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Rh About the middle of the 15th century the Patriarchate became hereditary—no doubt gradually. The electors chose the nephew of the last Patriarch, who had been brought up under his care and had learned in his house how to follow his footsteps. Then this became a regular principle. So we come to one of the chief abuses of the modern Nestorians, the existence of a "Patriarchal family." The Patriarch may not marry, so the office passes from uncle to nephew, as we shall see when we come to the present conditions (p. 130). In the year 1551 began a great dispute about the succession, whose results still last. This question also affects the Uniate Chaldees, since out of the quarrel emerged their lines of Patriarchs too. But, as it also affects the Nestorians profoundly, we must tell the story here. Its final result is very curious.

In 1551 Simon (Shim‘un) Bar-Mâmâ, the Patriarch, died. It was in his house (the family of Mâmâ) that the Patriarchate had become hereditary. So a number of bishops duly elect his nephew Simon Denḥâ to succeed him. But others and the Nestorian "notables," apparently in order to break the hereditary idea, elect a monk of the Rabban Hurmizd monastery (p. 135) named Sa‘ūd, whose name in religion was John Sulâḳâ. Sulâḳâ becomes a very important person; he was the first Uniate Patriarch of a continuous line. In order to fortify himself against his rival he makes friends with the Catholic Franciscan missionaries, who were already working among the Nestorians. They send him to Jerusalem, and there the "Custos s. sepulchri" gives him letters for the Pope. He comes to Rome, makes a Catholic profession of faith, and is ordained Patriarch by Pope Julius III (1550–1555) on Apr. 9, 1553. Then he went back as a Uniate Patriarch, hoping to gather all Nestorians under his authority. But in 1555 he was imprisoned by the Pasha of Diyārbakr, and murdered in prison by the machinations of his rival. We now have two successions of rival Patriarchs—no uncommon occurrence in this Church. We will take Sulaka's line first. He was succeeded by one ‘Ebed-