John VIII bar Abdoun

John VIII bar Abdoun was the Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1004 until his death in 1033.

Biography Bar Abdoun was born in 944 in the city of Melitene and studied at the nearby Mor Bar Sauma Monastery. He was consecrated Patriarch of Antioch on 6 July 1004. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Basil II, Bar Abdoun allegedly cured the doux (governor) of Antioch of leprosy, and enjoyed good relations with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. John is known to have met with the Greek Orthodox patriarch, corresponded with him, and exchanged gifts on a feast-day. The conduct of Bar Abdoun led John, Bishop of Melitene, to denounce him to Alexius Studites, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Constantine VIII, the successor of Basil II, not long before his death in 1028.

In 1029, John of Melitene repeated his condemnations to Romanos III, Constantine's successor, who subsequently sent word to John Chrysoberges, the krites (civil governor) of Melitene, to arrest Bar Abdoun and other Syriac Orthodox clergymen. Chrysoberges attempted to convince Bar Abdoun to flee to Muslim territory. Failing that, Chrysoberges reluctantly arrested Bar Abdoun, six high-ranking bishops, and 20 monks, and sent them to Constantinople to be judged before a synodal tribunal. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch did not attend the tribunal in protest of the actions of his coreligionists. The Romans unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the majority of the clergymen to abandon the Syriac Orthodox Church, and, as a result, in October 1029, Bar Abdoun and the others were excommunicated and banished to the Monastery of Ganos in Thrace. Bar Abdoun remained in exile at the Monastery of Ganos until his death on 2 February 1033.