ʿAbdullāh II Saṭṭūf (1834–1915) [Syr. Orth.]

Bp. of Jerusalem (1872-4) and patr. (1906-15).

Bp. of Jersualem (1872–4) and patr. (1906–15). Born in Ṣadad of deacon Jirjis b. ʿAbdullāh Saṭṭūf and Nasra b. Ḥanna al-Tawīl. He joined Dayr al-Zaʿfarān in 1857, and later taught at Edessa for six years where he was consecrated a deacon. In 1866, he became the secretary of Patr. Yaʿqub II in Amid who, on 19 Feb. 1867, tonsured him, then ordained him to the priesthood after two weeks. In 1870, he toured the area of Ṭur ʿAbdin and recorded the names of villages, monasteries, churches, clergy, and the families living in the area (ed. Bcheiry). He was consecrated bp. of Jerusalem on 3 Sept. 1872 by Patr. Peṭros IV and was named Gregorius. ʿAbdullāh accompanied the patr. to England and India from 1874 to 1877. After the return of the patr. from India, ʿAbdullāh stayed for two more years before going back to London where he secured a printing press for Dayr al-Zaʿfarān. After his return, ʿAbdullāh served as the bp. of Syria from 1880 to 1886.

ʿAbdullāh paid a second visit to London, during which he attended sessions of the 1888 Lambeth Conference, and secured a second printing press. In 1890 he became the bp. of Amid. In 1895 or 1896, the Armenians persuaded ʿAbdullāh to sign a petition which, according to Shahīn, ‘went against the wishes of the Ottoman government’. The government issued an order for his exile, but ʿAbdullāh took refuge with the French consul where he joined the Syriac Catholic Church. In the Syriac Catholic Synod of 1898 in Mardin , ʿAbdullāh was appointed Syriac Catholic bp. of Ḥimṣ and Ḥama, and on 9 Oct. 1898 he participated in the election of Patr. Ignatius Ephrem Raḥmani , and accompanied him in 1902 to Rome, France, and Constantinople. After the deposition of the Syr. Orth. Patr. ʿAbdulmasīḥ II on 10 Nov. 1903, ʿAbdullāh was elected and then consecrated Syr. Orth. patr. on 5 Aug. 1906. Shortly after, he visited London for the third time en route to India in 1908–12. In London, he met King Edward VII twice. In India, he established the Knaʿanaya diocese. After his return from India in 1912, he stayed at the Monastery of St. Mark until his death in 1915 and was buried there. ʿAbdullāh received a medal from King Edward VII, and two Ottoman medals from the Ottoman sultan. In 1910 he reopened the seminary at Dayr al-Zaʿfarān. He established al-Ḥikma Magazine in 1913. That same year he established for the first time a council that consisted of six clergy and six laymen. The council held its first session from 20 Feb. until 17 March 1914 but was short-lived due to World War I.