Sanctified lake
Patriarch Shimun VIII Youhanna Sulaqa the first Catholic martyr of Iraq
Background
The Church of the East was one of the most vibrant Christian churches in the world, its vigorous missionaries evangelised eastward from their base in Persia and reaching as far as Korea and China.
When the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, during the fourth century, it had an adverse effect on the Church of the East, where by its territory became divided between the competing powers at the time, the Roman and the Sassanid Empires. Under pressure from the Sassanid Emperor, the Church of the East sought to distance itself from the western (Roman Empire) Catholic Church. In 424, the bishops of the Sassanid Empire held a synod under the leadership of Patriarch Dadisho (421–456) and decided that they would not, henceforth, refer disciplinary or theological problems to any external power, and especially not to any bishop or Church Council in the Roman Empire.
Throughout the thirteen century, numerous unification initiatives were launched between Rome and the Church of the East, these moves were spearheaded by Patriarch Sabrisho V, known as Ibin Al Masihee (1226-1257). The western missionaries, who were operating in Mesopotamia, reported to Pope Innocent IV about the desires of the Patriarch to unit with Rome. However, with the Mongol invasion of the region, all efforts of unity came to a halt.
During the reign of the Mongol Patriarch Yaballaha III (1282-1317) communication between the Church of the East and Rome resumed through an intermediary monk by the name of Souma, a close friend of the Patriarch. In 1287, Souma was dispatched to Rome as a representative of the Mongol king Argon and the Patriarch. He was warmly received in Rome and Pope Nicola IV dispatched a letter with him, asking Patriarch Yaballaha to join his church in communion with Rome. In return, the patriarch sent a letter to Pope Benedict XI, through the Dominican friar named Jacob, which acknowledged his intention to be affiliated with Rome. However, due to wars and political turmoil in the region talks were once again halted.
Upheaval within the church
Patriarch Shimun IV Bassidi installed a hereditary system of succession to the Patriarchy of the Church of the East. He ruled that his office would only pass to the members of his own family, in practical terms to a nephew or a brother, since the Patriarch was celibate. Many individuals were elected as bishops and patriarchs without any credibility.
When patriarch Shimun VII Ishoyahb succeeded his brother, either at the end of 1538 or early 1539, he made a major controversial appointment: designating his twelve year old nephew Hnanisho as his successor. Several years later, probably because Hnanisho had died in the interim, he transferred the succession to his fifteen year brother Eliya, the future patriarch Eliya VII.These two appointments caused a major uproar within the church. His opponents accused him of further improper actions such as selling ecclesiastical positions, allowing the practice of concubine, selling church properties and general intemperance.
The insouciance behaviour of the patriarch continued to agitate the rest of the bishops and his controversial decisions created a cocktail of dismay and resentment within his church. A group of bishops started, surreptitiously, to look for ways to bypass these harsh and unlawful rules. After studying in details the church’s canonical rules of election, they were convinced that these new rules of hereditary successions have no legitimacy. They decided to boycott the office of the patriarch and to find a universal church to accept them.
This group was headed by the Bishops of Erbil (Iraq), Salamis (Iran) and of Azerbaijan. They were supported by many priests and monks. In Iraq, the dioceses of Baghdad, Kirkuk, Jazeira and Husin d’Kefa endorsed their action and in Turkey, the diocese of Nisibis, Mardin, Amid and Siirt supported them.
Once the bishops realised that they had large followers, they publicised their intentions and called for a general assembly of clergy, monks, and members from the disgruntled dioceses, to be held in the city of Mosul (northern Iraq).
The vociferous meeting opened with warm prayers emanating from people longing for change. The delegates discussed the issue of hereditary nomination and they decided to annul this law. It was agreed that a highly qualified person must be elected to serve as their patriarch. When they started to discuss suitable candidates, almost instantly and collectively they voted for bishop Sulaqa, the Abbot of the Monastery of Rabban Hormizd, located near Alqosh (northern Iraq). He was regarded as an expert in canonical law, and a great visionary. A delegation was dispatched to inform him of the outcome of their meeting.
Who is Sulaqa?
He was born in Aqra (northern Iraq) in 1513 into a zealous Christian family. Since his childhood, the allure of monastic life enticed him. He joined the fifty monks of Rabban Hormizd Monastery. Sulaqa was an assiduous monk with great administrative and organisational talents. The monks unanimously elected him as their Abbot in 1540 at the age of 27 (the literal translation of Sulaqa in English is Ascension).
Sulaqa’s timidity
When the delegation arrived at the monastery, to inform Sulaqa of the assembly’s decision, he was astonished and mystified.Sulaqa was aware of the gravity of such decision and its consequences. He despised the busy city life and preferred the austere solitude of his monastery. The realisation of what to come hit him like an anvil, and without any hesitation, he turned down the post and pleaded for someone else to be elected for the task.
After two more failed attempts of persuading Sulaqa, a large delegation was sent to the monastery and they managed to convince him to accompany them to Mosul. Upon his arrival, in 1552, he was greeted with elation and frenzy. The abbot was startled at these scenes that subdued his churning mind, and he succumbed to the will of the people. He was formally elected as their patriarch. Unfortunately, no bishop of metropolitan rank was available to consecrate him as a patriarch. The Franciscan missionaries urged his supporters to legitimise their position by seeking their candidate’s consecration by Pope Julius III.
The journey to Rome
In April 1552, the newly elect patriarch and his seventy companions left the city of Mosul and headed for Rome. Large crowds bade Farewell to them. Some in the throng held up huge banners with messages of support. Women clutched their rosaries and wiped away their tears of joy. After their arrival in Jerusalem, Sulaqa with three trusted men, headed for Rome.
