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THE THIRD MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day died Acadius, Archbishop of the city of Contantinople.
This holy man was learned, and excellent, and good, and he
translated books of theology, and he was appointed priest in the church of
the city of Constantinople. Now
a General Council was held in the city of Chalcedon, and this father was
not pleased with all that took place thereat.
When they searched for him to come because of his knowledge, he
made a pretence to them that he was sick.
When he heard of the tribulation which they had inflicted upon
Saint Dioscurus, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, he was exceedingly
sorry, and he began to curse their Council before his companions, and
friends, and the principal military officers of the Government whom he
knew to be Orthodox, and whose works he knew to be good.
And he said, I thank God that I did not mix myself up with these
evil members of the Council. When Anatolius, Archbishop of the city of Constantinople,
died, the members of the Government, and the military officers and the
believers chose this father Acacius to be Archbishop of Constantinople,
because they knew he was Orthodox. And
they appointed him archbishop because they had hope in him and thought
that he would be able to remove from the Church division and enmity.
When he was appointed he found the disease of division and enmity
therein, and he strove diligently and in every way possible to remove it,
but could not do so in the least degree; only God Himself could do it.
And he thought in his heart and said, It will be best for me to
save myself. First of all
he sent a letter to Abba Peter, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria,
confessing therein to him the True Faith of the Holy Trinity, which he had
learned and received from the divine fathers Abba Cyril and Abba Dioscurus;
and then he continued to write very many letters asking him to support him
in priestly fellowship. When
Peter received his letters he wrote a letter of acceptance and [another]
letter dealing with general matters, and sent them off in charge of three
bishops. And the bishops came
to the city of Constantinople secretly, and they gathered together this
father Acacius, and they gave him the letter of Abba Peter; and Acacius
treated them with great honor, and received the letters from them with
great joy. And he read the
letter before his friends, and the Orthodox nobles of the city, and they
all confessed with him the True Faith as it was written in the letter of
Saint Abba Peter. Then he
wrote a letter with his own hand before them accepting [the Faith] of Abba
Dioscurus and Abba Timothy, and Abba Peter, and he confessed that they
were of the True Faith, and he excommunicated all those who were opposed
to them. Then he took the
three bishops and carried them away with him to a certain monastery which
was outside the city of Constantinople, and he prepared the Eucharist and
they took part with him in the Liturgy and in the Offering, and they took
from him the letter which he had written and they were blessed by him and
he by them, and then he set them on their way and bade them farewell in
peace. When they came to Abba
Peter they told him everything, which had happened, and also how they had
taken part together with Abba Acacius in the Liturgy and the Offering, and
how he had accepted his letter; and he preached in his name at the time of
the Offering and the consecrations and the prayers.
And the report of him was heard by the Bishop of Rome, and he drove
Abba Acacius from the throne of Constantinople, and he died in exile,
being strong in the True Faith. Salutation
to Acacius the successor of Anatolius. And on this day also are commemorated Mercurius the martyr, and
the consecration of the church of Cosmas and Damianus, and their brethren,
and the death of Gabra Maskal, King of Ethiopia, the Orthodox [died A.D.
1344]. Salutation to Gabra
Maskal, who hath passed to the city of light.
Salutation to Gabra Maskal who rejoiced in the power of God. And on this day also Anianus of Amid [the Stylite], and Peter
became [martyrs]. Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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