Pope Francis adds Syriac saint to Martyrology

VATICAN — In honor of persecuted Middle East Christians, Pope Francis announced that St. Isaac of Nineveh, a seventh-century Syriac archbishop venerated across Christian traditions, will be added to the Roman Martyrology.

St. Isaac of Nineveh, also known as Isaac the Syriac, was a revered Christian mystic, monk and archbishop.

The Pope made the announcement on the occasion of a Vatican meeting with Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Awa III Royel.

The meeting commemorated 2 milestones: almost 30 years since the Common Christological Declaration was signed, ending a 1,500-year doctrinal dispute, and 40 years since the 1^st historic meeting between a pope and an Assyrian patriarch.

Pope Francis’ decision to add St. Isaac to the Martyrology follows a recommendation from the recent Synod on Synodality to recognize saints from other Christian traditions in the Catholic liturgical calendar.