Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa
Sulaqa Mar Shimun (* 1510 in Mosul, † January 1555 at Amadiya ) was a ( counter-) Catholicos - Patriarch of the East Syrian " Church of the East " in communion with the Pope in Rome.
Life
Sulaqa ( name meaning unclear, baptismal and monk name uncertain ), son of Daniel from the family Bellu, monk and superior of the monastery of Rabban Hormizd at Alqosh, settled in 1552 by the opposition against the ordered on the way of inheritance Mar Shimun VII Isho ' yahb (1551-1558) Catholicos - Patriarch choose the " Church of the East ". With the election of the office name Shimun he lined up in the traditional series of the East Syrian church leaders. In the absence of coordination authorized Metropolitan within his party, he turned to the Roman Pontiff. About Jerusalem, where he visited the churches of all denominations, he traveled to Rome. There he arrived on November 18, 1552 and found at Ambrose Theseus and Andreas Masius necessary linguistic assistance. Pope Julius III. left position and person check and appointed Sulaqa to " Patriarch of Mosul " (not meant to be limiting, but = the " Church of the East "). On April 9, 1553 he was in St. Peter's at Rome by Cardinal John of Toledo, OP ( † September 15, 1557 ), consecrated bishop and received on April 28 from the hands of the Pope the pallium. Accompanied by specially appointed " Nuncio for Mosul ," the titular bishop Ambrose Buttigeg, OP ( † 1558 ), mighty as the Maltese of Arabic, he traveled back overland by Konstantin Opel and met in Diyarbakır on November 12, 1553 a. In the following months he extended his obedience by ordination of several bishops, including ˁ Abdīšo ˁ for Gazarta and early 1554 Elias Habib Asmar for Diyarbakir ( Amida ). One of its successor, Mar Joseph I, became the title of a Chaldean Patriarch in the following century.
At the instigation of his non-Catholic competitors Sulaqa was arrested by the Islamic authorities and in January 1555, probably killed by drowning. Among Catholics, he is considered a martyr.
He was succeeded by Mar ˁ Abdīšo ˁ from Gazarta ( 1555-1570 ). He wrote three poems about Sulaqa Syrian and his journey to Rome ( narrated in the codices Vat 45 and 63, and Borg. Syr 21).
Sulaqas own brother, Joseph Mar Sulaqa, officiated 1556-1569 as Metropolitan of the Thomas Christians in South India.
Importance
Sulaqas request for ordination in Rome was without precedent in the history of the " Church of the East ". Even before him, however, were in 1340 the " Nestorians " on Cyprus entered into communion communion with the Roman Pontiff. Sulaqa Mar Shimun saw himself and his church, of course, as orthodox and could eventually even the papal authorities convince them of his orthodoxy. Cardinal Bernardino Maffei expressed in the consistory of February 20, 1553 before the award of the patriarch to Sulaqa, the members of the " Church of the East " were for " Nestorians " in name only, their commitment, however, entirely orthodox.
In the longer term created Sulaqas from embarrassment born part Union prerequisite for the establishment and development of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Opened with Sulaqa Mar Shimun younger line catholicoi East Syriac Patriarch ( the official name Mar Shimun ) is in modern times, but with loss of binding to Rome, the head of the non-Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Dinkha IV currently