Mor Michael Rabo

Title: Mor Michael Rabo
Description: Mor Michael Rabo (St. Michael the Great), born in 1126 in Melitine during Patriarch Mor Athanasius VII’s reign, was raised in a devout Syrian family and became a monk at Mor Barsawmo’s Monastery. Ordained first as a priest and Abbot, he was eventually elected (albeit reluctantly) as Patriarch of Antioch in 1166, moving the Patriarchal See to Mor Hananya Monastery and enacting numerous ecclesiastical reforms and synods to address discipline and heresy. A dedicated scholar and scribe, he authored significant works on liturgy, priesthood, and church history—including a comprehensive history from Creation to 1193—and transcribed key manuscripts, such as a Syriac Gospel later presented to Malankara. His leadership and scholarly contributions have earned him a lasting legacy as one of the Church’s most revered pontiffs.