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- Paul the Confessor, Archbishop of Constantinople (~350)
- A native of Thessalonica, he rose from secretary to Alexander,
Patriarch of Constantinople (commemorated August 30), to deacon, then
succeeded St Alexander as Patriarch around 337. For his virtue and his
zeal for Orthodoxy he was hated by the Arians, who were still powerful
in the Empire. The Arian Emperor Constantius, learning of Paul's
election, exiled him and made the Arian Eusebius Patriarch in his place.
St Paul went to Rome, where he joined St Athanasius the Great in
exile. Furnished with letters from Pope Julius, he was able to ascend
the Patriarchal throne once again upon the death of Eusebius. But once
again the Arians were able to put one of their party on the Patriarchal
throne: Macedonius, who even went beyond the Arian heresy denied the
divinity of the Holy Spirit. Once again the legitimate, Orthodox
Patriarch found himself in exile in Rome. In succeeding years St Paul
stood firm for Orthodoxy while complex political and military intrigues
swirled around him, with the Orthodox Constans, Emperor of the West (and
Constantius' brother) supporting him while Constantius continued to
oppose him. For a time Constans was able to enforce Paul's place on the
Patriarchal throne, but when he died, Constantius Banished St Paul to
Cucusus on the Black Sea. There, while he was celebrating the Divine
Liturgy in the house where he was kept prisoner, the Arians strangled
him with his own omophorion. His relics were brought back to
Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius the Great.
sources: http://www.abbamoses.com |
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