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 PERSIA

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PERSIA

Metropolitan of Tarsus and Cyprus, renounced Nestor- ianism, and in 1553 the patriarch John Sulaka visited Rome and submitted to Pope Julius III his profession of faith, as a result of which several thou- sand Nestorians of Persia became Catholics. His successor, Ebedjesus, followed his example, visited Rome, and assisted at the last (twenty-fifth) session of the Council of Trent. In 1582 Simeon Denha was elected patriarch of the converted Nestorians, hence- forth called simply Chaldeans, and, owing to Turk- ish persecution, he transferred the patriarchal see to Urumiah in Persia. Shortly afterwards, he received the pallium from Gregory XIII through Laurent Abel, Bishop of Sidon, who was commissioned by the pope to investigate the condition of the various churches of the East. Mar Denha's successors, Simeon VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII, all remained faithful to Rome, and fixed their patriarchal see at Uruniiah and Khosrowa; Simeon IX, in fact, in a letter to Pope Innocent X, informs him that the Nestorian Uniats, or Chaldeans, under his patriarchal jurisdiction numbered some 200,000 souls. Simeon XI sent his profession of faith to Alexander VII (elected 165.3) ; and Simeon XII, to Clement X (1670). From 1670 to 1770 the relations between the Nestorian patriarchs and Rome were suspended.

But in 1770 one of the successors of Simeon XII addressed a letter to Pope Clement XIV in which he expresses his intention of resuming once more or- thodox and friendly relations with Rome. The suc- cessors of this patriarch, however, completely severed their relations with Rome, and transferred their patri- archal residence from Urumiah to Kotchanes, in Kurd- istan, which became thenceforward the see of the Nestorian patriarchs. Meanwliile, the many thou- sand Nestorian Uniats, or Chaldeans, who remained faithful to the Catholic Faith selected for themselves an independent Catholic patriarch, who was con- firmed with all the patriarchal privileges by Innocent XI on 20 May, 16S1. To his successor, Joseph I, was given the title of "Patriarch of Babylon", i. e. of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the ancient patriarchal see of the Nestorian Church. In 1695 he resigned and went to Rome, where he shortly afterwards died. His suc- cessors were Joseph II, III, IV, V, and VI, all be- longing to the same family of Mar Denha. They governed the Chaldean Church during the eighteenth century, and their patriarchal residence was trans- ferred from Persia to Mesopotamia — to Diarbekir, Mosul, and Aniida successively.

Beginning with the early years of this century, several Capuchin (1725) and Dominican (17.50) mis- sionaries were sent to Mosul, and through their efforts and zeal all traces of Nestorianism disappeared from the Chaldean Church in Mesopotamia. After the death of Joseph VI the Congregation of Propaganda decreed that henceforth but one Chaldean patriarch should be acknowledged. Leo XII confirmed the decree, and Pius VIII put it into execution, 5 July, 1830, by creating Mar Hanna (Yuhanna Hormuz) the sole and only legitimate patriarch of the Chaldeans. He transferred his patriarchal see from Diarbekir to Bagdad, where he died in 1838. His successor, Isaiade Yakob, who resided at Khosrowa, near Sal- amas, in Persia, resigned in 1845, and was succeeded, in 1848, by Joseph Audo, who died in 1878, and was succeeded by Elia Abbolionan, who died in 1894 and was succeeded by Ebedjesus Khayyat, after whose death at Bagdad, in 1899, the patriarchal dignity was conferred in 1900 upon the present incumbent, Jo.seph Emanuel. The official title and residence of the Chaldean patriarchs is that of Babylon, but for administrative reasons they reside at Mosul, from which centre they govern 5 archdioceses and 10 dio- ceses, containing 100,000 souls.

The history of European Catholic missions in Persia dates from the time of the Mongohan rule, in the thir-

teenth and fourteenth centuries, when several em- bassies of Dominicans and Franciscans were sent by the popes to the Mongol rulers both in Central Asia and in Persia; and although their noble efforts brought no permanent results, they paved the way for future and more successful Catholic propaganda. In the early part of the seventeenth century, political aims led the kings of Persia to contract friendly rela- tions with Europe. This gave a new impetus to Catholic missionary enterprise, and Carmelite, Minor- ite, and Jesuit mis.sionaries were well received by Shah Abbas the Great, who allowed them to establish missionary stations all through his dominion. Ispa- han was made the centre, and several thousand Nes- torians returned to the Catholic Church. These missionaries were soon followed by Augustinians and Capuchins, who enlarged their missionary field, ex- tending it to Armenians and Mohammedans as well. The most distinguished of these missionaries was Father de Rhodes of Avignon, the Francis Xavier of Persia, who became the best beloved man in Is- pahan. On his death in 1646 the shah himself, with his court and nobles, as well as the largest part of the population of Ispahan, attended his funeral. He was called by them "The Saint ". After his death, the city of Ispahan was created an episcopal see, the first incumbent of which was the Carmelite Thaddeus. Under Nadir Shah and Shah Sultan Husain, however, the tide turned again, and persecution followed. The missionaries were forced to flee, and thousands of Christians were compelled either to migrate or to apostatize. This was in the early part of the eight- eenth century. A hundred years later missionary work recommenced, and thousands of Nestorians were converted to the Catholic Faith.

The second epoch of Catholic missionary work in Persia was begun in 1840 by the Lazarists, in conse- quence of the representations of Eugene Bor^, a French savant and a fervent Catholic, who in 1838 was sent to Persia on a scientific mission by the French Academy and the Minister of Public Instruc- tion. He himself founded four schools, two in Tabriz and Ispahan for the Armenians, and two in Urumiah and Salamas for the Chaldeans. Condescending to his advice and instructions, the Congregation of Propaganda confided the establishment of the new mission to the Lazarists, who were joined later on by the French Sisters of Charity. The first Lazarist missionary was Father Fornier, who arrived at Tabriz in 1840 as prefect Apostolic. He was joined in the following year by two other fathers of the same so- ciety, Darnis and Cluzel, who took immediate charge of the school founded by M. Bor6 and already at- tended by sixty pupils. Two years later, yielding to strong opposition on the part of the schismatical Armenian clergy, Darnis left Tabriz and established himself at Urumiah, while Cluzel remained at Ispahan, and Fornier in Tabriz. Cluzel was soon afterwards joined by Darnis in Urumiah, the latter having left the school at Ispahan in charge of Giovanni Dcrder- ian, a most zealous Armenian Catholic priest who was subsequently elected bishop of tliat see, but did not live to receive consecration.

On arriving at LTrumiah, the fir.st Lazarists found the American Protestant missionaries already well estab- lished in that city, but soon outstripped them in in- fluence and zeal, as is shown by the fact that within two year.s the number of pupils in the Catholic school increased from 200 fo over 400, with two churches, one in Urumiah and the other in Ardishai, the most populous village in the \'icinity of LTrumiah. Here again the Catholic missionaries were persecuted; owing to the intrigues of the Russian consul and the opposition of the Nestorians, they were compelled to leave their .stations, while a fourth Lazarite, Father Rouge, had meanwhile arrived and established a new mission at Khosrowa. With the estabUshment, how-