Dioscorus of Alexandria
Encyclopedia
Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria (Coptic
: ) was Patriarch of Alexandria from 444. He was deposed by the Council of Chalcedon
in 451 but was recognized as Patriarch by the Coptic Church until his death. He died in Asia Minor, on September 17, 454
. He is venerated as a Saint
by the Coptic and other Oriental Orthodox churches.
, 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
.
, St. Cyril
explained the union between the divine and human natures of Christ 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 hypostases of Christ just as Nestorius taught.
Thus the Alexandrian formula adopted by Cyril and Dioscorus was "one nature of God the Word Incarnate" which translated in Greek to "mia physis tou theou logou sesarkomene
", by which Cyril meant "one nature", "from two natures". 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.
On the other hand the Antiochene formula was "Two natures after the union", or "in two natures", which is translated to "dyo physis". This formula explained Christ as existing in two natures; God the Word, and Man that He assumed, and that God did not suffer nor did He die.
Nestorius was condemned and deposed by the First Council of Ephesus, which approved of the Second Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius (which included a dogmatizing of "Theotokos"), and made no other dogmatic definitions.
, an archmandrite in Constantinople, defended the formula "one nature" against the formula of "two natures after the union" (dyo physis). Eutyches argued that the divinity absorbed the humanity of Christ. A synod chaired by Flavian of Constantinople
in 448 condemned and exiled Eutyches.
Eutyches appealed against this decision, labeling Flavian a Nestorian, and received the support of Dioscorus, while Pope Leo I
, in his famous Tome confirmed Flavian's theological position but also requested that Eutyches should be readmitted if he repented.
Emperor Theodosius II
convened the Second Council of Ephesus
, and in remembrance of Cyril's role during the council of 431, the emperor, under strong influence of the eunuch Chrysaphius, a senior advisor and a close friend of Eutyches, asked Dioscorus, also a friend of Eutyches, to preside over the meetings. The council, with Dioscorus as the leader, decided to reinstate Eutyches and to depose Flavian, as well as Eusebius of Dorylaeum
, Theoderet of Cyrrus
, Ibas of Edessa, and Domnus II of Antioch
. The protests of Leo's legates were ignored. Pope Leo protested, calling the council a "robber synod", and declared its decisions void.
Emperor Theodosius supported the council's decisions until he died on July 28, 450. Now, his sister Pulcheria
returned to power and made the officer Marcian
her consort and emperor. She consulted with Pope Leo on convoking a new council, gathering signatures for his Tome to be introduced as the basic paper for the new council, but also insisted (against Leo's wishes) that the council should be held not in Italy but in the East. Meanwhile, the new imperial couple brought Flavian's remains back to Constantinople and exiled Eutyches to Syria.
, not only dealt with the christogical views of Eutyches but also with Dioscuros' views and earlier behaviour. Because of this, on the insistence of the Roman legates, Dioscuros was denied a place among the council fathers.
When Dioscorus argued for the adoption of the formula "One incarnate nature of God the Word" and several bishops equated this with the views of Eutyches, Dioscuros tried to clarify his point that "We do not speak of confusion, neither of division, nor of change." Dioscorus stated that he did not accept "two natures after the union" but he had no objection to "From two natures after the union."
The Council declared Dioscorus and other bishops that had been responsible for the decisions of 449 deposed, because of their supposed violations of canon law, rather than perceived heresy. Dioscorus was exiled to Gangra Island.
was appointed Patriarch in his stead, with the approval of the emperor. Though no one opposed Proterius out of fear of Imperial reprisals, many still secretly adhered to Dioscorus, considering him the legitimate Patriarch.
Dioscuros died in exile in 454
. When the news reached Egypt, his supporters assembled and elected Timothy
, a disciple of Dioscuros, to be the new Patriarch. Timothy, who immediately went into hiding, found adherence especially among the Copt
ic inhabitants of the countryside, creating the split between the Coptic and the Melchite (i.e. Imperial) Church.
on one side, and the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches on the other.
