Ignatius Elias III was the 119th Patriarch of Antioch, leading the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1917 until 1932. Born Nasri in Mardin in 1867, he served as a monk and priest before rising through the ecclesiastical ranks. During his tenure, he navigated significant regional instability, providing refuge to thousands of Armenian refugees during the 1895 massacres. He is particularly remembered for traveling to India to attempt to mediate a schism within the Malankara Church, a mission he pursued despite serious heart conditions.
Ecclesiastical career
After joining the Monastery of Mor Hananyo, he assumed the name Elias and was ordained a priest in 1892. He served as a bishop of Amid before being elected patriarch in 1917. During his leadership, he established several church printing presses in Aleppo and Mosul. Following the political shifts in Turkey, he spent time in Jerusalem before continuing his service to the Syriac Orthodox community.
Indian mission
In 1931, at the request of the Viceroy of India, the patriarch traveled to Malankara to resolve a division within the local church. He met with various leaders and factions to foster unity. Although he did not successfully end the schism, his efforts were notable. He passed away in February 1932 at the Manjanikkara Dayara, where he was buried.
Veneration
He was canonized as a saint in 1987 by his successor, Ignatius Zakka I. The church observes his feast day annually on 13 February. His remains are interred at the St. Ignatius Monastery in Manjanikkara.