September 715-730 A.D. Germanus—Constantinople’s 74th; Iconoduleist; Monothelitism & Dyothelitism; Jews & Muslims Mock Iconoduleists; Emperor Leo III’s Edict Against Iconodulolatry
September
715-730 A.D. Germanus—Constantinople’s 74th; Iconoduleist;
Monothelitism & Dyothelitism; Jews & Muslims Mock
Iconoduleists; Emperor Leo III’s Edict
Against Iconodoulolatry
Germanus I of
Constantinople
Contents
Life
Influence
References
Sources
External links
Germanus I of
Constantinople
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
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St. Germanus I of
Constantinople
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Patriarch Germanus I of
Constantinople
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Died
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740
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Honored in
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Roman Catholicism, Serbian Orthodox Church
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Saint Germanus I (c. 634 – 733 or 740) was Patriarch of Constantinople from 715 to 730. He is regarded as a saint, by both the Orthodox and
Roman Catholic Churches, with a feast day of
May 12.[1]
Contents
Life
According to Theophanes the Confessor, Germanus was a son of patrician Justinian, who was executed in 668.[2] Justinian
was reportedly involved in the murder of Constans II and
usurpation of the throne by Mezezius. Constantine IV, son of
Constans II, defeated his rival and punished the supporters of Mezezius.
Germanus survived the persecutions,[3] but
was made a eunuch by
the victors.[4]
Germanus was sent to a monastery. He resurfaces as Bishop of Cyzicus.[2] He
took part in the 712 Council of Constantinople where decisions favored Monothelitism, abolishing
the canons of the Third Council of
Constantinople (680-681).
The Council followed the religious preferences of Philippikos Bardanes.[5]
In 713, Philippikos Bardanes
was deposed by Anastasios II. Anastasios soon reversed all religious decisions
of his predecessor. Patriarch John
VI, strongly associated with
Monothelitism, was eventually dismissed. On 11 August 714/715, Germanus was
elected Patriarch of Constantinople. Germanus later helped negotiate
Anastasius' surrender terms toTheodosios III.[6]
In 715, Germanus organized a
new council propagating Dyothelitism and anathematizing various
leaders of the opposing faction. He attempted to improve relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church with a view towards reconciliation. The major issue
of his term would, however, be the emerging Byzantine Iconoclasm, propagated by Leo III the Isaurian. Germanus was an iconodule,[5] and
played an important role in defending the use of sacred images during the
iconoclastic crisis of his day, suffering exile for his opposition to the
emperor, who considered reverence for these images a form of idolatry.[7]
After an apparently successful
attempt to enforce the baptism of
all Jews and Montanists in
the empire (722), Leo issued a series of edicts against the worship of images
(726–729).[8] A
letter by the patriarch Germanus written before 726 to two Iconoclast bishops
says that "now whole towns and multitudes of people are in considerable
agitation over this matter" but we have very little evidence as to the
growth of the debate.[9]
Germanus either resigned or
was deposed following the ban. Surviving letters Germanus wrote at the time say
little of theology. According to Patricia Karlin-Hayter, what worried Germanus
was that the ban of icons would prove that the Church had been in error for a
long time and therefore play into the hands of Jews and Muslims.[10] Tradition
depicts Germanos as much more determined in his position. Even winning a debate
on the matter with Constantine, Bishop of Nacoleia, a leading Iconoclast. Pope Gregory II (term
715-731), a fellow iconodule, praised Germanus' "zeal and
steadfastness".[5]
Germanus was replaced by Anastasios, more willing to obey the emperor. Germanus
retired to the residence of his family. He died a few years at an advanced age
in 740.[11] He
was buried at the Chora Church. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) included Germanus in the diptychs of
the saints. He has since been regarded a saint by both the Orthodox Church and
theCatholic Church.
Several of his writings have
been preserved.[5] His Historia Ecclesiastica was a popular work in Greek and Latin
translations for many centuries, and remains often quoted by scholars. Parts of
it were published in English in 1985 as On
the Divine Liturgy, described by its publishers as "for centuries the
quasi-official explanation of the Divine Liturgy for the Byzantine Christian
world".[12] However
the Catholic Encyclopedia is dubious that the work is actually by Germanus.[5]
Influence
Pope Pius XII included one of
his texts in the apostolic constitution proclaiming Mary’s assumption into
heaven a dogma of the Church.[7]
Among his writings was the
hymn "Μέγα καί παράδοξον θαῦμα" translated by John Mason Neale as
"A Great and Mighty Wonder",[13][14] although
Neale misattributed this to Saint Anatolius.[15]
References
2.
^ Jump up to:a b Orthodox Church in America: Biography of St Germanus the Patriarch of
Constantinople
3.
Jump up^ Byzantinische Zeitschrift. Volume 17, Issue 2, Pages
455–459, ISSN (Online) 1864-449X, ISSN (Print) 0007-7704
5.
^ Jump up to:a b c d e Kirsch, Johann Peter. "St. Germanus I." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 24 Jun. 2013
7.
^ Jump up to:a b "St. Germanus of Constantinople, Defender of the
Veneration of Holy Images", National Catholic Register, 8 May 2009
9.
Jump up^ Mango, C. "Historical Introduction," in
Bryer & Herrin, eds.,Iconoclasm, pp. 2-3, Centre for Byzantine
Studies, University of Birmingham, 1977 ISBN 0-7044-0226-2
10.
Jump up^ Karlin-Hayter, Patricia (2002) The Oxford History of
Byzantium: Iconoclasm. Oxford: Oxford University Press
12.
Jump up^ The full Latin title is Historia mystica ecclesiae
catholicae; manuscripts include cod. Vat. graec. 790 and cod. Neapolit.
graec. 63. In English and Greek, St Vladimirs Seminary Press, 1985, ISBN 0-88141-038-1, ISBN 978-0-88141-038-9; see external links for a
partly different online version.
Sources
·
Cameron, Averil; Ward-Perkins, Bryan.; Whitby, Michael
(2000). The Cambridge ancient history 14. Late Antiquity:
empire and successors, A.D. 425 - 600. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-32591-9
·
Mango, Cyril, "Historical Introduction," in Bryer & Herrin, eds., Iconoclasm, pp. 2-3., 1977,
Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Birmingham, ISBN 0704402262
·
Treadgold, Warren (1997). A History of the Byzantine
State and Society. Stanford: University of Stanford Press. p. 346.ISBN 0-8047-2630-2.
External links
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Patriarch
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715–730 |
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