The delegation departed from Jaffa to Beirut and after celebrating the feast of Pentecost they headed for Venice, arriving on October 8, 1552.After spending some time visiting Venice’s churches and places of interest they reached Rome on October 18, 1552.
In Rome, Sulaqa was warmly received and was given a residential home near the Vatican. He was inspired by this treatment that made him forget all the hardship of his eight months journey. He prayed at the tomb of St. Peter asking the Lord to help him succeed in his mission. And after eight days rest, he went through the whole rigmarole of formalities with a detailed check on his identity, his belief and the purpose of his visit. On February 20, 1553, he made a profession of faith to the Pope and on April 9, 1553, he was consecrated a patriarch in St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal John Alvarez de Toledo, (or by the Pope, according to other sources). His appointment as a patriarch was ratified by the papal bull entitled "Divina disponente clementia”. On April 28, 1553 he received the pallium (the sign of his patriarchal authority) from the Pope and took the traditional name of Shimun VIII and was proclaimed as the Patriarch of the Chaldeans. The term Chaldeans had been officially used by the council of Florence in 1445 as a new name for the Nestorian Christians of Cyprus who entered in full communion with the Catholic Church. According to Sulaqa’s request, the Pope appointed Bishop Ambrose Buttigeg, a Dominican Maltese as his assistant and a “Nuncio of Mosul."
Sulaqa spent some time in Rome, visiting its churches and some historic sites, he was evinced with joy yet conflicting emotions swirled inside him. A barrage of questions was pummelling his mind when contemplating the unknown future that awaited him. The new Patriarch bid Farwell to the Pope, who gave him some expensive gifts consisting of a golden patriarchal crown, holy nickels and a tray with cups. He also paid all the costs of his journey. Sulaqa travelled by land to Constantinople. Upon his arrival he tried to meet with Sultan Suleiman I to discuss the affairs of his community but he was not in the city, then the delegation headed for Amid (today’s Diyar Baker, Turkey) where he wished to install his Patriarchal See.
The renascent patriarch
Sulaqa arrived in Amid on November 12, 1553.The city was thick with perpetual joy, the chanting and chiming of church bells ascended from various ends of town. The women brook into spontaneous ululations of Joy. In his letter to the Pope, Sulaqa described the jubilant mode of the people and their reception of him.
The new patriarch felt that he had little time to achieve so many things. As soon as the euphoria receded, he started working vigorously by putting his old administrative skills into practice. Sulaqa knew that the destiny and future of his new church was dependent upon the leadership of competent individuals. The church lacked qualified persons to organise its affairs, as the hereditary system left many dioceses without able bishops.
On November 19, 1553, Sulaqa ordained a new bishop by the name of Hormuz, who took on the name of Elijah. The second bishop he ordained was on January 27, 1554 by the name of Abides Bin Younan (who later became Sulaqa's successor). Additionally, he ordained three more bishops. In total, the Patriarch had eight bishops including the original three that started the union movement.
The new Patriarch and his bishops took the advice of the Apostolic Nuncio Ambrose Buttigeg and his friend Antonio Sahara and father Mathew. They started an extensive theological and ecunumical renewal programmes that eliminated some teaching which was forced upon the parishioners.
In December 1553, Sulaqa headed for Aleppo to meet Sultan Suleiman I. His community was in desperate need of the Sultan’s protection. The meeting was organised by the consulate of Venice in Syria who accompanied the patriarch. They obtained an amnesty order, issued by the Sultan to all his governors, not to harm any of his community and to treat them with respect. Patriarch Sulaqa travelled incessantly through his region, visiting all the episcopates under his jurisdiction. The gracious Patriarch gave them peace in their anxiety and asked them to remain compliant to the authority of the Pope. His efforts bore fruit as the new church started to grow day by day.
Martyrdom
Flummoxed by the turn of events within his church, patriarch Bar Mama responded swiftly by consecrating two more underage members of the patriarchal family as bishops for Nisibis and Jazeera. He continued with his policies that triggered widespread upheaval and instability within the church. Being a man of action and not prone to despair, Bar Mama tried furiously to obstruct the progress of the incipient church.
Since the early part of 16th century, Patriarchs of the Church of the East preferred Alqosh as their patriarchal seat, then they transferred this seat to Mar Hormuz Monastery. The area was under the jurisdiction of Hussein Beck al-Kurd, the Pasha of Amadiya. Bar Mama had an excellent relationship with the Pasha and was aware of his greed for money. He offered him 10,000 dinars to silence the new patriarch.
The malevolent and cunning pasha plotted to get rid of Sulaqa. He invited him to visit the provinces under his jurisdictions, claiming that many of his followers were eager to see him. After some cogitation, Sulaqa decided to meet the Pasha. Almost immediately after his arrival, he was arrested and hurled into prison. He was regularly beaten and tortured by the Pasha’s henchmen.
Sulaqa was ordered to renounce his new faith and to obey patriarch Bar Mama, but he refused to comply. He was later thrown in a deep well and was left there for forty days. Hunger and thirst accentuated his fatigue. The frustrated Pasha realised that he was facing an intractable challenge. He ordered his men to take Sulaqa to nearby mountains and kill him. The pasha would spread false rumours that he had escaped.
In the darkness and drizzle of one despondent night they pulled him out of the well and shackled him to a horse. The henchmen kicked their horses to a gallop and disappeared into the night. After an hours ride, they reached Lake Brim, near the Monastery of Mar Sawa. They quickly dismounted and carried the listless body and threw it in the lake. This was on January 12, 1555.
