VATICAN CITY — Blessed Ignatius Maloyan, Archbishop of Mardin of the Armenian Catholics, will be proclaimed a saint in a solemn canonization Mass on 19 October 2025 at the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV will preside over the ceremony, which marks a historic moment for both the Armenian community and the Catholic Church worldwide, the Vatican News reports.
Maloyan, born Shukrallah Melkon in Mardin (today in Turkey) in 1869, was consecrated Bishop of Mardin in 1911. During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, he was arrested, tortured, and pressured to convert to Islam — an offer he refused. On 11 June 1915, Maloyan was executed along with hundreds of Armenians and Syriacs during the mass deportations. He was 46 years old.
Even if few understood what was about to befall the nation, and as early as May 1915, the bishop sensed that an imminent catastrophe was about to come down on Mardin, which was why he shared his spiritual testament with his priests. In the whirlwind of rumors that alienated Ottomans from each other and that allowed the members of the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) Party that actively sought to cleanse the empire of its minorities—Maloyan was arrested on 3 June 1915. He was harshly interrogated, tortured and invited to convert to Islam, which he refused to do. Witnesses who survived his co-detention testified that the bishop was beaten and his toenails were torn out, though he was allowed to bid his mother goodbye. Astonishingly, he asked her to get him a pair of shoes 2 sizes larger than what he usually wore, ostensibly to endure the anticipated march that all deportees were subjected to, but in reality, to hide his inflamed soles, the result of extensive bastinadoes.
Known for his courage and spiritual leadership, Maloyan left behind a testament urging faithfulness in the face of persecution. His martyrdom has become a symbol of resilience for Armenian Catholics and for all those who suffered in the first genocide of the 20th century.
Pope John Paul II beatified Maloyan as a martyr in 2001. Earlier this year, Pope Francis approved his canonization, paving the way for his name to be inscribed into the official canon of saints — an act that recognizes his heroic virtue and offers inspiration to the faithful worldwide.
Historians note that Maloyan’s life and death reflect the tragic events of the genocide that claimed over a million Armenian lives but also the enduring survival of the Armenian nation. The upcoming canonization is expected to draw pilgrims, clergy, and dignitaries from around the world to honor the memory of the martyred bishop and to celebrate the triumph of faith over oppression.
