He was born on August 8, 1852 in Alqosh, studied in the Ghazir Seminary in Beirut and was ordained priest on July 10, 1879. On July 24, 1892 he was ordained Bishop of Seert, now in Turkey, by patriarch Eliya XIV [XIII] Abulyonan. He was appointed Patriarch of the Chaldean Church on the July 9, 1900 and confirmed by the Holy See on December 17 of the same year. He served as patriarch till his death on July 21, 1947. He replaced Patriarch Audishu V Khayyath † and was followed by Yousef VII Ghanima †.