Ignatius Michael III Jarweh

Mar Ignatius Michael III Jarweh ibn Ni'matallah (or Javré, Jaroueh, Garweh, Djarweh, Giarvé, 1731–1800) was the 111th patriarch of Antioch and patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church from 1783 to 1800.

In 1757 Michael Jarweh converted to Catholicism and took with him a large number of his congregants.

Life

Bishop of Aleppo Michael Jarweh was born on January 3, 1731, in Aleppo. He spent some time as deacon in Edessa and in 1757 he was ordained a priest by the Syrian bishop of Aleppo, George Fattal, who also appointed him as procurator of the church of Aleppo. He was distinguished for his sermons and for his concern for the poor.

In those years Michael came in contact with the Melkite Archbishop Ignatius Karbousse of Aleppo. He also was on good terms with the Jesuit missionaries, who were respectful of the Oriental traditions, while he always had difficulties with the Franciscan missionaries, more inclined to ask for latinization. In November 1757 Michael made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and from that time he was a Catholic at heart.

A few years later Michael Jarweh decided to visit the Syriac Patriarch Ignatius George III in Amid and to explain to him his belief in union with Rome. He did not succeed in persuading the patriarch to enter into communion with the Catholic Church, but Michael impressed the patriarch so much that he was appointed bishop of Aleppo, being consecrated in the Church of Our Lady in Amid on February 23, 1766, by the patriarch himself. : Mar Matta ben Abdel-Ahad Saalab metropolitan of Mosul and his brother, Mar Julius Abdel-Ahad, superior of Saffron Monastery.Two days after Michael's enthronement they took the money of the monastery and paid a group of Kurds who attacked Mardin the Al-Charfet (or Sharfeh) monastery on Mount Lebanon that he dedicated to Our Lady of Deliverance. This monastery was used as a seminary for the education of new priests and a large library was set up. On September 19, 1791, the patriarchal See was moved from Mardin to Al-Charfet; it is still used as the summer abode of the Syrian Catholic patriarch. Lebanon granted a certain security, but the majority of believers lived far away, mainly in the areas of Aleppo and Mosul.

Michael Jarweh died on September 4, 1800.

Works Michael Jarweh left many homilies, a text on the sacrifice of the Mass, and an autobiography