From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Patriarch Paul of Alexandria
or
Paul of Tabennesis
was
Greek Patriarch of Alexandria
between 537 and 542.
He was elected Patriarch in 537 when the
Greek Church of Alexandria
, which had previously recognized the
Miaphysite
Theodosius I
, then exiled
Gainas
. He was the first
Chalcedonian
to be elected Patriarch since 482. He was deposed by the Synod of Gaza, but later reinstated.
[1]
This election was the final split between the
Miaphysite
and
Orthodox
lineage, which lasts until today.
According to
Procopius
, when
Justinian
made Paul patriarch, he gave him authority over the
praefectus Aegypyi
, Rhodon. As patriarch, Paul’s first act was to have Psoes, a
Miaphysite
deacon who wrote in
Coptic
and was a thorn in the government’s side, delivered to Rhodon to be tortured to death. The people of Alexandria revolted in fury, and to pacify them Justinian recalled Rhodon and executed him in
Constantinople
for his role in the martyrdom of Psoes, despite having previously send thirteen dispatches ordering Rhodon to obey Paul. The next governor of Egypt,
Liberius
, crucified a man named Arsenius who was instrumental in Psoes’ torture and death, avenging Psoes.
[2]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- "Paul (537?542)"
. Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa
. Retrieved
2011-02-07
.