Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria
| Pope Saint Dioscorus The Great | |
|---|---|
 Our Teacher, H.H. Pope St. Dioscorus I, The Champion of Orthodoxy & 25th Pope of Alexandria |
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| The Champion of Orthodoxy | |
| Born | Unknown, |
| Died | 454, Gangra Island (Asia Minor) |
| Venerated in | Oriental Orthodox Churches |
| Major shrine | St Mark Cathedral (Cairo, Egypt) |
| Feast | September 17 (Thout 7 in the Coptic Calendar) |
| Attributes | Perserverance for Orthodoxy
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| Controversy | Dealt with Monophysitism (Eutychianism), Nestorianism, Chalcedonians (still a major issue), etc... |
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Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria was the 25th Pope of Alexandria (444 AD–454 AD)/(444 AD– 451 AD) (by different traditions respectively).
Otherwise known as His Holiness Pope St. Dioscorus the Great, he died in Asia Minor, at the date of September 17, 454. [1] [2]
Biography
Early life
Dioscorus served as the dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria, and was the personal secretary of Saint Cyril the Great, Pope of Alexandria, whom he accompanied to the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus, rising to the position of archdeacon.[3]
Fiery Zeal for the Oriental Orthodox Faith
Eutyches and Nestorius
In his struggle against Nestorius, St. Cyril explained the union between the two natures of Christ (His Divinity and His Humanity) as "inward and real without any division, change, or confusion." He rejected the Antiochene theory of "indwelling", or "conjunction", or "close participation" as insufficient to reveal the real unification. He charged that their theory permitted the division of the two hypostasis of Christ just as Nestorius taught.
Thus the traditional Orthodox formula adopted by Cyril and Dioscorus was "ONE INCARNATE NATURE" which translated in Greek to "MIA PHYSIS" and not "Mono Physis". They meant by "MIA": one; not "single one", but "unity one"; "out of two natures"; as St. Dioscorus stated. He insisted on "the one nature" of Christ to assert Christ's oneness, as a tool to defend the Church's faith against Nestorianism. Thus Christ is at once God and man. This supposedly proves Dioscorus to be Orthodox.
On the other hand the Antiochene formula was "Two natures after the union" which is translated to "DYO PHYSIS". This formula explained Christ as two natures; Son of God, and Son of Man, and that God did not suffer nor did He die. This formula was used in the Council of Chalcedon (and, thus, many consider Chalcedonians either Heretical or Orthodox).
A struggle occurred between Eutyches and Theodoret. Eutyches was an archmandrite of a monastery in Constantinople. He defended the formula "one nature" against that of "two natures". He concluded that the Godhead absorbed the manhood of Christ. Theodoret accused Eutyches and Cyril, and published a long attack on them. The council of Constantinople was held in 448, and Eutyches was condemned and exiled.
Pope Leo of Rome wrote to Eutyches praising his zeal in opposing the Nestorian dualism. But Leo changed his mind; perhaps when he heard that the emperor wrote to Dioscorus calling him to a council to be held to discuss that matter. Leo, who was not part of the conflict between the Alexandrian and the Antiochian Christology, sent the famous Tome (letter) of Leo to Constantinople -- not to work for reconciliation of the parties, but to defame the Alexandrian theologians.[4] [5]
Second Council of Ephesus
Then Emperor Theodosius II convened the Second Council of Ephesus (called the "Robber Synod" by some opponents) in 449 and asked Pope Dioscorus to exercise supreme authority over it as president. Eutyches was rehabilitated because he offered to repent (proving him to be Orthodox at the time) and also because Leo, Bishop of Rome wrote to Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople saying that he should be kind to him, and to accept him if he repented. The outcomes of this council included the reinstatement of Eutychius, the excommunication of Leo I, and the deposition of Flavian for opposing Monophysitism[3], and a declaration of anathema against Theodoret as well. [6]
Council of Chalcedon
Then on July 28, 450, Emperor Theodosius died and his sister Pulcheria and her consort Marcian were declared emperors. Pulcheria supported Rome against Alexandria. She gathered signatures for the "Tome" of Leo to be introduced as the basic paper for a new council to be held at Chalcedon. At the same time, she decided not to let Rome hold supreme authority in the church. She refused Leo's demand to hold the council in Italy, but insisted that it would be held in the East. Although the Council of Chalcedon is believed to have condemned Eutyches, the man with whom it really dealt was St. Dioscorus, for Eutyches was already in North Syria, where he had been exiled before the council met. [7]
During the council, Dioscorus explained why the Orthodox faith should adopt the formula "One incarnate nature of God the Word". On hearing "one nature", some bishops in the council shouted, "Eutyches says these things also." Here Dioscorus clarified the Alexandrian view, saying, "We do not speak of confusion, neither of division, nor of change." Dioscorus tried to make his position clear: that he did not accept "two natures after the union", but he had no objection to "From two natures after the union."