Dioscorus I is considered a saint
by the Coptic, Syriac
, and other Oriental Orthodox churches, while the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches have frequently deemed him a heretic.
Certain modern theologians suggest that both Leo and Dioscoros were orthodox in their agreement with Saint Cyrill
's Twelve Chapters, even though both have been (and still are) considered heretical by certain individuals in the opposing sides.
Some commentators like Anatolius and John S. Romanides
argue that Dioscorus was not deposed for heresy but for "grave administrative errors" at Ephesus II, among which they mention his restoration of Eutyches, his attack on Flavian, and afterwards, his excommunication of Pope Leo I. Defenders of Dioscuros argue that Eutyches was orthodox at the time of his restoration and only later relapsed into heresy, that Flavian was a Nestorian and that Pope Leo had supported Nestorianism.
Another related matter of contention was the accusation, frequently levelled by Chalcedonian churches, that the Oriental Orthodox Churches
accepted Eutychian doctrine
. The latter deny this charge, arguing that they reject both the Monophysitism
of Eutyches, whom they consider a heretic, as well as Dyophysitism espoused by the Council of Chalcedon.
In May 1973 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
.
Hence, in the mess typical of schism
s, according to non-Oriental Orthodox Christian sects, he was a Coptic Pope turned heretic
.
He was excommunicated by Leo I
, most likely in very early 450 AD during the aftermath of the controversial Second Council of Ephesus
. Dioscorus excommunicated Leo in response.
A similar declaration was reached between the Oriental Orthodox
and the Eastern Orthodox churches in the 1990s in Geneva
, 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.
They also agreed to lift all the anathemas and condemnations of the past.
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.
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Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
: ) was Patriarch of Alexandria from 444. He was deposed by the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
in 451 but was recognized as Patriarch by the Coptic Church until his death. He died in Asia Minor, on September 17, 454
454
Year 454 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aetius and Studius...
. He is venerated as a Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
by the Coptic and other Oriental Orthodox churches.
Early life
Pope Dioscorus served as the dean of the Catechetical School of AlexandriaCatechetical School of Alexandria
The Catechetical School of Alexandria was and is a place for the training of Christian theologians and priests in Alexandria. The teachers and students of the school were influential in many of the early theological controversies of the Christian church.The earliest recorded instructor at the...
, and was the personal secretary of Saint Cyril the Great, Pope of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
, whom he accompanied to the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, rising to the position of archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
.
Opposition to Nestorius
In his struggle against NestoriusNestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
, St. Cyril
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
explained the union between the divine and human natures of Christ 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 hypostases of Christ just as Nestorius taught.
Thus the Alexandrian formula adopted by Cyril and Dioscorus was "one nature of God the Word Incarnate" which translated in Greek to "mia physis tou theou logou sesarkomene
Miaphysitism
Miaphysitism is a Christological formula of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and of the various churches adhering to the first three Ecumenical Councils...
", by which Cyril meant "one nature", "from two natures". 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.
On the other hand the Antiochene formula was "Two natures after the union", or "in two natures", which is translated to "dyo physis". This formula explained Christ as existing in two natures; God the Word, and Man that He assumed, and that God did not suffer nor did He die.
Nestorius was condemned and deposed by the First Council of Ephesus, which approved of the Second Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius (which included a dogmatizing of "Theotokos"), and made no other dogmatic definitions.
Support for Eutyches
Conflict reopened when EutychesEutyches
Eutyches was a presbyter and archimandrite at Constantinople. He first came to notice in 431 at the First Council of Ephesus, for his vehement opposition to the teachings of Nestorius; his condemnation of Nestorianism as heresy precipitated his being denounced as a heretic...
, an archmandrite in Constantinople, defended the formula "one nature" against the formula of "two natures after the union" (dyo physis). Eutyches argued that the divinity absorbed the humanity of Christ. A synod chaired by Flavian of Constantinople
Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople
Flavian was Archbishop of Constantinople from 446 to 449. He is venerated as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church....
in 448 condemned and exiled Eutyches.
Eutyches appealed against this decision, labeling Flavian a Nestorian, and received the support of Dioscorus, while Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy...
, in his famous Tome confirmed Flavian's theological position but also requested that Eutyches should be readmitted if he repented.
Emperor Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
convened the Second Council of Ephesus
Second Council of Ephesus
The Second Council of Ephesus was a church synod in 449 AD. It was convoked by Emperor Theodosius II as an ecumenical council but because of the controversial proceedings it was not accepted as ecumenical, labelled a Robber Synod and later repudiated at the Council of Chalcedon.-The first...
, and in remembrance of Cyril's role during the council of 431, the emperor, under strong influence of the eunuch Chrysaphius, a senior advisor and a close friend of Eutyches, asked Dioscorus, also a friend of Eutyches, to preside over the meetings. The council, with Dioscorus as the leader, decided to reinstate Eutyches and to depose Flavian, as well as Eusebius of Dorylaeum
Eusebius of Dorylaeum
Eusebius of Dorylaeum was a 5th-century bishop who spoke out against heretical teachings, especially those of Nestorius and Eutyches, during the period of Christological controversy. He was bishop of Dorylaeum which is located in Phrygia . The name Eusebius may also be found as Eusebios which...
, Theoderet of Cyrrus
Theodoret
Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus was an influential author, theologian, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria . He played a pivotal role in many early Byzantine church controversies that led to various ecumenical acts and schisms...
, Ibas of Edessa, and Domnus II of Antioch
Domnus II of Antioch
Domnus II, Patriarch of Antioch of the heavily religious Eastern Roman Empire, and a friend of the influential Saint Theodoret Bishop of Cyrrhus. He was nephew of John I, Patriarch of Antioch, brought up under Euthymius the famous hermit of Palestine. He was ordained deacon by Juvenal of Jerusalem...
. The protests of Leo's legates were ignored. Pope Leo protested, calling the council a "robber synod", and declared its decisions void.
Pulcheria
Aelia Pulcheria was the daughter of Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius and Empress Aelia Eudoxia. She was the second child born to Arcadius and Eudoxia. Her oldest sister was Flaccilla born in 397, but is assumed she had died young. Her younger siblings were Theodosius II, the future emperor and...
returned to power and made the officer Marcian
Marcian
Marcian was Byzantine Emperor from 450 to 457. Marcian's rule marked a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the Emperor protected from external menaces and reformed economically and financially...
her consort and emperor. She consulted with Pope Leo on convoking a new council, gathering signatures for his Tome to be introduced as the basic paper for the new council, but also insisted (against Leo's wishes) that the council should be held not in Italy but in the East. Meanwhile, the new imperial couple brought Flavian's remains back to Constantinople and exiled Eutyches to Syria.
Council of Chalcedon
The Council, assembled at ChalcedonCouncil of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
, not only dealt with the christogical views of Eutyches but also with Dioscuros' views and earlier behaviour. Because of this, on the insistence of the Roman legates, Dioscuros was denied a place among the council fathers.
When Dioscorus argued for the adoption of the formula "One incarnate nature of God the Word" and several bishops equated this with the views of Eutyches, Dioscuros tried to clarify his point that "We do not speak of confusion, neither of division, nor of change." Dioscorus stated that he did not accept "two natures after the union" but he had no objection to "From two natures after the union."
The Council declared Dioscorus and other bishops that had been responsible for the decisions of 449 deposed, because of their supposed violations of canon law, rather than perceived heresy. Dioscorus was exiled to Gangra Island.
