Ignatius Maloyan
Encyclopedia
Blessed
Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan (1869, Mardin
, Ottoman Empire
- June 10, 1915) was the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Mardin
between 1911 and 1915. In the summer of 1915, the Vali of Diyarbekir, Reşit Bey
, commenced the Armenian Genocide
in Mardin. Archbishop Maloyan was force marched into the desert with almost all of the clergy and faithful of his Archdiocese. After he watched his priests and faithful massacred in front of him, Mardin's police chief, Mahmdouh Bey, offered to spare the Archbishop's life if he would convert to Islam
. Archbishop Maloyan responded, "I've told you I shall live and die for the sake of my faith and religion. I take pride in the Cross of my God and Lord." Enraged, Mahmdouh Bey shot him dead. The Archbishop was buried in a mass grave
with the other victims of the massacre.
by Pope John Paul II
on October 7, 2001.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Ignatius Shoukrallah Maloyan (1869, Mardin
Mardin
Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.-History:...
, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
- June 10, 1915) was the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Mardin
Mardin
Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.-History:...
between 1911 and 1915. In the summer of 1915, the Vali of Diyarbekir, Reşit Bey
Resit Bey
Dr. Mehmed Reshid was the governor of the Diyarbakır vilayet of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. He is known for his role in the Armenian Genocide and the Assyrian Genocide....
, commenced the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
in Mardin. Archbishop Maloyan was force marched into the desert with almost all of the clergy and faithful of his Archdiocese. After he watched his priests and faithful massacred in front of him, Mardin's police chief, Mahmdouh Bey, offered to spare the Archbishop's life if he would convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Archbishop Maloyan responded, "I've told you I shall live and die for the sake of my faith and religion. I take pride in the Cross of my God and Lord." Enraged, Mahmdouh Bey shot him dead. The Archbishop was buried in a mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
with the other victims of the massacre.
Legacy
Archbishop Maloyan was Beatified in YerevanYerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on October 7, 2001.