When the judges started the order of the acts of the Council, Paschasinus the Roman delegate said, "We have orders from Rome that Dioscorus should not have a place in this council. If this is violated he should be cast out." When the judges asked about what Dioscorus did, the Roman delegate replied, "He has dared to conduct a council without the authorization of the apostolic see in Rome, a thing which has never happened and which ought not to have happened."
It was the emperor's favor that the council had to draw out Alexandria and declare a new formula to bring the entire Church in the east under the leadership of Constantinople. They used Leo as a tool to accomplish their objective through his enmity to Alexandria, looking upon it as an obstacle in realizing his papal authority on the Church over the world. Thus, Leo wanted to rid of his most powerful ecclesiastical opponent, probably even moreso than Leo himself. Pope St. Dioscorus and his entire Church.
The verdict of the commissioners was announced: Pope Dioscorus of Alexandria, Juvenal of Jerusalem, Thalassius of Caesarea, Eusebius of Ancyra, Eutathius of Berytus, and Basil of Seleucia - the men who had been responsible for the decisions of the Second council of Ephesus, were all deposed. They were not, however, decried as heretics. Dioscorus was exiled to Gangra Island.[3] It is not clear if St. Dioscorus was condemned because of a theological heresy, but due to political circumstances. [8]
New formula of faith & Controversies
Under strong pressure, the bishops of the council accepted a new formula of faith, so that Alexandria would not acquire theological precedence. Yet when the Roman delegates attempted to impose the Catholic "papal authority" upon the universal church (including the Coptic Pope), silence turned into revolt. Leo announced, in his repeatedly angry letters, his resistance to the council because it regarded Rome and Constantinople as equal. Also, St. Dioscorus would not bow down to Leo's attempts, making Leo evermore desperate. Theologically speaking, Rome was at no point having any power over the Coptic Pope, whether Dioscorus was outspoken or not.
Exile of Dioscorus
After those incidents, a messenger from Constantinople arrived in Alexandria announcing the exile of the Pope Dioscorus, and the appointment of an Alexandrian priest named Proterius as an imperial [i.e. alien/foreign/non-Egyptian] patriarch over Alexandria, with the approval of the emperor. He threatened whoever dared to show disobedience. The Melchite patriarch who was appointed by the emperor became surrounded by soldiers willing to punish those who might resist the imperial command.
In the Second Council of Ephesus, Eutyches had slyly repented and appeared to show his Orthodoxy. However, St. Dioscorus discovered that Eutyches had openly reverted back to Monophysitism after the Second Council of Ephesus. Immediatly, Pope Dioscorus excommunicated him [9] [10] while St. Dioscorus was in exile -- shortly after the Council of Chalcedon. This, some say, is clear evidence that Dioscorus is not a Monophysite.
In the year 454, Pope Dioscorus died in exile. When the Copts heard that, they met with the clergymen and elected Timothy, the disciple of Dioscorus, to be the new Patriarch. This became a regular practice of the Coptic Church, who never surrendered to the alien patriarchies. Proterius angered the Copts, and so he was murdered shortly before Timothy became Coptic Pope. Pope Timothy II was installed in the year 457.
Recent Disputes
Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria is considered a saint by the Coptic, Syriac, and other Oriental Orthodox churches.
For most of the last fifteen centuries he was considered a heretic by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, though some commentators like Anatolius and John S. Romanides think that Dioscorus was not deposed at Chalcedon (451) because of the faith, but for his "grave administrative errors at the Second Council of Ephesus" (449). They claim that these "grave errors" included restoring Eutyches "the heretic" (though many say that Eutyches was Orthodox at the time & that Dioscorus excommunicated Eutyches later on anyway [11] — this due to the fact that Eutyches returned to Monophysitism). These commentators had also noted Dioscorus's attack on Flavian as "errors" (however, Flavian was possibly a major Nestorian heretic — denying the unity of the Christology), and noted that he (Pope Dioscorus) had excommunicated Pope Leo of Rome (who supported Flavian and may be even Theodoret, who is a Nestorian) and also because at Chalcedon he refused to appear in front of the Council although he was summoned to it three times[12].
