The Gaianites were a Julianist faction within the Egyptian miaphysite church between the sixth and ninth centuries.
25-503: By the time of the death of Patriarch Timothy IV of Alexandria in 535, Julianism (Aphthartodocetism) had become the dominant theology of Egyptian monasticism , of the rural Christian population and of the lower classes in the city of Alexandria itself. In 535, the Julianists elected as patriarch the archdeacon Gaianus , while their rivals the Severans elected the deacon Theodosius with
50-752: A Julianist bishop in the mid-sixth century. Late in the seventh century, Anastasius of Sinai still regarded the Gaianites as an important sect in his Viae dux ("Guide to the Path"). According to the History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria , around 695 there was a Gaianite patriarch named Theodore who dispatched a Gaianite bishop to India . According to the History of the Patriarchs , the Severan patriarch Alexander II (704–729) brought
75-634: A barren list of the names of its patriarchs, handed down to us chiefly through the church historian Eusebius . All denominations acknowledge the succession of church leaders until the time of the Second Council of Ephesus of 449 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which gave rise to the non-Chalcedonian Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Chalcedonian Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria . This office has historically held
100-580: A letter written by his successor, Pope Dionysius of Alexandria , to Philemon (a Roman presbyter ): "τοῦτον ἐγὼ τὸν κανόνα καὶ τὸν τύπον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου πάπα ἡμῶν Ἡρακλᾶ παρέλαβον." This is translated, "I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed father/pope, Heraclas." According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the earliest recorded use of "pope" in English is in an Old English translation ( c . 950) of Bede 's Ecclesiastical History of
125-638: A little over a year later. The Gaianites were the strongest party in the city when in 564 or 565 they elected a successor to Gaianus, a certain Elpidius. He was arrested on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I in 565 and died at Lesbos en route to Constantinople . He was succeeded by Dorotheus, who headed the Gaianite church until 580. The reign of Justin II (568–578), however, was a period of declining influence for
150-599: A treatise Contra Theodosianos et Gaianitas ("Against the Theodosians and Gaianites"). The Gaianites are mentioned as a sect into the ninth century. Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem (634–638) distinguishes between them and the Julianists in his Narratio miraculorum sancti Cyri et Iohanni ("Narration of the Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John"). Around the same time there were also Gaianites in Ephesus where previously there had been
175-541: The Council of Chalcedon (451), the Patriarch of Constantinople , supported by imperial authority and by a variety of concurring advantages, was given the right of precedency over the Patriarch of Alexandria. But neither Rome nor Alexandria recognized the claim until many years later. During the first two centuries of our era, though Egypt enjoyed unusual quiet, little is known of the ecclesiastical history of its chief see, beyond
200-685: The Holy See . The Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites , who leads the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See , also has the titles of Titular Patriarch of Alexandria of the Greek-Melkites and Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites. The Latin Patriarch of Alexandria was head of the titular Patriarchal See of Alexandria of the Catholic Church , established by Pope Innocent III . The title
225-734: The English People , "Þa wæs in þa tid Uitalius papa þæs apostolican seðles aldorbiscop." In modern English, "At that time, Pope Vitalian was chief bishop of the apostolic see." The Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa in the Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle leads the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria , but has resided in Cairo since Christodoulos moved the residence in the mid-eleventh century. His full titles are Pope and Archbishop of
250-531: The Evangelist . It was the centre from which Christianity spread throughout all Egypt. Within its jurisdiction, during its most flourishing period, were included about 108 bishops; its territory embraced the six provinces of Libya Superior , Libya Inferior , the Thebaid , Egypt, Heptanomis , and Augustamnica . In the beginning the successor of St. Mark was the only metropolitan bishop , and he governed ecclesiastically
275-423: The Gaianites back into union and even subjected the 170-year-old Gaianite monastic community of Wadi Habib to his authority. There were still some holdouts, however. Patriarch Jacob , in his inaugural sermon in 819, pronounced the anathema on Gaianites and Phantasiasts . Like all Julianists, the Gaianites were aphthartodocetes , that is, they denied the corruptibility of the physical body of Jesus Christ . In
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#1733086031383300-561: The Gaianites, who until then had been the dominant faction within the Egyptian miaphysite movement, a position they eventually ceded to the Severans. According to Theophanes of Byzantium , between 570 and 573 the Gaianites recognized the Theodosian patriarch John IV . In 581, they again reunited with the Theodosian party. The anti-miaphysite patriarch Eulogius I of Alexandria , elected in 581, wrote
