He is remembered for both his patriarchate (short and ended by his murder), and for having been, as metropolitan of Beirut, a leading figure in the early history of the Melkite Church.
This foundation was strongly contested by the synod of Zouk Mikael in 1797 led by his opponents: the new Patriarch Agapius II Matar and Germanos Adam.
After the death of Agapios II Matar, two candidates competed for the election of the new Patriarch: the young Maximos Mazloum, leader of the party which harked back to Germanos Adam and to the previous patriarch Agapios II Matar, and Ignatius Sarrouf, already 70, supported by the missionaries and by Aloisio Gandolfi, the Apostolic Legate of Syria.
A compromise was brokered: Maximus Mazloum remained superior of the seminary established in Ain Traz and on 12 February 1812 Ignatius Sarrouf was elected Patriarch, and confirmed immediately by Rome.
He had not the time to take a formal position against Germanos Adam and Maximos Mazloum because he was murdered by a Melkite layperson on 16 November 1812 for unknown reasons.