Shimun XVI Yohannan

Mar Shimun XVI Yohannan (also Shemon XVI Yohannan) was Patriarch of the Shem'on line (inQodshanis) of the Assyrian Church of the East, from 1780 to 1820. In 1804, he became the sole patriach of an anti-Catholic faction of the historic Church of the East after his rival, Patriarch Eliya XII of the historic Eliya line, was succeeded by his cousin Yohannan VIII Hormizd, who continued the Eliya line as the patriarchs of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

Biography

Until 1804, there were two rival patriarchal lines among traditionalist Christians of the Church of the East, senior Eliya line in Alqosh and junior Shemon line in Qochanis. The last patriarch of the senior line, Eliya XII, died in 1804 and was buried in the ancient Rabban Hormizd Monastery. His branch decided not to elect a new patriarch, thus ending that line, and eventually enabling the remaining patriarch Shimun XVI of the junior line to become the sole primate of the entire traditionalist community.