He was born on November 19, 1906 in Alqosh and was ordained a priest on February 16, 1930. On May 4, 1947 he was ordained Bishop of Akra, Iraq, at the age of 40, by the Archbishop of Kirkuk Hormisdas Etienne Djibri, . From 1957 till his appointment as Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans in 1958 Paul Cheikho served as bishop of Alep. He was the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church from 1958 till his death on April 13, 1989. He replaced Patriarch Yousef VII Ghanima and was followed by Raphael I Bidawid.