Cyrus of Alexandria

Cyrus of Alexandria
Cyrus of Alexandria
Melchite patriarch of that see in the seventh century, and one of the authors of Monothelism; d. about 641

Catholic Encyclopedia. . 2006.

Cyrus of Alexandria
    Cyrus of Alexandria
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Cyrus of Alexandria
    A Melchite patriarch of that see in the seventh century, and one of the authors of Monothelism; d. about 641. He had been since 620 Bishop of Phasis in Colchis when the Emperor Heraclius, in the course of his Persian campaign (626), consulted him about a plan for bringing the Monophysites of Egypt back to the Church and to the support of the empire. The plan, suggested by Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople, consisted of confessing the faith of Chalcedon on the two natures of Christ, while practically nullifying it by the admission of one theandric will and operation,
    .
    Cyrus hesitated at first, but being assured by Sergius that this formula was opposed to neither the Fathers nor Chalcedon and was destined to achieve great results, he became a stanch supporter of it, and was, in return, raised by Heraclius to the then vacant See of Alexandria (630). Once a patriarch, he set himself vigorously to effect the desired union. In a synod held at Alexandria he proposed what is known as the
     or "Satisfactio", an agreement in nine articles, the seventh of which is a bold assertion of the Monothelite heresy. The Monophysites (Theodosians or Severians) welcomed the agreement with, however, the remark that Chalcedon was coming to them, not they to Chalcedon. The union thus effected was adroitly exploited, with a view to win over Pope Honorius to Monothelism; otherwise it proved ineffective, and soon fell into discredit under the name of
    , contemptuously called the "washy union". Cyrus persevered none the less in his adhesion to the compromise, and even accepted the Ecthesis, a new imperial formulary of the same error (637). When Omar's general, Amru, threatened the Prefecture of Egypt, Cyrus was made prefect and entrusted with the conduct of the war. Certain humiliating stipulations, to which he subscribed for the sake of peace, angered his imperial master. He was recalled and harshly accused of connivance with the Saracens; however, he was soon restored to his former authority, owing to the impending siege of Alexandria, but could not avert the fall of the great city (640) and died shortly after.
    From Cyrus we have three letters to Sergius and the "Satisfactio", all preserved in the acts of the Roman Synod of the Lateran and of the Sixth Œcumenical Council (Mansi, X, 1004; XI, 560, 562, 964). The first letter is an acceptation of the Ecthesis; in the second Cyrus describes his perplexity between Pope Leo and Sergius; the conversion of the Theodosians is narrated in the third. The seventh article of the "Satisfactio" — the others are irrelevant — reads thus: "The one and same Christ, the Son, performs the works proper to God and to man by one theandric operation
    [] according to St. Dionysius". Cyrus' chief opponents, St. Sophronius, d. in 637 (Epistola synodica, Mansi, XI, 480), and St. Maximus, d. in 662 (Epistola ad Nicandrum; disputatio cum Pyrrho, P.G., XCI, 101, 345), reproached him for falsifying the then much-respected text of Dionysius and substituting
     for (new).
    They showed, moreover, the inanity of his claim to the support of the Fathers, and explained how the Divine and human natures of Christ, sometimes styled one, because they belong to the same person and work in perfect harmony, can no more by physically identified than the natures from which they proceed. Historians are not agreed as to how Cyrus came by this error. Some think that he was, from the outset, a Monophysite at heart. Others, with more reason, hold that he was led into error by Sergius and Heraclius. Cyrus was condemned as a heretic in the Lateran Council of 649 (Denzinger, Enchiridion, 217, 219) and in 680 at the Third Œcumenical Council of Constantinople (Denzinger, 238; Mansi, XI, 554). (See MONOTHELITES.)
    NEALE, History of the Holy Eastern Church (London, 1847), II; HEFELE, Conciliengesch. (Freiburg, 1877), III; PETAVIUS, Dogmata Catholica (Paris, 1866), V, i, 19; BURT, History of the Later Roman Empire (London, 1880); MANN, Lives of the Popes (London, 1902), Vol. I, Pt. I, 330; SCHWANE-DEGERT, Hist. des dogmes (Paris, 1903), II; TURMEL, Hist. de la théol. positive (Paris, 1904).
    J.F. SOLLIER
    Transcribed by WGKofron With thanks to Fr. John Hilkert, Akron, Ohio

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


Catholic encyclopedia.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cyrus of Alexandria — was a Melchite patriarch of the Egyptian see of Alexandria in the seventh century, one of the authors of Monothelism and last Byzantine prefect of Egypt; died about 641. Contents 1 Biography 2 Writings 3 See also …   Wikipedia

  • Cyrus — is an English transliteration of the Persian name, Kourosh. For the etymology, see Cyrus (name). Contents 1 Persian Monarchy 2 Other persons named Cyrus 2.1 Given name …   Wikipedia

  • Alexandria of the Caucasus — (medieval Kapisa, modern Bagram was a colony of Alexander the Great (one of many colonies designated with the name Alexandria ). He founded the colony at an important junction of communications in the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush… …   Wikipedia

  • Cyrus and John — Saint Cyrus redirects here. For the village in Aberdeenshire, see St Cyrus. Saints Cyrus and John Iconographic line drawing of Ss. Cyrus (left) and John Wonderworkers, Unmercenary Physicians …   Wikipedia

  • Cyrus of Panopolis — For other people of the same name, see Cyrus (disambiguation). Flavius Taurus Seleucus Cyrus (floruit 426 441), better known as Cyrus of Panopolis (Greek: Κύρος ὁ Πανοπολίτης) from his birthplace of Panopolis in Egypt, was a senior East Roman… …   Wikipedia

  • Cyrus — (d. 642 AD)    Byzantine official. Bishop of Phasis in the Caucasus until 631, when he was named by Emperor Heraclius as prefect of Egypt and patriarch of Alexandria in opposition to the Coptic Church and its patriarch, Benjamin. He was entrusted …   Ancient Egypt

  • Cyrus, SS. (2) — 2SS. Cyrus, Johannes et 4 Soc. MM. (31. Jan.). Der hl. Cyrus (im Kalender der Kopten Abba Cher genannt), ein Martyrer in Aegypten, wurde zu Alexandria geboren und widmete sich der Arzneikunde, wobei er sich besonders das Heil der Seelen angelegen …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

  • Pope Benjamin I of Alexandria — (590 January 3, 661) was the thirty eighth Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. He is regarded as one of the greatest patriarchs of the Coptic Church. During his tenure, he guided his followers through the Persian invasion of Egypt… …   Wikipedia

  • Of Alexandria — related to Alexandria of Alexandria Ammonius of Alexandria (3rd century AD), a Greek philosopher from Alexandria and one of the founders of Neoplatonism. Appian of Alexandria (c. 95 – c. 165), a Roman historian Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293 –… …   Wikipedia

  • Councils of Alexandria — For the meeting of American colonial governors, see Congress of Alexandria. In 231 AD a council of bishops and priests met at Alexandria, Egypt, called by Bishop Demetrius for the purpose of declaring Origen of Alexandria unworthy of the office… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”