Other sources claim that he was held under house arrest by Roman legions in order that he should be excommunicated after the three summons went unheeded.
His character and stance are subject to contravention between the Oriental Orthodox Churches on one side, and the Eastern Orthodox & Catholic churches on the other.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches were accused by other churches of accepting the Eutychian doctrine of Monophysitism— this is denied by these churches [13], who sharply reject Monophysitism — they consider Eutyches a heretic — as the other churches do nothing other than say that they have retrieved this heresy prior to the Second Council of Ephesus [14]. But figures large in the differences between those churches and most other populous Christian churches, as well as in the civil strife and friction of the era and afterwards within the Eastern Roman Empire, was the beginning of a disaster-type timeline or era.
Hence, in the mess typical of schisms, according to non-Oriental Orthodox Christian sects, he was merely a Coptic Pope turned heretic. Pope Dioscorus excommunicated many other influential bishops who he (& many others) considered Nestorian heretics, including Pope Leo I [15].
He was subsequently excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Pope Leo I, most likely in very early 450 AD during the aftermath of the controversial Second Council of Ephesus, which he was charged by the Emperor to preside over with the concurrence of Pope Leo I.
The other person involved in this controversy apart from Dioscorus I is Leo I with each side considering the other person a heretic. The main factors behind this are still present and it is subject to discussion between the churches.[16]
In recent research it was suggested that both Leo and Dioscoros are Orthodox because they agree with Pope St.Cyril of Alexandria, especially with his Twelve Chapters, even though both had been considered heretical by the other side [17].
In May 1973, after fifteen centuries, Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria visited Pope Paul VI of Rome and declared a common faith in the nature of Christ, the issue which caused the schism of the church in the Council of Chalcedon [18] .
A similar declaration was reached between the Oriental Orthodox Churches churches and the Eastern Orthodox churches in the 1990 in Geneva[19] in which both Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches agreed in condemning the Nestorian and Eutychian heresies and in rejecting interpretations of Councils which do not fully agree with the Horos of the Third Ecumenical Council and the letter (433) of Cyril of Alexandria to John of Antioch. [20]
In this agreement the two families agreed to lift all the anathemas and condemnations of the past which on the basis that the Councils and Fathers previously anathematized or condemned are not heretical. [21]
In the summer of 2001, the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Alexandria agreed to mutually recognize baptisms performed in each other's churches [22].
References
- ^ http://copticchurch.net/classes/synex.php?sa=1&month=1&day=7&btn=View#1
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia
- ^ a b c Encyclopedia Britannica, micropedia v. 4, p. 112. Chicago:Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-85229-633-0.
- ^ http://www.zeitun-eg.org/Coptic_interpretations_of_the_Fourth_Ecumenical_Council_(Chalcedon).pdf
- ^ Orthodox Wiki Article
- ^ http://www.zeitun-eg.org/Coptic_interpretations_of_the_Fourth_Ecumenical_Council_(Chalcedon).pdf
- ^ http://www.zeitun-eg.org/Coptic_interpretations_of_the_Fourth_Ecumenical_Council_(Chalcedon).pdf
- ^ Coptic interpretations of Chalcedon
- ^ http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-418-page-2.html
- ^ http://www.copticcentre.com/two.html#three
- ^ http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-418-page-2.html
- ^ Orthodox consultation
- ^ Coptic.net
- ^ Story of the Coptic church by Iris Habib Elmasry Volume I
- ^ http://copticchurch.net/classes/synex.php?sa=1&month=1&day=7&btn=View#1
- ^ Syriac Orthodox Church
- ^ ORTHODOX AND ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CONSULTATION
- ^ Coptic. net Monophysitism Reconsidered
- ^ meeting between oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches
- ^ Orthodox Unity
- ^ zeitoun-eg
- ^ Orthodox wiki
External links
- Encyclopedia Coptica: The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt
- Lives of Saints :: Tout 7 — 1. The Departure of St. Dioscorus, 25th Pope of Alexandria.
- ORTHODOX AND ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CONSULTATION
- Coptic POV on Pope Dioscorus (Public Domain)
See also
- List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
- Coptic Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria
- Coptic Popes
| Preceded by Pope Cyril I |
Coptic
Orthodox Pope of Alexandria 444-454 |
Succeeded by Pope Timothy II |
| Patriarch of
Alexandria (before schism) 444-451 |
Succeeded by Patriarch Proterius I |
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