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Bet-Nahrain Forum
Church Hearing
Posted By: Assyrian in the Know (VDSL-130-13-101-145.PHNX.QWEST.NET)
Date: Thursday, 23 February 2006, at 5:53 p.m.
First you need to understand I was in the courtroom and witnessed the testimony and reveiewed the evidence personally. Other than the lawyers explaining the legal issues, every thing I say is from my own eyes. The hearing was merely a Preliminary Injunction Hearing. The lawyers told me this motion is extremely difficult to obtain. However, they had to proceed with this motion in order to stop Soro from borrowing more money against the church properties.
The first legal issue was proving the Church of the East was a hierarchical church. To prove this, the Synod's lawyers used declarations from experts in the field. The first expert had two doctorate degrees in Theology and Chruch History. She teaches Church History at a reputable university, with a specialty in Eastern religions. Her testimony coupled with that of a Jesuit Priest, who was also a lawyer, and law professor, confirmed the hierarchical structure of the Church of the East. They also confirmed that Soro's dismissal was within the authority of the Synod. Soro's lawyers produced Reverend Sana who contested the authority of the Synod. He claimed the decision to terminate Soro was "non-canonical". The court accepted the Synod's experts and rejected Father Sana's. There, the court could not decide if the Synod's decision to terminate Soro was appropriate or not. That was an internal affair that no court in this country can review.
Second issue was based upon a declaration from Shimshon Antar. He confirmed that Soro deeded the San Francisco church priest's residence into his own nane in May 2005. Soro then borrowed $511,000.00 from a bank in his own name. Soro paid off an existing loan of $213,000.00 that was owed by the church. This loan is secured by the church residence. He then deposits the balance of $298,000.00 in a church account. Antar also confirms that Soro then obtains a line of credit for $200,000.00 from another bank, also secured by the church property. This was all done without Soro notifying anyone in the church, let alone the Synod or the Patriarch. The only way the Synod discovered these loans was when Archdeacon Nenos Michael opened his mail and saw the loan papers and deed to Soro. Now Soro had to deed the home back to the church. My question to Soro and Antar is: If the church owed only $213,000.00, and you wanted to pay a lower interest rate, why then borrow the extra money? The church is now has an extra $298,000.00 lien on it.The second issue was that of the sigining of the Diocesan Constitution. The Synod's lawyers proved that the Diocesan Constitution was the law of the Church in the dealing with church properties. The constitution stated that all church property belonged to the Synod and that the bishops of each diocese are the representatives of the Holy Synod when dealing with church property. Soro agreed to this constitution in May 1987-as did all of his parish priests and every bishop within the Western hemisphere of the church. Soro also acknowledged this constitution in his corporate documents. Soro signed the document agreeing to be bound by the Diocesan Constitution-yet in court, he tried to forget he signed it.
Soro was the bishop of Western United States until he left for Rome in 1994. When he returned the Synod gave him a new diocese which included San Francisco and San Jose. The bishop of Western United States was Mar Aprim. That was in 1999. Soro then resignes as the director of the corporation of Western United States Diocese to Mar Aprim. Now the evidence gets dicey.
The original diocese given to Soro in 1999 was named the Diocese of Seattle. Soro changes the name to Western California. His initial by-laws acknowledged the authority of the Synod and the Patriarch. For instance, Soro had placed himself as director (dicatator) for life of the corporation. According to Soro, noboday could repalce him. Sounds like he learned from Lenin after all. Upon his death or resignation, the new director had to be a duly ordained bishop of the church of the East. The Synod's lawyer questioned Soro on this issue. What then came out was that Soro changed his by-laws in 2004. The new by-laws stated that upon death or resignation of Soro, a committee of 5, being his 2 officers and 3 adherents would chose a new director. When the lawyer asked him, "Under your new by-laws, your committee can select anyone to be the director. It can be the court reporter. Answer: It could be. Question: Could it be me, or the guard? Answer: Yes, it is possible. Question: The new director does not have to be clergy does he? Answer: No. Question: The new director does not even have to be Christian, does he? Answer: No. So if Soro got his way, God forbid he died-your new director of the Diocese of Western California could be named Ali.
Next major issue was the false deed Soro made for the San Jose Parish. Soro wanted to borrow money again in 2003. The title to the San Jose Parish was in the name of Diocese of Western United States. A deed was recorded in 1992 from the local parish to the diocese. Soro then creates a new deed as follows: Grantor: The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Diocese of Western California who acquired title as Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Diocese of Westarn United States, grants to Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Diocese of Western Calirfonia, a Calironia non-profit corporation. When the Synod's lawyer asked Soro, how can Western California take title to the property in 1992 when this diocese did not come into being until 1999? Soro was speechless-if you can beleive that . He got caught by the Synod's lawyer. The title was never deeded to Western California. The property belonged to Diocese of Western United States, under Mar Aprim's contol, not Soro's. Soro then used this false deed to borrow $550,000.00 from the Bank of America and secure it with the church property. I saw the title report and deed. This is your hero. He commits bank fraud on 2 separate occasions; creates a corporate structure that allows a Moslem to become the director of the diocese of Western California, and claims he is the only bishop who is pure and worthy of his title.
The court order from the judge bascially gave Soro control over the San Jose Parish and part of the Ceres Parish. He completely lost the San Francisco parish and has to turn over his financial records to the Synod's lawyers. By the way, this is a major issue for Soro. He failed to tell his followers that he sued the Patriarch, His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Mar Meelis, Mar Narsai, Mar Odisho, Mar Aprim, Fahter Auchuna, Father Michael-the purpose of his lawsuit-to prevent the church from obtaining his financial records and from interfering with running his churches. Soro claims that his churches are self govening, autonomous, and are more akin to Episcopal and not hierarchical. I am told there is a legal basis for this false claim-he is trying to paint these churches as his-in a congregational way in order to avoid the rules over a hierarchical church.
By the way, the judge said these motions are difficult to obtain. They are not granted very often. What he also did say, and I quote: "Quite frankly, given the hostility that exists between the parties and the supporters of the parties which I can sense in this courtroom--I have never sensed more hostility in a courtroom, and I have presided over a numer of murder cases, then I have in the last few days". The problem with this assessment was that the only supporters, with the exception of the bishops, the priests, and a handfull of church supporters, the vast majority of the audience were Soro supporters.
So you have it-a short account of a hotly contested hearing. The evidence I presented here cannot be contested. It is the truth based on my own inspection of documents and hearing the testimony. Is Soro the demon as he is portrayed? Or is he the victim of a greater conspiracy by some bishops as he claims. You be the judge.
Assyrian in the Know
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