let me say this: to enter in the presence of God, who can do what God wants? Who can fulfil the fullness of the law of God? We are nowhere near that perfection, to do and abide by what God does, he showed that in the Old Testament the Israelite nations, they failed from the word go until the very end, but he is the never failing God, his mercy that carries us, his mercy, all humans, whether or not we are Christians, so those religions, when they talk about laws, I’ll ask them, are you fulfilling that law? Of course not. You’re falling very short of that law. So don’t tell me you have to do this, where you are failing as a leader. Your prophet failed those laws; your own prophet failed them (who?), Mohammed, and all the other religious leaders.
And the very reason why Mohammed failed is because he’s dead: their book says that.
But their book also says about my Messiah, even though the Isa (Jesus) in the Quran is not the Christ of the Holy Bible, totally separate people — we cannot claim something that is not truthful — I know truth hurts, I’m not offending people, I’m speaking the truth, and if it offends you I’m really sorry, not, I’m not sorry for that — but let me tell you one thing: your book says Isa son of Mary went up into heaven alive and then he will come back to judge the dead and the living. If I ask a Muslim who judges? They will say God. Well you’re telling me this prophet judges. Which is which? Has this prophet taken the role of God? Has God gone on vacation and this man has taken His position? No — but Isa is the living Messiah, even their book says, I speak Arabic, I read Arabic, I’m fluent in Arabic. When they say “but Isa son of Mary is the word of God, is the spirit of God,” well, Let me ask you my dear Muslim if you're claiming Isa (Jesus) is a prophet then how come all the other prophets which you believe in — you believe in Moses — you believe in Isa — you believe in all the prophets of the Old Testament — how come none of the Old Testament prophets were referred to as the word of God except Isa? Why is Jesus so different even in Islam? How come all the prophets and every single human being on the face of this planet was born of an earthly father and an earthly mother; yet Jesus Son of Mary was born in a virginal birth through a virginal birth? He has an earthly mother but has no earthly father for His father art in heaven. Why?… This raises question marks: how come this man is different; His birth is different, His life is different, even His end is different, He went up alive, and He will come back to judge2. Because He is different — that’s the whole story — He is different, my friend, you have to come and seek the true God with an open mind, an open heart — don’t be fanatic about your faith — and I say this even to the Christians — the moment we become fanatics about our Christian faith we’ve lost Christ, we’ve lost the true reflection of Christ.
And you may say, we’ll I’m a Bishop, I’m different maybe to some Christians that live in this blessed country of America, who are from a protestant branch, I come dressed up like a ninja turtle, I call myself a walking tent, but hey, how come a Protestant, how come other christians, how come a Muslim, how come a Buddhist, how come an atheist is listening to this good-looking bishop? Why?
Because the day, you and I dear Patrick, and all of us, the day we give our life to Christ, surrender to Him, and say, Lord, it is no longer I but you; I know I’m weak, I’ll fall short, I’ll drift away, but please Lord even when I miss out, even when I walk away from You, I’m asking you now before it happens: when it happens Lord, remember this moment, when I called and I cried out to you, ‘Lord have mercy on me, I the sinner, Son of David, have mercy on me’. When I pray, when I beg Him, when I cry out to Him, even if I fall short, He never fails, because He is living God who was revealed in the flesh, He is the Logos, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, He is the way the truth and the life, when Jesus Christ engulfs you, and surrender to Him, and He takes over, you have no fear, because Jesus fears no one.
And he said, “He has showed me heaven and hell… And I can assure you when you go to heaven, Mohammed will not greet you, Buddha will not greet you, Krishna will not greet you, but I can assure you… Jesus will greet you — Jesus is Lord and Saviour, and there is no other way to heaven”, and no other religious figure to greet you in heaven, but Jesus, which is completely theologically orthodox and Biblical.
“I fear nothing, for Jesus Christ is the only God.”
“The moment any Christian reflects the true Christ, you draw the whole world to you.”
https://www.youtube.com/live/gGISqbiVfBY?si=6S5fQqAQA3Fpr3ht&t=6089
More of his sermons; this one uploaded a year ago:
https://www.youtube.com/@MarMariEmmanuelofficialchannel/videos
What? This isn't a fact check. Was he or was he not formally excommunicated by the Church who ordained him as one of her bishops? OK, they may not be "theological" grounds. But the Church has authority to limit the faculties of her clergy. Was he excommunicated or not?
A robust sermon from the Bishop. I can see those who have a narrow and poorly informed view of Islam might interpret this as an attack rather than illumination.