Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church from 1662 until his in 1677, Ignatius Andrew Akijan's election marked the first separation of the hierarchy between the Syriac Catholic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Born in Mardin, Turkey, he soon came in contact with the Carmelites missionaries. Studying from 1649 in the Maronite College in Rome, after three years he returned in the East where he was ordained priest in 1652 by the Maronite Patriarch.
In those years in Aleppo a number of Syriac Christians entered in full communion with the Catholic Church, forming the first Syrian Catholic community. Choosing Akijan as their bishop, he was consecrated on June 29, 1656 by Maronite Patriarch John Bawab of Safra, taking the name of Andrew. Taking possession of his church on August 9, 1656, he suffered a strong and violent opposition by the Orthodox Syriacs that forced him to escape in Lebanon on May 15, 1657, from where he returned to Aleppo on March 12 of the following year. His ministry as Syriac bishop of Aleppo was confirmed by the Pope on January 28, 1659.
At the death of the Syrian Patriarch in 1662, the Syrian Catholic party in Aleppo was able to persuade the synod of the Syriac Church to elect Andrew Akijan as Patriarch, and thus he was elected on April 19, 1662, but with the opposition of the Orthodox party which elected Abdul Masih as Patriarch. On August 3, 1662 the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV confirmed Akijan in the patriarchal office and on August 20, 1662 he was formally enthroned, taking the traditional name of Ignatius.
Known for his love of virtue, the poor and the parish Syriac priests, the Patriarch died in Aleppo in 1677. Buried there in front of the choir at the Church of Our Lady of Alnaah Aleppo, his grave stone of fine marble disappeared during a fire which took place in the church in 1850. His bones however had been since transported by Patriarch Ignatius Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin in a box to Rome in 1696 and there deposited on November 28 in a tomb ad hoc inside the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Born in Mardin, Turkey, he soon came in contact with the Carmelites missionaries. Studying from 1649 in the Maronite College in Rome, after three years he returned in the East where he was ordained priest in 1652 by the Maronite Patriarch.
In those years in Aleppo a number of Syriac Christians entered in full communion with the Catholic Church, forming the first Syrian Catholic community. Choosing Akijan as their bishop, he was consecrated on June 29, 1656 by Maronite Patriarch John Bawab of Safra, taking the name of Andrew. Taking possession of his church on August 9, 1656, he suffered a strong and violent opposition by the Orthodox Syriacs that forced him to escape in Lebanon on May 15, 1657, from where he returned to Aleppo on March 12 of the following year. His ministry as Syriac bishop of Aleppo was confirmed by the Pope on January 28, 1659.
At the death of the Syrian Patriarch in 1662, the Syrian Catholic party in Aleppo was able to persuade the synod of the Syriac Church to elect Andrew Akijan as Patriarch, and thus he was elected on April 19, 1662, but with the opposition of the Orthodox party which elected Abdul Masih as Patriarch. On August 3, 1662 the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV confirmed Akijan in the patriarchal office and on August 20, 1662 he was formally enthroned, taking the traditional name of Ignatius.
Known for his love of virtue, the poor and the parish Syriac priests, the Patriarch died in Aleppo in 1677. Buried there in front of the choir at the Church of Our Lady of Alnaah Aleppo, his grave stone of fine marble disappeared during a fire which took place in the church in 1850. His bones however had been since transported by Patriarch Ignatius Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin in a box to Rome in 1696 and there deposited on November 28 in a tomb ad hoc inside the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church from 1662 until his in 1677, Ignatius Andrew Akijan's election marked the first separation of the hierarchy between the Syriac Catholic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Born in Mardin, Turkey, he soon came in contact with the Carmelites missionaries. Studying from 1649 in the Maronite College in Rome, after three years he returned in the East where he was ordained priest in 1652 by the Maronite Patriarch.
In those years in Aleppo a number of Syriac Christians entered in full communion with the Catholic Church, forming the first Syrian Catholic community. Choosing Akijan as their bishop, he was consecrated on June 29, 1656 by Maronite Patriarch John Bawab of Safra, taking the name of Andrew. Taking possession of his church on August 9, 1656, he suffered a strong and violent opposition by the Orthodox Syriacs that forced him to escape in Lebanon on May 15, 1657, from where he returned to Aleppo on March 12 of the following year. His ministry as Syriac bishop of Aleppo was confirmed by the Pope on January 28, 1659.
At the death of the Syrian Patriarch in 1662, the Syrian Catholic party in Aleppo was able to persuade the synod of the Syriac Church to elect Andrew Akijan as Patriarch, and thus he was elected on April 19, 1662, but with the opposition of the Orthodox party which elected Abdul Masih as Patriarch. On August 3, 1662 the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV confirmed Akijan in the patriarchal office and on August 20, 1662 he was formally enthroned, taking the traditional name of Ignatius.
Known for his love of virtue, the poor and the parish Syriac priests, the Patriarch died in Aleppo in 1677. Buried there in front of the choir at the Church of Our Lady of Alnaah Aleppo, his grave stone of fine marble disappeared during a fire which took place in the church in 1850. His bones however had been since transported by Patriarch Ignatius Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin in a box to Rome in 1696 and there deposited on November 28 in a tomb ad hoc inside the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
Born in Mardin, Turkey, he soon came in contact with the Carmelites missionaries. Studying from 1649 in the Maronite College in Rome, after three years he returned in the East where he was ordained priest in 1652 by the Maronite Patriarch.
In those years in Aleppo a number of Syriac Christians entered in full communion with the Catholic Church, forming the first Syrian Catholic community. Choosing Akijan as their bishop, he was consecrated on June 29, 1656 by Maronite Patriarch John Bawab of Safra, taking the name of Andrew. Taking possession of his church on August 9, 1656, he suffered a strong and violent opposition by the Orthodox Syriacs that forced him to escape in Lebanon on May 15, 1657, from where he returned to Aleppo on March 12 of the following year. His ministry as Syriac bishop of Aleppo was confirmed by the Pope on January 28, 1659.
At the death of the Syrian Patriarch in 1662, the Syrian Catholic party in Aleppo was able to persuade the synod of the Syriac Church to elect Andrew Akijan as Patriarch, and thus he was elected on April 19, 1662, but with the opposition of the Orthodox party which elected Abdul Masih as Patriarch. On August 3, 1662 the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV confirmed Akijan in the patriarchal office and on August 20, 1662 he was formally enthroned, taking the traditional name of Ignatius.
Known for his love of virtue, the poor and the parish Syriac priests, the Patriarch died in Aleppo in 1677. Buried there in front of the choir at the Church of Our Lady of Alnaah Aleppo, his grave stone of fine marble disappeared during a fire which took place in the church in 1850. His bones however had been since transported by Patriarch Ignatius Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin in a box to Rome in 1696 and there deposited on November 28 in a tomb ad hoc inside the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
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