Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch)
Encyclopedia
Mar Joseph I was the first incumbent of the Josephite line of Church of the East
, thus being considered the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church
from 1681 to 1696.
missionary
Jean-Baptiste de St-Aignan established there, teaching to omit the liturgical commemoration of Nestorius
and to use the title Mother of God for Saint Mary.
Joseph (or Yussuf) was born in Amid and educated by the priest 'Abd Al-Ahad. He was consecrated metropolitan bishop of Amid between 1669 and 1672, and shortly after in 1672 became catholic. The reaction of Alqosh's patriarch Eliya X (XI) Yukhannan Maraugin was very strong: he came personally to Amid, installed a traditionalist bishop named David and had Joseph to be twice imprisoned. Joseph was released only after a payment of a ransom and had to leave to Rome. When Joseph returned in 1677, the bishop David fled in Egypt and the Ottoman
authorities recognized Joseph's independence and his government over the diocese
s of Amid and Mardin
.
On June 23, 1681 arrived the formal recognition from Rome with the delivery of the pallium
and the granting of the title "Patriarch of the Chaldean nation deprived of its patriarch". Thus into the Church of the East began a new patriarchal line in Full Communion
with Rome.
Felt ill, in August 1694 Joseph I left Amid for Rome, and formally abdicated in 1696. He died in Rome on Nov. 10, 1707.
The life of Joseph I is mainly known by his biography written in the early 18th century by 'Adb Al-Ahad son of Garabet (bishop of Amid, died 1728) and later and translated in French
in 1898 by J.P. Chabot.
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
, thus being considered the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
from 1681 to 1696.
Background situation
By 1660 the Church of the East had become divided into two patriarchates:- the largest and oldest patriarchal SeeEpiscopal SeeAn episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was based at the Rabban Hormizd MonasteryRabban Hormizd MonasteryRabban Hormizd Monastery is an important monastery of the Chaldean Church. It is carved out in the mountains about 2 miles from Alqosh, Iraq, 28 miles north of Mosul...
of AlqoshAlqoshAlqōsh or Alqūsh is one of the most famous Assyrian towns of the mainly East Syrian rite in Iraq. It is located north of Mosul. The name Alqosh is derived from an Akkadian name Eil-Kushtu, where "Eil" means God and "Kushtu" means righteousness or power...
. It spread from AqrahAqrahAqrah is a city and district in Iraq which is located in the Ninawa Governorate. The total area of the district is km2...
up to Amid and Nisibis, covering in the South the rich plain of MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
(it is known also as Eliya line). Since the 15th century its Patriarchs were appointed through an hereditary system. - the second patriarchal See was located in Khosrowa, near SalmasSalmasSalmas is a city in and the capital of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 79,560, in 19,806 families....
(from 1672 in QochanisQochanisQodchanis was the capital of Hakkari and the seat of the Assyrian bishops before 1915.Its ruins are currently north of Hakkâri Province, near the borders of Iran and Iraq, and about 20 km north-east of the provincial capital Hakkâri, in the southeastern of modern Turkey.The town was inhabited by...
) and extended into the North East mountains (it is also known as the Shimun line). This patriarchal line began in 1553 when Mar Yohannan SulaqaShimun VIII Yohannan SulaqaMar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
was consecrated bishop by the PopePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
in 1553, but soon it lost the connections with Rome. The last patriarch of this line recognized by the Holy SeeHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
was Shimun IX Dinkha (died 1600) and later there were only few correspondences thought missionaries. This See reintroduced in 1600 the heredity system for patriarchs' succession, a use unacceptable for Rome. This patriarchal line still survives in the denomination today known as Assyrian Church of the EastAssyrian Church of the EastThe Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
.
Life
Although the town of Amid in 1553 has been the See of Yohanan Shimun VIII Sulaqa, the area of influence of the Shimun patriarchs moved soon towards East, and by 1660 the area of Amid was under the Alqosh's patriarchate. In 1667 the CapuchinOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
missionary
Catholic missions
As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...
Jean-Baptiste de St-Aignan established there, teaching to omit the liturgical commemoration of Nestorius
Nestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
and to use the title Mother of God for Saint Mary.
Joseph (or Yussuf) was born in Amid and educated by the priest 'Abd Al-Ahad. He was consecrated metropolitan bishop of Amid between 1669 and 1672, and shortly after in 1672 became catholic. The reaction of Alqosh's patriarch Eliya X (XI) Yukhannan Maraugin was very strong: he came personally to Amid, installed a traditionalist bishop named David and had Joseph to be twice imprisoned. Joseph was released only after a payment of a ransom and had to leave to Rome. When Joseph returned in 1677, the bishop David fled in Egypt and the Ottoman
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...
authorities recognized Joseph's independence and his government over the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s of Amid and 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:...
.
On June 23, 1681 arrived the formal recognition from Rome with the delivery of the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
and the granting of the title "Patriarch of the Chaldean nation deprived of its patriarch". Thus into the Church of the East began a new patriarchal line in Full Communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with Rome.
Felt ill, in August 1694 Joseph I left Amid for Rome, and formally abdicated in 1696. He died in Rome on Nov. 10, 1707.
The life of Joseph I is mainly known by his biography written in the early 18th century by 'Adb Al-Ahad son of Garabet (bishop of Amid, died 1728) and later and translated in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in 1898 by J.P. Chabot.