Paul I of Constantinople
Early Church | |
---|---|
Diocese | Constantinople |
Installed | 337 |
Term ended | 350 |
Personal details | |
Denomination | Christianity |
Sainthood | |
Feast day | November 6 |
Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
Paul I or Paulus I or Saint Paul the Confessor (
Biography
He was a native of
First exile
The
Athanasius of Alexandria was then in exile from
Second exile
Paul returned to Constantinople. Eusebius died in 341, and Paul was reinstated as bishop.
The Emperor Constantius was at Antioch when he heard of this, where he ordered Hermogenes, his general of cavalry, to see that Paul was again expelled. The people would not hear of violence being done to their bishop; they rushed upon the house where the general was, set fire to it, killed him on the spot, tied a rope round his feet, pulled him out from the burning building, and dragged him in triumph round the city.[1] Constantius was not likely to pass over this rebellion against his authority. He rode on horseback at full speed to Constantinople, determined to make the people suffer heavily for their revolt. They met him, however, on their knees with tears and entreaties, and he contented himself with depriving them of half their allowance of corn, but ordered Paul to be driven from the city.[1]
Third exile
Paul seems to have retired to Triers, but returned to Constantinople in 344, with letters of recommendation from Constans, the emperor of the West, who wrote to Constantius, that should Paul not receive his patriarchal see, he would attack him. Constantius only allowed Paul's re-establishment for fear of his brother's arms, and Paul's situation in the East continued very uneasy, for he had much to suffer from the power and malice of the Arian party.[3]
Constans died in 350. Constantius, in Antioch, ordered Philippus, prefect of the East, to once more expel Paul and to put Macedonius in his place. At a public bath called
Paul was later loaded with chains and taken to
Paul's body was brought to Ancyra in Galatia, and, by the order of Theodosius the Great, was thence translated to Constantinople in 381, about thirty years after his death. It was buried there in the great church built by Macedonius, which from that time was known by no other name than that of St. Paul. His remains were removed to Venice in 1226, where they are kept with great respect in the church of St. Laurence.
References
- Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Sinclair, W. M. (1911). "Paulus I, bishop of Constantinople". In Wace, Henry; Piercy, William C. (eds.). Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century (3rd ed.). London: John Murray. sources used by Sinclair:
- Socrates Scholasticus, H. E. ii. 6, etc.
- Sozomenus, H. E. iii. 3, etc.
- Athanasius of Alexandria, Hist. Arian. ad Monach. 275;
- Mansi, Concil. i. 1275.