Joseph Tyan

Joseph VII Peter Tyan (born on March 15, 1760, in Beirut, Lebanon – died on February 20, 1820, in Qannubin, Lebanon) (or Youssef Tyan, Youssef Tiyen, Thian, Tian, Tyen, Al-Tiyyan, ) was the 66th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch from 1796 until his resignation in 1809.

Life

Joseph Tyan was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 15, 1760. He studied in Rome in the College of the Propaganda where he remained from 1773 to 1782. In 1783 and 1784 he played an important role in supporting Patriarch Joseph Estephan's reconciliation with the Roman authorities. Joseph Tyan was ordained as a priest in 1784, and he was appointed Maronite bishop of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus and consecrated on August 6, 1786, by Patriarch Joseph Estephan. Even if Rome judged his episcopal ordination as not in line with the current rules, Tyan was appointed Patriarchal Vicar in 1788.

After the death of Patriarch Joseph Estephan in 1793, two short-reigning Patriarchs followed, and finally on April 28, 1796, Joseph Tyan was elected patriarch, though opposed by the Khazen Sheikhes. His election was confirmed by Pope Pius VI on July 24, 1797.

In March 1801 Joseph Tyan wrote an encyclical to his faithful against the Jansenistic doctrine of Germanos Adam, thus defending papal primacy.

Patriarch Joseph Tyan took a stand against the Ottoman government, and during the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria he supported Napoleon in the siege of Acre (1799), urging Maronites to volunteer and asking Emir Bashir II to ally himself with Napoleon. Despite Tyan's hopes, Emir Bashir remained neutral and the British-Ottoman alliance defeated Napoleon at Akko.

The difficulties of the Patriarchate of Joseph Tyan increased; he came in conflict with Emir Bashir II not only for his support of Napoleon, but also for the excessive taxes the Emir imposed on the Maronite peasants.