Exile
A messenger from Constantinople arrived in Alexandria announcing that Dioscuros was deposed and exiled and that an Alexandrian priest named ProteriusProterius of Alexandria
Hieromartyr Proterius of Alexandria , Patriarch of Alexandria , was elected by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 to replace Dioscorus of Alexandria, who had been deposed by the same council...
was appointed Patriarch in his stead, with the approval of the emperor. Though no one opposed Proterius out of fear of Imperial reprisals, many still secretly adhered to Dioscorus, considering him the legitimate Patriarch.
Dioscuros died in exile in 454
454
Year 454 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aetius and Studius...
. When the news reached Egypt, his supporters assembled and elected Timothy
Pope Timothy II of Alexandria
Pope Timothy II of Alexandria , also known as Αἴλουρος/Aelurus , succeeded twice in supplanting the Chalcedonian Patriarch of Alexandria....
, a disciple of Dioscuros, to be the new Patriarch. Timothy, who immediately went into hiding, found adherence especially among the Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic inhabitants of the countryside, creating the split between the Coptic and the Melchite (i.e. Imperial) Church.
Legacy
His character and stance are subject to controversy between the Oriental Orthodox ChurchesOriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
on one side, and the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches on the other.
Dioscorus I is considered a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
by the Coptic, Syriac
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
, and other Oriental Orthodox churches, while the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches have frequently deemed him a heretic.
Certain modern theologians suggest that both Leo and Dioscoros were orthodox in their agreement with Saint Cyrill
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
's Twelve Chapters, even though both have been (and still are) considered heretical by certain individuals in the opposing sides.
Some commentators like Anatolius and John S. Romanides
John S. Romanides
John Savvas Romanides was a Greek Orthodox priest, author and professor who, for a long time, represented the Greek Church to the World Council of Churches. He was born in Piraeus, Greece, on 2 March 1928 but his parents emigrated to the United States when he was only two months old. He grew up in...
argue that Dioscorus was not deposed for heresy but for "grave administrative errors" at Ephesus II, among which they mention his restoration of Eutyches, his attack on Flavian, and afterwards, his excommunication of Pope Leo I. Defenders of Dioscuros argue that Eutyches was orthodox at the time of his restoration and only later relapsed into heresy, that Flavian was a Nestorian and that Pope Leo had supported Nestorianism.
Another related matter of contention was the accusation, frequently levelled by Chalcedonian churches, that the Oriental Orthodox Churches
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
accepted Eutychian doctrine
Eutyches
Eutyches was a presbyter and archimandrite at Constantinople. He first came to notice in 431 at the First Council of Ephesus, for his vehement opposition to the teachings of Nestorius; his condemnation of Nestorianism as heresy precipitated his being denounced as a heretic...
. The latter deny this charge, arguing that they reject both the Monophysitism
Monophysitism
Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...
of Eutyches, whom they consider a heretic, as well as Dyophysitism espoused by the Council of Chalcedon.
In May 1973 Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria...
visited Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
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
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
.
Hence, in the mess typical of schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
s, according to non-Oriental Orthodox Christian sects, he was a Coptic Pope turned heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
He was excommunicated by Leo I
Pope Leo I
Pope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy...
, most likely in very early 450 AD during the aftermath of the controversial Second Council of Ephesus
Second Council of Ephesus
The Second Council of Ephesus was a church synod in 449 AD. It was convoked by Emperor Theodosius II as an ecumenical council but because of the controversial proceedings it was not accepted as ecumenical, labelled a Robber Synod and later repudiated at the Council of Chalcedon.-The first...
. Dioscorus excommunicated Leo in response.
A similar declaration was reached between the Oriental Orthodox
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
and the Eastern Orthodox churches in the 1990s in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, 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.
They also agreed to lift all the anathemas and condemnations of the past.
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.
See also
- Coptic Orthodox Church
- Pope of Alexandria
- List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
- Chalcedonian Patriarch of Alexandria
- List of Chalcedonian Patriarchs of Alexandria
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)
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