Patriarch Alexander of Constantinople
Saint
Alexander (between
237 and
244 -
337),
bishop of
Byzantium and first bishop of
Constantinople until his death, as the city was then called (
Theod Hist. i. 19) for about 23 years. His consecration, which was variously dated between AD
313 and
317, took place when he was 73 years of age (
Socrates Scholasticus Hist. ii. 6;
Sozomen Hist. iii. 3).† His
feast day is on
August 31.
Alexander was highly praised by
Gregory Nazianzus (Or. 27) and
Epiphanius of Cyprus (
adv. Haer. lxix. 10).
Theodoret called him an "apostolic" bishop (
Hist. i. 3, cf. Phil. 12). In the commencement of the
Arian troubles the co-operation of Alexander was specially requested by
Alexander of Alexandria (Theod. i. 4).† He was present at the
First Council of Nicaea (Soz. ii. 29) although some sources noted that the 117 years old bishop
Metrophanes of Constantinople attended the council in Alexander's place.
The
Roman emperor Constantine the Great commanded that Arius should be received to communion after he was induced by the
Eusebians (
Athan Ep. ad Serap.;
Rufinus, Hist. i.) and deceived by the equivocations of
Arius (
Socr i. 37). Alexander, though threatened by the Eusebians with deposition and banishment, persisted in his refusal to admit the archheretic to communion, and shut himself up in the church of Irene for prayer in this extremity. Alexander did not long survive Arius (Socr. ii. 6 ; Theod. i. 19). On his deathbed he was said to have designated
Paulus as his successor, and warned his clergy against the speciousness of
Macedonius.†
Sources
† [1]
\n\n
Category:Ancient Roman Christianity
