ANTONIO da ALEPPO. - Friar Minor, missionary in Egypt, b. in 1709, d. at Akmin on 31 Aug. 1766. His baptismal name was Fatah 'Alah, “Happiness of God.” A dissident Melchite, he converted to Catholicism at about the age of thirty and was a schoolmaster and table companion of the Friars Minor at Farsciut. He knew Greek, Arabic, and Turkish perfectly, as well as some Italian, and was highly versed in dogmatics and Eastern controversies. Having taken the Franciscan habit at Farsciut in 1739, he was sent in 1751, together with Fathers Remedio Prutsky and Martino Lang, to Ethiopia, where they established themselves near the emperor at Gondar. The Abuna threatened excommunication and intimidated the emperor, who consequently ordered them to depart as soon as possible (2 Oct. 1753); but the missionaries remained there for another three months. Finally, on Christmas Day, they were expelled from the emperor’s palace; A. alone was compelled to remain in order to translate the Pentateuch into Arabic. At the beginning of 1759 A. is found in Cairo; he died as superior of the house at Akmin. Because of his blameless life and his excellent qualities, he was esteemed by all Catholics and non-Catholics.
ANTONIO DA ALEPPO
BIBL.: V. Greiderer, Germania Franciscan, I, Innsbruck 1777; T. Somigli, La Francesca Spedizione in Etiopia del 1751-1754 e la sua relazione del p. Remedio Prutsky di Boemia, in Archivum Franciscanum Historicum, VI, Quaracchi 1913.
Cite this article
“ANTONIO DA ALEPPO.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I (1948), p. 924. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/antonio-da-aleppo.