325-773: The Great City of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa, the Holy Orthodox and Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist ( Egypt , Libya , Nubia , Sudan , Ethiopia , Eritrea and all Africa ) and Successor of St. Mark the Evangelist , Holy Apostle and Martyr, on the Holy Apostolic Throne of the Great City of Alexandria . The Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts leads the Coptic Catholic Church in communion with
350-751: The Patriarch of Alexandria is currently claimed by different churches (two of which are part of the Catholic Church ) and held respectively by four persons: the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria , the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria , the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and all the East and the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria . Each of the respective churches consider their patriarch as
375-449: The designation " pope " (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episcopal sees (along with Rome and Antioch ) before Constantinople and Jerusalem were granted similar status (in 381 and 451, respectively). Alexandria was elevated to de facto archiepiscopal status by the Councils of Alexandria , and this status
400-519: The early eighth century, Timothy of Constantinople described three factions among the Gaianites: those who held that Jesus' body was incorruptible from the moment of the hypostatic union , those who held that his body was corruptible in itself but was preserved from any corruption by the Logos and those who held that body of Jesus was not only incorruptible but uncreated. These last were called Actistites. In
425-575: The entire territory. As the Christians multiplied, and other metropolitan sees were created, he became known the arch-metropolitan. The title of patriarch did not come into use until the fifth century. Up to the time of the First Council of Constantinople (381) the Patriarch of Alexandria ranked next to the Bishop of Rome . By the third canon of this council, afterwards confirmed by the twenty-eighth canon of
450-595: The successor to the original early bishops of Alexandria. The title was also previously held by the Latin Patriarch of Alexandria . The vast majority of the population of Christians within Alexandria and Egypt, as well as almost all of the Egyptian monastic communities, are part of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. According to church tradition, the patriarchate was founded in 42 AD by Mark
475-507: The support of the Empress Theodora . While the Severans are considered the "imperial" faction, the Gaianites are seen as representing the "Coptic national spirit" . After a little over three months in office, Gaianus was exiled by the Roman authorities. In the rioting that followed, 3 000 Alexandrians died. Theodosius was installed with Roman military help, but went into voluntary exile
500-579: The title of Pope—Πάπας ( Papas ), which means "Father" in Greek and Coptic —since Pope Heraclas of Alexandria , the 13th Alexandrine Bishop (227–248), was the first to associate "Pope" with the title of the Bishop of Alexandria. The word pope derives from the Greek πάππας "father". In the early centuries of Christianity, this title was applied informally (especially in the east) to all bishops and other senior clergy. In
525-522: The treatise De sectis , the Gaianites are the preeminent heretical group. As miaphysites, they believe that there is only one nature in Christ, so that the body can be no more corruptible than the Logos after their union. Although he suffered, it was unlike our suffering in that it was wholly voluntary, the laws of nature having no power over him. Timothy IV of Alexandria Timothy IV (died 7 February 535)
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#1733086031383550-439: The west it began to be used particularly for the Bishop of Rome (rather than for bishops in general) in the sixth century; in 1075, Pope Gregory VII issued a declaration widely interpreted as stating this by-then-established convention. By the sixth century, this was also the normal practice in the imperial chancery of Constantinople. The earliest record of this title was regarding Pope Heraclas of Alexandria (227–240) in
575-619: Was last held by Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto until his death in 1954; it remained vacant until its abolition as a Latin Church see in 1964. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa leads the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria . His full title is " His Divine Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Prelate of Prelates,
600-517: Was ratified by Canon Six of the First Council of Nicaea , which stipulated that all the Egyptian episcopal provinces were subject to the metropolitan see of Alexandria (already the prevailing custom). In the sixth century, these five archbishops were formally granted the title of " patriarch " and were subsequently known as the Pentarchy . Due to several schisms within Christianity, the title of
625-532: Was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 517. He is considered the 32nd Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Timothy III , since the Copts do not recognize the third Timothy, Timothy Salophakiolos . This article about an Oriental Orthodox clergyman is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria , Egypt . Historically, this office has included
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