Ignatius George II facts for kids

Ignatius George II was an important leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was the Patriarch of Antioch, which means he was the main spiritual head of the church. He led the church from 1687 until he passed away in 1708.

The Life of Ignatius George II

Early Life and Becoming a Monk

George was born in a city called Mosul in 1648. His father's name was ‘Abd al-Karim. He had a brother named Rizq Allah and a sister named Maryam. Maryam had three sons who also became important church figures: Isaac, Matthew, and Jacob.

When George was young, he became a monk at the Monastery of Saint Matthew. In 1669, he and his nephew Isaac were ordained as priests. This was done by Basil Yeldo, who was the Maphrian of the East. A Maphrian was another high-ranking church leader.

In 1673, George, Isaac, and Basil Yeldo worked together to fix up the Monastery of Saint Matthew. Because of this, the local governor in Mosul put them in prison for a short time. Later, in 1677, Basil Yeldo made George an archbishop for the area of Gazarta. At this time, George took the name Dioscorus.

Rising to Church Leadership

After Basil Yeldo stepped down from his role, George was chosen to take his place as Maphrian of the East. This happened in 1683 or 1684. When he became Maphrian, he took the name Basil.

Then, in 1687, George was chosen to become the Patriarch of Antioch. This was the highest position in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was officially made Patriarch at the Church of the Forty Martyrs in Mardin on April 22 or 23, 1687. When he became Patriarch, he took the name Ignatius.

The Ottoman government, which ruled the area, gave him a special document called a firman. This document officially recognized him as the new Patriarch. In the same year, he made his nephew Isaac the new Maphrian of the East. He also gave Isaac the power to help manage the entire church.

Working to Strengthen the Church

During his time as Patriarch, Ignatius George II worked hard to make the church strong again. He also tried to protect it from challenges, especially from the Syriac Catholic Church. This group had separated from the Syriac Orthodox Church.

George spent a year in the courts of Aleppo in Syria. He successfully got back control of churches that had been taken by Syriac Catholics. In Aleppo, he even took back the Church of the Virgin Mary more than once. In 1691, he performed an important ceremony there, consecrating the Holy Chrism (a special oil used in church rituals).

In the 1690s, George oversaw the repair and renovation of churches. He fixed up churches in Edessa and Amida. Later, he also renovated churches in Gazarta, Mosul, and three churches in Mardin.

He also worked on the Monastery of Saint Ananias. This monastery had been partly ruined since a Kurdish attack around 1516. From 1696 to 1699, George started rebuilding parts of the monastery. He worked on the eastern wall, parts of the northern wall, the monks' living areas (called monastic cells), and parts of the Church of the Virgin Mary. He also had a special chapel for the Patriarch built on top of the Church of the Virgin Mary.

Around 1701, George helped build a church in Ḥisn Manṣūr, and later another one in Zakho. He visited Edessa around 1702 or 1703. While there, he was put in prison for a short time because of disagreements with Syriac Catholics.

In 1708, a serious sickness, like the plague, spread in Mardin and Amida. George led a procession of Christians from Mardin to a nearby monastery to pray for help. He gave a sermon, telling people that the sickness was a sign from God.

Ignatius George II served as Patriarch until he died on June 5, 1708. He was buried at the Monastery of Saint Ananias. A biography written about him in 1730 mentioned that he was believed to have performed several miracles. During his time as Patriarch, he appointed twenty new bishops.