Sainted Anatolios, Patriarch of Constantinople
Commemorated on July 3
Sainted Anatolios,
Patriarch of Constantinople, was born at Alexandria in the 2nd half of the
IV Century – during a time, when many representatives of illustrious Byzantine
families awakened ardently in the faith and in the armament of Greek
philosophic wisdom they strove to serve the Church of Christ. Having received a
philosophic education, Saint Anatolios accepted the priestly dignity as deacon
under Sainted Cyril of Alexandria (account is under 18 January). Together with
Saint Cyril, Anatolios was present at the Third OEcumenical Council at Ephesus
in the year 431 (Comm. 9 September), at which the holy fathers condemned the
false-teaching of Nestorius.
Saint Anatolios
remained a deacon at Alexandria and after the death of Saint Cyril (+ 444),
when the cathedra-seat of the archbishop of Constantinople was occupied by
Dioskoros, who supported another heresy being spread by Eutykhios, affirming that
the Divine nature in Christ had fully swallowed up and absorbed His human
nature, leaving nothing of it behind. This false teaching undermined the very
basis of the Church's teaching about the salvation and redemption of humankind
[trans. note: since "what is not assumed upon is not saved", if
Christ be by nature Divine only and not human by nature, then Christ-God will
have died and risen in vain for the salvation of humankind in its human nature,
and even the Incarnation of Christ would be rendered heretically docetic]. In
the year 449 Dioskoros with his adherents convened at Ephesus an heretical
"Robbers Council", having received also the support of the emperor.
The advocate of Orthodoxy, Saint Flavian, the Patriarch of Constantinople, was
deposed and deprived of dignity.
Chosen then to the
Constantinople cathedra-seat, Saint Anatolios zealously set about the
restoration of the purity of Orthodoxy. Saint Anatolios already in the year 450
at the Local Council in Constantinople ventured a condemnation of the heresy of
Eutykhios and Dioskoros. Having died in exile, the Patriarch-confessor Flavian
was enumerated into the ranks of the Saints and his relics transferred to the
capital.
In the following
year, 451, with the active participation of Patriarch Anatolios, the Fourth
OEcumenical Council was convened at Chalcedon. The fathers of the Chalcedon
Council affirmed the dogma about the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ,
"perfect in Divinity and perfect in humanity, true God and true man, made
known in two natures – without mingling, without change, indivisibly,
inseparably" (Greek: "asugkhutos, atreptos, adiairetos,
akhoristos"; Slavonic: "neslitno, neizmenno, nerazdel'no,
nerazluchno").
But heresies still
long vexed the ecclesial world. In incessant struggle with false‑teachings
and ardent for truth, Patriarch Anatolios died in the year 458.
From the canon-rule
actions taken, there was elaborated for the sainted-hierarch the 28th Canon of
the Fourth OEcumenical Council about the equal-honour of the Constantinople
patriarchal throne to that of the throne of Old Rome, and likewise a statement
of this Canon to Saint Leo, Pope of Rome (440-461). Within the jurisdiction of
the Patriarch of Constantinople, in accord with the 28th Canon, was put the
Churches of Asia Minor, Greece and the Black Sea region, and likewise all new
Churches, that might arise among the nations of these regions. And by this also
the Russian Church was deliberately included into the ecclesial enumeration of
the Orthodox Churches.
Saint Anatolios
likewise made a large contribution to the literary treasury of the Orthodox
Church. By his prayerful inspiration and theological profundity there are in
Divine-services stikhi-verses for Sundays, for certain feastdays of the Lord
(the Nativity and the Theophany of Christ), and martyr-days (to Saint
Panteleimon the Healer, to Saint George the Victory-Bearer, to Saint Demetrios
of Thessalonika). In the Divine-service books they are designated simply as
"Anatoliev" verses.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
