Jump to content

Ignatius IV Sarrouf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ignatius IV Sarrouf
Patriarch of Antioch
ChurchMelkite Greek Catholic Church
SeePatriarch of Antioch
Installed15 February 1812
Term ended16 November 1812
PredecessorAgapius II Matar
SuccessorAthanasius V Matar
Orders
Ordination1773 (Priest)
Consecration8 July 1778 (Bishop)
byTheodosius V Dahan
Personal details
Born
Youssef Sarrouf

1742
Died16 November 1812 (aged 69–70)

Ignatius IV (Youssef) Sarrouf(orAganatios Sarruf,1742–1812) wasPatriarchof theMelkite Greek Catholic Churchin 1812. He is remembered for both his patriarchate (short and ended by his murder), and for having been, asmetropolitanofBeirut,a leading figure in the early history of the Melkite Church.

Life

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Youssef Sarrouf was born in 1742 inDamascus.In 1756 he entered in theBasilian Chouerite Order,being the only monk born in Damascus. On 15 August 1758 he made thesolemn vowstaking the name ofIgnatius.In 1764 he was ordaineddeaconand in 1773 he was ordainedpriest.From 1773 for five years he was in Damascus where he became distinguished for his sermons and for raising funds for the patriarch. On 8 July 1778 Ignatius (Youssef) Sarrouf was consecratedmetropolitan bishopofBeirutby PatriarchTheodosius V Dahan.[1]

Bishop of Beirut

[edit]

His years as metropolitan of Beirut were marked by his attempt to reform the two Melkitemonastic orders:theBasilian Salvatorian Orderand particularly the Basilian Chouerite Order where he came from and that had its headquarters in hisdiocese.The discipline of this order was actually relaxed, and the monks, who run many parishes, considered themselves almost outside thejurisdictionof their own bishop. Sarrouf made a first attempt of reform in 1782, imposing a rule of ten points on the monks, who rejected it. In his efforts of disciplining the monasteries, he antagonized many bishops, all monks, and particularlyGermanos Adambishop ofAleppowho took the part of the monks, even if outside his jurisdiction. A visit of anApostolic Legatein 1784 settled the issue for some years. The dispute reappeared in 1790 with PatriarchAthanasius IV Jawharon the side of Ignatius Sarrouf against Germanos Adam on the side of the monks. The death of Athanasius Jawhar in 1794 left the issue unresolved. In 1796, seeing the impossibility of obtaining a disciplinary reform of the monastic orders, Ignatius Sarrouf founded his an own monastic order, the Order of SaintSimeon StylitesnearBaskinta.This foundation was strongly contested by thesynodofZouk Mikaelin 1797 led by his opponents: the new PatriarchAgapius II Matarand Germanos Adam. Sarrouf in obedience accepted the resolution of the synod but appealed toRome.[2]Other clashes arose between Sarrouf and patriarch Agapios II Matar: for example in 1798 the patriarch created the new diocese of Gebail from a part of the diocese of Beirut and appointed a Chouerite monk, Clement Badra, to govern it. Sarrouf refused to leave the district. All these issues were taken to Rome that confirmed the dismissal of the Order of Saint Simeon, confirmed the creation of the diocese of Gebail (with the agreement that at the death of Clement Badra it returned under Beirut), but supported Sarrouf in enforcing his ten points of disciplinary reform for the monasteries (even if without success).[3]For the above reasons, in 1810 Ignatius Sarrouf, with other three bishops, strongly opposed the appointment ofMaximos Mazloum,the pupil of Germanos Adam, as bishop of Aleppo by Patriarch Agapios II Matar.

Patriarch

[edit]

After the death of Agapios II Matar, two candidates competed for the election of the new Patriarch: the youngMaximos Mazloum,leader of the party which harked back to Germanos Adam and to the previous patriarch Agapios II Matar, and Ignatius Sarrouf, already 70, supported by themissionariesand by Aloisio Gandolfi, theApostolic LegateofSyria.A compromise was brokered: Maximus Mazloum remained superior of the seminary established inAin Trazand on 12 February 1812 Ignatius Sarrouf was elected Patriarch, and confirmed immediately byRome.He had not the time to take a formal position against Germanos Adam and Maximos Mazloum because he was murdered by a Melkite layperson on 16 November 1812 for unknown reasons.[1]He was succeeded byAthanasius V Matar,brother of the previous patriarch Agapios II Matar and partisan of Mazloum's party.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^abJ.Hajjar (1995). "Ignace IV Sarrouf".Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques.Vol. 25. Paris: Letouzey et Ané. pp. 726–739.
  2. ^J.Nasrallah (1988). "San Simeone".Dizionario degli Istituti di Perfezione.Vol. 8. Rome: Edizioni Paoline. pp. 631–632.
  3. ^C.Karalevsky (1912). "Agapios III".Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques.Vol. 1. Paris: Letouzey et Ané. pp. 897–899.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkites
1794–1796
Succeeded by