Roman Catholic Cardinal. Born in Constantinople in the then Ottoman Empire, present day Istanbul, Turkey, Anton Pedros Hassoun came from a noble family. Receiving his initial studies in his native city, he was sent over to Rome, where he entered the Seminary of San Pietro in Vaticano, furthering his studies at the Pontifical Urban Athenaeum of Propaganda Fide, earning a doctorate in theology. Ordained priest on September 8, 1832, back in his country he served at the Armenian Catholic parish of Smyrna, before being called to Constantinople where he was assigned to several parishes while serving the positions of chancellor and vicar general of the primatial see. Elected archbishop of the titular see of Anazarbo and appointed coadjutor, with right of succession, of the metropolitan and primatial see of Constantinople of the Armenians at the early age of 32 on June 7, 1842, he received his episcopal consecration in Rome on the following June 19, from Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide. Succeeding to the primatial see on August 2, 1846, upon the death of Archbishop Paolo Marusci, he was appointed assistant at Pontifical Throne on February 15, 1859 and elected by the Armenian Synod of Bzommar, patriarch of patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians, with residence in Lebanon, on September 14, 1866, taking the name Andon Bedros IX. On July 12, 1867, by the papal bull Reversurus, the primatial see and the patriarchate were united and the patriarchate was transferred to Constantinople, with the Patriarch being granted also the use of the pallium. As this bull, having also amended the rules relating to the election of bishops, created a schism, Pope Pius IX excommunicated the schismatics on June 14, 1872, which move led the Turkish government to expel the Patriarch from the country. Seeking refuge in Rome, due to pressure from France, the Sultan of Turkey recognized in 1874, the Church that had remained faithful to Rome as a different one from the schismatic Church and thus the Patriarch was able to return to Constantinople in 1876. Eventually, on April 18, 1879, the schismatics reconciled with the Holy See. During his tenure, the Patriarch founded a seminary in Constantinople, built several churches and schools, established better relations with the civil power, founded the Congregation of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, created six new bishoprics in the primatial province as well as a new Armenian bishopric in Persia and encouraged missionary activity among the schismatic Armenians. Pope Leo XIII created him cardinal priest in the consistory of December 13, 1880 with the title of Ss. Vitale, Gervasio e Protasio. Resigning the patriarchate in June of the following year, he moved again to Rome, where he helped with the foundation of the Pontifical Armenian College, located next to the church San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani, of which he was also put in charge and which presently houses his remains. The first prelate of Oriental rite created cardinal since the promotion of Cardinal Bessarion back in 1439, the Cardinal succumbed to a pleuropneumonia in his residence at via degli Angeli Custodi in Rome. In a telegram sent by his successor, Patriarch Stepan Bedros X Azarian, a request for the repatriation of his body back to Constantinople was presented, however this request was never fulfilled, for he was laid to rest in the chapel of the Minims of San Francesco di Paola at the Campo Verano Cemetery before being moved to the named church of San Nicola da Tolentino in 1908.