Shemon VII Ishoyahb
Encyclopedia
Shemon VII Ishoyahb was Patriarch of the Church of the East
from 1539 to 1558. His reign was widely unpopular, and discontent with his leadership led to the schism of 1552, in which his opponents rebelled and appointed the monk Sulaqa as a rival patriarch. Sulaqa's subsequent consecration by Pope Julius III
saw a permanent split in the Church of the East and the birth of the Chaldean Catholic Church
. His body is buried in the monastery of Rabban Hormizd near Alqosh.
, and general intemperance.
The rebels elected Yohannan Sulaqa
, the superior of the monastery of Rabban Hormizd near Alqosh, in opposition to Shemon VII Ishoyahb, but were unable to consecrate him as no bishop of metropolitan rank was available, as canonically required. Franciscan missionaries were already at work among the Nestorians, and they persuaded Sulaqa's supporters to legitimize their position by seeking Sulaqa's consecration by Pope Julius III (1550–5). Sulaqa went to Rome, where he made a satisfactory Catholic profession of faith and presented a letter, drafted by his supporters in Mosul, which set out his claims to be recognized as patriarch. This letter, which has survived in the Vatican archives, grossly distorted the truth. The rebels claimed that the Nestorian patriarch Shemon VII Ishoyahb had died in 1551 and had been succeeded illegitimately by 'Shemon VIII Denha' (1551–8), a non-existent patriarch invented purely for the purpose of bolstering the legitimacy of Sulaqa
's election. The Vatican was taken in by this fraud, and recognised Sulaqa
as the founding patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church
in April 1553, thereby creating a permanent schism in the Church of the East.
The Vatican only discovered that Shemon VII Ishoyahb was still alive two years later. On 12 January 1555, shortly after Sulaqa
's murder, the Franciscan friar Ambrose Buttigeg wrote to Julius III with the news that 'Shemon Bar Mama' was still alive:
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...
from 1539 to 1558. His reign was widely unpopular, and discontent with his leadership led to the schism of 1552, in which his opponents rebelled and appointed the monk Sulaqa as a rival patriarch. Sulaqa's subsequent consecration by Pope Julius III
Pope Julius III
Pope Julius III , born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was Pope from 7 February 1550 to 1555....
saw a permanent split in the Church of the East and the birth 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...
. His body is buried in the monastery of Rabban Hormizd near Alqosh.
Guardian of the throne and metropolitan of Mosul
Shemon Ishoyahb was the younger brother of the patriarch Shemon VI (1504–38). Throughout his brother's reign Shemon was his designated successor or natar kursya ('guardian of the throne'). He is first mentioned as natar kursya in a manuscript colophon of 1504, at the very beginning of his brother's reign. In October 1538, two months after the death of Shemon VI on 5 August 1538, he is mentioned as metropolitan of Mosul. It is not clear whether he became metropolitan of Mosul before or after his brother's death.Patriarch
Shemon Ishoyahb succeeded his brother as patriarch either at the end of 1538 or, more probably, early in 1539. He is first mentioned as patriarch in a manuscript colophon of 1539. He took the name Shemon VII Ishoyahb. At this period the patriarchal succession in the Church of the East was hereditary, normally from uncle to nephew or from brother to brother. This practice, which had been introduced in the middle of the fifteenth century by the patriarch Shemon IV Basidi (died 1497), eventually resulted in a shortage of eligible heirs and in 1552 provoked a schism in the Church. Shemon VII Ishoyahb caused great offence at the beginning of his reign by designating his twelve-year-old nephew Hnanisho as his successor, presumably because no older relatives were available. Several years later, probably because Hnanisho had died in the interim, he transferred the succession to his fifteen-year-old brother Eliya, the future patriarch Eliya VI (1558–91). His opponents further accused him of crimes such as selling ecclesiastical positions, allowing the practice of concubinageConcubinage
Concubinage is the state of a woman or man in an ongoing, usually matrimonially oriented, relationship with somebody to whom they cannot be married, often because of a difference in social status or economic condition.-Concubinage:...
, and general intemperance.
Schism of 1552
In 1552 a section of the Church of the East, angered by Shemon VII Ishoyahb's misbehaviour, revolted against his authority. The prime movers in the rebellion were unnamed bishops of Erbil, Salmas and Adarbaigan, and they were supported by 'many' priests and monks from Baghdad, Kirkuk, Gazarta, Nisibis, Mardin, Amid, Hesna d'Kifa and Seert. These were urban centres where there was little respect for the principle of hereditary succession to the patriarchate.The rebels elected Yohannan Sulaqa
Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa
Mar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
, the superior of the monastery of Rabban Hormizd near Alqosh, in opposition to Shemon VII Ishoyahb, but were unable to consecrate him as no bishop of metropolitan rank was available, as canonically required. Franciscan missionaries were already at work among the Nestorians, and they persuaded Sulaqa's supporters to legitimize their position by seeking Sulaqa's consecration by Pope Julius III (1550–5). Sulaqa went to Rome, where he made a satisfactory Catholic profession of faith and presented a letter, drafted by his supporters in Mosul, which set out his claims to be recognized as patriarch. This letter, which has survived in the Vatican archives, grossly distorted the truth. The rebels claimed that the Nestorian patriarch Shemon VII Ishoyahb had died in 1551 and had been succeeded illegitimately by 'Shemon VIII Denha' (1551–8), a non-existent patriarch invented purely for the purpose of bolstering the legitimacy of Sulaqa
Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa
Mar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
's election. The Vatican was taken in by this fraud, and recognised Sulaqa
Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa
Mar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
as the founding 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...
in April 1553, thereby creating a permanent schism in the Church of the East.
The Vatican only discovered that Shemon VII Ishoyahb was still alive two years later. On 12 January 1555, shortly after Sulaqa
Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa
Mar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
's murder, the Franciscan friar Ambrose Buttigeg wrote to Julius III with the news that 'Shemon Bar Mama' was still alive:
- Your holiness will be shocked to learn that, contrary to what your holiness, the most reverend cardinals, and the rest of you were told, the old patriarch never died at all, and has recently murdered the said Simon SulaqaShimun VIII Yohannan SulaqaMar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa was the first Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, from 1553 to 1555....
.