Joseph II Sliba Marouf | |
|---|---|
| Patriarch of the Chaldeans | |
| Church | Chaldean Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Amid |
| See | Amid of the Chaldeans |
| Installed | 18 June 1696 |
| Term ended | 1713 |
| Predecessor | Joseph I |
| Successor | Joseph III Timothy Maroge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sliba Marouf 1667 |
| Died | 1713 (aged 45–46) |
| Residence | Amid,Turkey |
MarJoseph II (Syriac:ܝܘܣܦ, romanized:Yawsep;Arabic:يوسفcode: ara promoted to code: ar, romanized:Youssef), bornṢliba d-beth Maʿrūf (orSliba Bet Macruf)[1] was the second incumbent patriarch of theJosephite line ofChurch of the East, a small patriarchate infull communion with thePope that was active in the areas ofAmid andMardin in the 17th–19th century. He is officially recognized by theChaldean Catholic Church as its patriarch from 1696 to 1713.
Sliba Marouf was born in 1667[2] inTel Keppe,Ottoman Empire, and received first orders at fourteen.[3] He moved toDiyarbakır (Amid) in 1689 where he became a disciple ofPatriarch Yawsep I, and at the age of 24 in 1691, he was consecrated as a bishop metropolitan of Diyarbakır[4] without the prior consent ofRome.[5]: 209 He was chosen by Joseph I as his successor to theChaldean Catholic Patriarchate in 1694 under the name of Joseph II, but this appointment became effective only when Rome accepted his predecessor's resignation in 1696. Thus Sliba Marouf was confirmed patriarch byHoly See on June 18, 1696,[5]: 209 with the name of Joseph II.
In Diyarbakır, he attended a localMuslim school, where he studiedArabic, philosophy, and some theology. In addition to his roles as bishop and patriarch, he copied manuscripts and authored several theological, liturgical, and poetic works inClassical Syriac, dialectal Syriac (Sureth), and Arabic. His writings exhibited great European influence due to the close relations he had with Latin missionaries who made Diyarbakır one of their main outposts. This is also why he is attributed with further Latinization of theEast Syriac rite of his mother church, theChurch of the East.[4]
Joseph's ministry was faced with strong opposition from traditionalists.[6]: 26 This forced him in 1708 to ask permission from Rome to resign and move toItaly, a request that was not granted.
During the plague that spread in 1708, he distinguished himself by providing help and pastoral care to the sick until he too became infected.[6]: 58 In early 1713, he choseTimothy Maroge as his successor with the name Joseph III, and died from the plague a few months later in 1712/3 at the age of 46.[5]: 209 [6]: 52
Joseph is remembered as aSyriac andArabic writer and for having translated many texts fromLatin. Some of his main works include:[7]
Further accredited to Joseph are several liturgical works, including apenqitā and agazzā, in which he introduced some Latin feasts and commemorations (dukrāne) of saints; additionally, he also composed explanation of the ecclesiastical services (puššāq tešmšātā ʿedtānāyātā).[9]
He also composed amemrā on spiritual exile (aksnāyutā) and a commentary on theBarhebraeus'smemrā "On Divine Wisdom". He supplementedBarhebraeus's "On Perfection" with additional verses. He further authored many poems of various genres (dorekyātā,turgāme,madrāše) inClassical Syriac andSureth.[9]
As the head of a Uniate Church, he corresponded extensively with Rome, much of which has survived in partial form, including an Arabic-language Catholic profession of faith transmitted to the Pope.[9]
| Preceded by | Patriarch of Babylon 1696–1713 | Succeeded by |
