Joseph III (Chaldean Patriarch)

Mar Joseph III Timothy Maroge (or Youssef III Timotheos Maraugin or Maroghin) was the third incumbent of the Josephite line of Church of the East, a patriarchate in Full Communion with the pope mainly active in the areas of Amid and Mardin, thus being the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church from 1713 to 1757.
==Life==
Timothy Maroge was born in Baghdad and educated by the Capuchin missionaries in Amid. He was consecrated bishop of Mardin by Joseph II Sliba Maruf in 1705.in 1705 according to Wilmshurst (2000) ISBN 9789042908765 page 52, or in 1696 according to Murre 
He became patriarch after his predecessor death, being the only Chaldean bishop who survived the 1708-1713 plague. 
He was confirmed by the Holy See on March 18, 1714 and took the name of Joseph III.
During his patriarchate the there was a growth of the number of faithfuls of the patriarchate, mainly in the area of the Alqosh's patriarchate. Joseph III was a skilful preacher, and in it is remembered that more than three thousands people of Mosul entered in his patriarchate in 1723. This success caused a strong reaction of the traditionalist Patriarch of Alqosh, Eliya XII (XI) Denkha, who succeeded to have Joseph III imprisoned many times by the Turkish authorities. Shortly after some problems arose in also Amid, where the traditionalists occupied Joseph's cathedral and the Capuchins left the town in 1726. 
The patriarchate struggled with financial difficulties due to the tax burden imposed by the Turkish authorities and to the ransoms required to free Joseph from the prison. Furthermore, according to the Ottoman law the Chaldean community was administratively subject to traditionalist Patriarchate of Alqosh, resulting so to be in a weak position and exposed to vexations.
To face his debts, Joseph left for the Europe, and visited the courts of Poland, Austria and Rome (where he lived from 1734 to 1741) looking for financial support, without results. While he was abroad, the Chaldean in Istambul obtained from the Ottoman authorities the recognition of his authority over Amid and Mardin, but Mosul and Aleppo where assigned to the traditionalist patriarchate of Alqosh, thus creating many difficulties for the growing numbers of Chaldeans who lived there.
In 1754 he appointed as successor Mar Antun Galla, but the Holy See objected and did not allow him to resign: thus he remained the incumbent till his death on 23 January 1757.
==Notes==
Category:Assyrian people
Category:Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon
Category:1757 deaths
de:Joseph III. (Chaldäisch-katholischer Patriarch)