Background
Born Abdul-Ahad Dawood Tappouni, Baptized as Leo Gabriel, Tappouni was born in Mosul (in modern Iraq) and there studied at the Syro-Chaldean Dominican Seminary.
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Career
He served as Patriarch of Antioch from 1929 to 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935. He was ordained to the priesthood on November 3, 1902, taking the name Dominic. After teaching at the same seminary until 1908, Tappouni was then made Secretary of the Apostolic Delegation to Mesopotamia.
On September 12, 1912, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Danaba and the Chaldean Apostolic Vicar of Mardin.
Tappouni was reassigned to Titular Bishop of Batnae dei Siri on January 19, 1913, which was the same date he received his episcopal consecration from Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem II Rahmani. At his consecration he took the name Theophile Gabriel.
Many people attempted to interfere and negotiate for Tappouni"s release, including Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. After his release, he was named Archbishop of Aleppo by Patriarch Rahmani on February 24, 1929.
Pope Pius XI confirmed his election on the following July 15, and created him Cardinal Priest of Ss.
XII Apostoli by Pope Pius XI in the consistory of December 16, 1935. Tappouni, who took the name Ignatius Gabriel, was the first Eastern Rite prelate to be raised to the College of Cardinals since the reign of Pope Leo XIII. Tappouni was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1939 papal conclave, which selected Pope Pius XII, and again voted in the 1958 conclave, which selected Pope John XXIII. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council, and sat on its Board of Presidency. After serving as a cardinal elector in the 1963 conclave, Tappouni resigned his cardinalitial title (Ss XII Apostoli) on February 11, 1965, and was raised to the rank of cardinal bishop.
He died in Beirut at age 88, and is buried at the Syriac Catholic cathedral there.
Theologically conservative, Tappouni urged Cardinal Giuseppe Siri to put forward his candidacy at the conclave of 1963.
