Inclusion of Isaac of Nineveh in the Roman Martyrology

On Saturday 9 November 2024, on the occasion of the visit of His Holiness Mar Awa III and of the members of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, the Holy Father announced the inclusion of St. Isaac of Nineveh, also known as Isaac the Syrian, in the Roman Martyrology. St. Isaac is one of the most venerated Fathers of the East Syriac tradition.

A monk and bishop in the second half of the 7th century, Isaac of Nineveh belonged to the pre-Ephesian tradition, i.e., the Churches of the Assyrian-Chaldean tradition. Born in what is now Qatar, where he first embraced monastic life, Isaac was ordained bishop of Nineveh (near modern-day Mosul, Iraq) between 676 and 680 by the Catholicos of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, George I. After a few months in the episcopate, he chose to return to the monastic life and withdrew to the monastery of Rabban Shabur in Beth Huzaye (modern-day southwestern Iran). There, he composed several collections of ascetic and spiritual discourses that earned him widespread recognition.

Although Isaac belonged to a Church that had been out of communion with others since it did not accept the Council of Ephesus in 431, his writings were translated into all the languages spoken by Christians: Greek, Arabic, Latin, Georgian, Slavonic, Ethiopian, Romanian, and others. As a result, Isaac became an important spiritual authority, particularly in monastic circles across various traditions, which soon venerated him among their saints and fathers.

The inclusion of Isaac the Syrian in the Roman Martyrology underscores the fact that holiness transcends ecclesiastical divisions and exists beyond denominational boundaries. As the Second Vatican Council affirmed: "It is right and salutary to recognise the riches of Christ and virtuous works in the lives of others who are bearing witness to Christ, sometimes even to the shedding of their blood" (Unitatis Redintegratio, 4). For his part, St. John Paul II remarked that "the communio sanctorum speaks louder than the things which divide us" (Tertio Millenio Adveniente, 37), and that "in a theocentric vision, we Christians already have a common Martyrology" (Ut Unum Sint, 84).

The recent Synod on Synodality also highlighted that “the example of saints and witnesses to the faith of other Churches and Christian Communions is a gift we can receive by including their memory in our liturgical calendar” (Final Document, 122).

It is hoped that the inclusion of Isaac of Nineveh in the Roman Martyrology, as a witness to the precious Christian spiritual heritage of the Middle East, will contribute to the rediscovery of his teachings and to the unity of all Christ’s disciples.