Gazireh (Turkey)

Gazireh is a town in Turkish Kurdistan, double former eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) (Chaldean Rite and Syrian Rite) and former Latin Independent mission.

Chaldean Catholic eparchy

The eparchy was established in 1553, on territory without proper Ordinary of the Chaldean Catholic particular church sui iuris (Chaldean Rite in Syriac language).

In 1850, it lost territory in Iraq to establish the then Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Zaku.

On 3 July 1957, it was suppressed and its territory divided between the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Diarbekir (Amida), the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Aleppo and the newly established Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Beirut.

Chaldean Catholic Eparchs (Bishops) of Gazireh

(apparently mostly secular priests, unusual for Eastern churches)

• Gabriele Elia (1567 – death 1600)
• Giuseppe (1600 – 1635 deposed)
• Simone Giuseppe (1636 – death 1672?)
• Ebed Jesu (1672 – death 1710)
• Giuseppe (1711 – death 1747)
• Giovanni (1747 – death 1776)
• Hnan Jesu (1785 – death 1826?)
• Giwargis Peter de Natali (1833 – 1842), later Eparch (Bishop) of Chaldean Catholic successor diocese Diarbekir (= Amida, also in Turkey, now an Archeparchy) (1842 – death 1867.08.13)
• Basile Mansur Asmar (1842 – 1851), previously in successor dioceses Eparch (Bishop) of Amadiyah (Iraq) (1824 – 1828) and Eparch of Diarbekir of the Chaldeans (Turkey) (1828 – death 1842)
• Jerome Paul Hindi (1852 – 1873)
• Eliya Abulyonan [Abbo-Alyonan] (1874 – 1878.07.26), later Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans (Iraq) ([1878.07.26] 1879.02.28 – death 1894.06.27)
• Philip Yaʿqob Abrahamo, Antonian Order of Saint Ormizda of the Chaldeans (O.A.O.C.) (1882.02.10 – death 1915.08.26)
• Apostolic Administrator Gabriel Naamo (1938.09.30 – 1957.06.27)
• Giordano de Rudder, Dominicans (O.P.) (1941 – 1946).

Syrian Catholic eparchy

The eparchy was established in 1863, on territory without proper Ordinary of the Syriac Catholicparticular church sui iuris (Syrian Rite in Syriac language).

Suppressed in 1957 without formal successor see, having had only three recorded incumbents :

Syrian Catholic Eparchs (Bishops) of Gazireh

(apparently all secular priests, unusual for Eastern churches)

• Flaviano Pietro Matah (1863 – death 1874)
• Giacomo Matteo Ahmndahño (1888.10.10 – death 1908)
• Blessed Flaviano Michele Melki (1912.09.14 – 1915.08.29)

Source and External links

• GCatholic Chaldean see with episcopal incumbent biography links
• GCatholic Syrian see with episcopal incumbent biography links