Память святого отца нашего Митрофана, патриарха Константинопольского

Our holy father Mitrofan lived during the time of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor in 3606. He was the son of the Roman Dometius, who came from a royal family. This Dometius, otherwise called Dometian, was the brother of Probus, who once occupied the throne of the Roman Emperor in 3607. Being a prudent man, Dometius soon realized the lies of idolatry, renounced the false pagan gods and believed in the true God - our Lord Jesus Christ. And since Rome at that time was full of pagan wickedness and Christians were subjected to severe persecution, Dometius, leaving the capital of the empire, arrived with his two sons, Provos and Mitrofan, to Byzantium. Then in Byzantium the godly and holy man Titus (otherwise called Tratus or Thoratus) 3608 was bishop; It was with him that Dometius and his sons began to live, taught the faith of Christ and the law of the Lord and instructed in a virtuous life. Seeing that Dometius clung to Christ with all his heart and soul and was filled with fiery zeal to work for the Lord, the bishop ranked him among the church clergy, ordaining him a presbyter. When, having instructed Dometius, Titus died, Dometius took the episcopal throne after him 3609, and after the death of the blessed Bishop Dometius, his son Prov took the holy throne 3610. After the death of Provos, the son of Dometius and brother of Provos, Saint Mitrophan 3611, about whom we have a word, were elevated to the Byzantine bishop's see. At this time, Emperor Constantine the Great arrived in the Thracian region in 3612 and stopped in Byzantium. Seeing Saint Mitrofan here, the emperor learned from conversations with him that he was a great saint of God, and was greatly amazed at the saint’s virtuous life and his wisdom. Having passionately loved him and wanting to enjoy his God-inspired speeches, he took him with him to Rome. Soon after, Emperor Constantine wished to move his capital from Rome to Byzantium. He really liked this city, both for its beauty and for its advantageous location. It is located in the southeastern corner of the Balkan Peninsula on the shores of the Bosphorus, the strait connecting the Red Sea with the Mediterranean and Marmara seas. The most beautiful roads from land and sea led to this city, and the entire surrounding area abounded in various earthly fruits. Constantine liked all this so much that he decided to move the capital of the empire here. The emperor decorated the new capital with the most beautiful buildings and named it New Rome. But, by the name of its creator, the city was more often called Constantinople, that is, the city of Constantine, and as the residence of emperors, it was also called Constantinople. Having moved the capital of the empire to Byzantium, Constantine also transferred Saint Mitrophan here from Old Rome, named him his father and petitioned him for the title of patriarch from those gathered in Nicaea at the First Ecumenical Council of Bishops in 3613. Mitrophan was thus the first Patriarch of Constantinople. Due to extreme old age and physical weakness, Mitrofan himself was not at the council in Nicaea. In his place, he sent here his chorebishop 3614 Alexander - a venerable, holy and elderly man, who had done a lot of work for the benefit of the church world in Thrace and Illyria 3615. At the council he took the place of his patriarch Mitrofan and opposed Arius. After the end of this Ecumenical Council, the pious Emperor Constantine the Great begged all the saints who were at the council to go with him to Constantinople to visit there the sick Patriarch Mitrofan, who was lying on his deathbed. One Sunday, the fathers and the king came to Mitrofan and talked with him for a long time. At the same time, the emperor said to the saint: - Most honorable father! I see that you are exhausted from old age and illness. So, I ask you, tell us who is worthy to become your successor? To these words Saint Mitrofan answered the emperor with joy in his eyes: “Truly, the Holy Spirit now speaks through your mouth.” Indeed, when I was thinking about this seven days before now, the Lord revealed to me that at the end of ten days I would depart from this world. And when I end my life, may my co-servant Alexander, truly worthy of election and the gift of the Holy Spirit, ascend the throne after me. After him, Paul, who is currently a reader 3616, will be heir to the throne. Then, looking at blessed Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria 3617, he said to him: - Brother! And you will leave behind an excellent heir. And, taking his archdeacon Athanasius by the hand, he said: - Here is a valiant warrior of Christ; he will be the heir after you 3618, and will not only firmly rebel, together with my brother Alexander, against the Arian wickedness, but will also succeed in great deeds, so that he, along with the courageous Paul, will face many sufferings. So the saint predicted the future, and ten days after the revelation of the Lord, he died in the world on the fourth day of June, having lived only one hundred and seventeen years from the day of his birth. Now the saint dwells in endless life, standing before the throne of the Great Bishop who has passed through heaven - Christ our Savior; To him be glory forever. Amen. You clearly preached the Faith of Christ, and by observing this, you truly increased your faithful flock into multitudes: the Angels also rejoiced at Mitrofan, praying unceasingly to Christ for all of us. From infancy you appeared as an honest vessel, the saint being chosen to God, to whom you cried with joy: you are equal to Christ the Father and the Spirit. Emperor Constantine the Great about 306 to 337 Probus or Probus reigned from 276 to 282. St. Titus occupied the Byzantine episcopal throne from 242 to 272. Dometius was bishop of Byzantium from 272 to 303. Prov served as a priest from 303 to 315. St. Mitrophan, the first Patriarch of Constantinople, occupied the throne of Constantinople from 315 to 325. Thrace was located at the eastern tip of the Balkan Peninsula and adjacent to the Black and Marmara seas. Currently it is eastern Rumelia, a Turkish province. The council took place in 325 and was convened to denounce the heresy of Arius, who taught that the Son of God is not consubstantial, but only co-essential with the Father and is a created Being, who, however, stood above other creatures. This council was attended by 318 bishops who came from various countries within the Roman Empire. Chorebishop is a rural bishop who was subordinate to the city bishop. Illyria is a province that embraces the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea with the areas beyond it. Now in place of this province are Albania, Dalmadia and Bosnia. After St. Mitrophan, the Patriarch of Constantinople was indeed Saint Alexander, and after him Saint. Paul, who occupied the patriarchal throne with some interruptions from 341 to 350. St. Alexander occupied the throne of Alexandria from 312 to 326. After St. Saint Athanasius, indeed, became Patriarch of Alexandria in 373. He suffered a lot of persecution from the Arians and Arianizing emperors. Several times he fled the city, fleeing to the West; sometimes he was expelled from Alexandria by the Arians. St. shared the same fate with him. Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople. You might be interested in: