LIFE AND ACTIVITIES OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Notes from the Synaxarion of Symeon Metaphrastes (10th century)

 

By

 

Fr. GEORGE DION DRAGAS, PhD, DD, DTh

Protopresbyter

 

On November 13 the Church celebrates the falling asleep of St. John Chrysostom, which was transferred from the 14th of September because of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross. This year 2007 marks the 1600th anniversary from the falling asleep of this great Father and Ecumenical Teacher of the Church (407-2007). This is why the whole year has been characterized as Chrysostomic. In the context of the many festal events which take place this year it has been determined that the parish magazine of the St. John the Baptist in Boston will include texts which refer to this holy Father. The Life and Activities of St. John Chrysostom of the great Byzantine author of the Synaxaria (Lives) of the Saints of the Church, Symeon Metaphrastes, is one of the fullest of its kind and this is why we present a summary of it on the pages of the “Forerunner” in order to remind our pious Orthodox readers of the basic biographical elements and also of the sufferings and glory as well as the spiritual legacy of this holy Father and Ecumenical Teacher of the Church [Note: the numbers in the text represent the chapters in Symeon’s synaxarian text]

 

PREAMBLE, BIRTH, UPRBRINGING, STUDIES AND ASCETIC LIFE

 

In the Preamble of this Life, Symeon stresses the general truth that the life of the saints is most beneficial for the Christians, because it constitutes an “entreaty towards virtue”. This, he says, is particularly applicable to the case of Saint John Chrysostom, because this saint spoke about what he experienced in his life.

 

1) Ancestry and first upbringing: Saint John Chrysostom descended from pagan, Greek, parents, who became Christians after his own baptism. His father was a higher officer in the Roman army and was called Secundos and his mother’s name was Anthousa. Our saint was baptized by Bishop Meletios of Antioch. He received his first nurture and education in Antioch. There he learned Greek grammar and received the first basic training. There also he studied rhetoric near the famous Sophist Libanios and philosophy near the philosopher Andragathios. In the meantime his father died untimely and he was brought up by his widowed mother.

 

2) A student at Athens: After his studies in Antioch he came to Athens for further studies in philosophy near the sophists and while there he had the opportunity to visit all over Greece. In Athens his first great accomplishment took place: his public debate with the famed sophist Anthemios, which ended with the latter’s conversion to the Christian faith. Such was his success that the Bishop of Athens sought to make him his successor.

 

3) Return to Antioch: To avoid ordination, John left Athens and returned to Antioch. On his arrival there, he chose the ascetic life along with his friend Basil who was also from Antioch. In this decision, however, he encountered his mother’s strong objection. She told him that she did not wish to become a widow twice! He could not defy his mother’s wish and so he obeyed her until her death. Then, he divided his paternal inheritance into three parts and donated it accordingly, a) to the poor, b) to the churches which lacked in basic liturgical equipment and c) to the public authorities (the land property, freeing the servants (slaves) who had been working in them).

 

4) Reader and Ascetic:  Following along, he became a Reader and an ascetic and began to study and to interpret the Divine Scriptures in a way that captured the attention of the crowds. His thought, however, was attached to the ascetic life. “He considered the desert most valuable than anything else,” as a hidden and priceless treasure, because there one could seek the presence of God without destruction. So, he followed the way of his sister who had become a nun. He abandoned the city and “self-willingly run into the life of Hesychasm,” i.e. he became a monk of his own decision. In the monastery he engaged in the study of the Bible and composed his first works: 1) the Orations on the Priesthood, where he explains what a priest should be and what the Christian priesthood is all about; 2) the treatise On Virginity, where he explains how the spiritual life transcends bodily passions; 3) the treatise To a Stageirite monk who was demonized and had epileptic fits, where he explains that the sufferings allowed by Lord in the lives of the faithful are due to some mystical or secret purpose which is to be revealed in the age to come; and 4) the Orations on Devotion, where he explains that if one experiences a spiritual fall, he could still get up and recover his health. Apart from these achievements his daily program included visitation to the sick.

 

5) His first miracles: Several miraculous events took place in the monastery of the saint. The spiritual master (geron) Hesychios, who was a fellow-ascetic, saw in a vision the Apostles John and Peter giving John a tome (of the Gospel) and the keys (of Apostolic authority) respectively! Then the following miracles followed: 6) the healing of an illustrious Antiochian who suffered from migraine; 7) the healing of a certain archon of Antioch named Archelaos who suffered from leprosy –an event that caused his conversion to Christianity and made many other archons to do the same; 8) the healing of Eucleos, who had lost his sight from the one eye and was restored by the intervention of the Saint; 9) the healing of a certain Antiochian woman called Christina who had a flow of blood for seven years and was delivered through the prayer of the Saint; and, finally, 10) the overpowering, by using the sign of the Cross, of a killer lion which had killed and devoured many Antiochian farmers.

 

THE FIRST PERIOD: DEACON AND PRESBYTER IN ANTIOCH

 

10) Chrysostom as an anchorite, his return to Antioch and his ordination to the diaconate: Having become a celebrated and notorious monk during these 4 years in his Monastery, he decided to escape elsewhere and to remain unimportant. He departed to the desert for two years until he became seriously sick because of his strict fasting and hardship. So, by divine providence he returned to Antioch where he was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Meletios and served the Church in this capacity for five years, preaching, teaching and visiting the sick.

 

11) Chrysostom’s ordination to the priesthood: When Meletios went to Constantinople for the Second Ecumenical Synod (in A.D. 381), then Chrysostom returned to his Monastery. There he was discovered by the new Patriarch of Antioch Flavian, who had succeeded Meletios, and who persuaded him to return to the city and to accept ordination to the priesthood. As the author of the synaxarion explains, Flavian did this because he was miraculously ordered by an angel! The divine calling of Chrysostom to the priesthood was also confirmed from another miracle which took place at the time of his ordination. An all-white dove came and sat on his head at the moment of his ordination – an event which was taken as an obvious symbol of the exceptional grace of the Holy Spirit which was granted to him.

 

12) His ministry as a presbyter: His ministry as a presbyter earned him the title “Chrysostom” (a clergyman of golden mouth), because of his amazing homilies and sermons which were based on the exegesis of the biblical texts. Parallel to this work of instruction he developed pastoral and social activities which comprised special care for the sick and the needy. This period of his ministry was also crowned by miracles. The following are mentioned: 13) the healing of the son of a certain woman of Antioch called Euclia, which occurred after his parents repented from their sins for which they were convicted by the Saint; 14) the healing of a woman of a heretical Marcionite archon of Antioch who suffered from long term dysentery – an event which led to the conversion of her husband to the Orthodox faith. Here also there is mention of an earthquake which occurred shortly afterwards and caused the destruction of the temple of the Marcionites, who reviled the Saint because he was instrumental in the conversion of their like-minded Archon. This earthquake also caused the conversion of all the Marcionites to the Orthodox faith. In turn, this event caused the conversion to Christianity of many other pagans who lived in the region of the Mount Ammanos and Casion.

 

15) Chrysostom at the Patriarchal Throne of Constantinople: The ministry of Chrysostom in Antioch came to an end with the death of Patriarch Nectarios of Constantinople. On that occasion Emperor Arcadios wrote to Flavian of Antioch and asked for John for the throne of the Church of the Royal City. John’s and the people’s reaction followed, but Flavian reassured them all of the good intensions of the emperor. 16) So, John came to Constantinople, where he was welcomed by the entire populace of the City. He was ordained on February 16 by Theophilos of Alexandria. That was the occasion when John preached his first sermon in the Royal City and offered the first taste of his greatness to the people. 17) That was also the time when he produced his first miracle there: the liberation of a demon possessed person who appeared in the middle of the great Church.

 

THE SECOND PERIOD: ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE

A)    HIS TRANSFORMATORY WORK

 

18) Chrysostom’s ministry in Constantinople: Chrysostom’s first pastoral activity was a transformatory work and its main target was human ethics. He spoke openly against cohabitations of women with unmarried men, against avarice and unjust accumulation of riches, against depravity, superciliousness, gossiping and vain talk, perjury and generally against any insulting attitude towards God. 19) Like a perfect plowman he sowed and cultivated with his words and behavior the virtues, almsgiving, magnanimity, sociability, generosity (which he demanded from the rich), humility (which he called “mother of virtues”), prudence, virginity, and above all, love (which he regarded as the “queen of the virtues”). His words were such that whoever heard him considered his soul as an exact copy of the Apostle Paul. 20) His work was also of a missionary character. His care extended to all sectors of public life and embraced all the churches, to the ends of the world – “He was like Paul, who was mindful of the well-being of all the churches.” Special mention is made to his work in Phoenicia, among the Celts (who were Arians), the Scythians, the Marcionites, etc. 21) His economic measures presented a special interest. He cut down on church expenses, i.e. on excessive and unnecessary expenditure and directed the available economic funds to works of philanthropy, to hospitals, to care for the widows, the aged, the poor and destitute and generally to works of mercy. As regards his personal input he did it all without reward. He never attended banquets. He never ate with anybody, but always on his own, because he was notoriously ascetic and wanted to remain impartial, not to serve at tables but at the ministry of the word of God and to engage in ceaseless prayer. He was above all an imitator of the Apostle Paul - “so great was in him the secret longing for Paul, that what Christ was for Paul that exactly and rather more was Christ to John according to Paul; because his love for Paul was such on account of his love for Christ”.

 

22) Chrysostom’s interpretation of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul: When Chrysostom occupied himself with the interpretation of the epistles of the Apostle Paul he was anxious lest his manner of interpretation did not do justice to the purpose of the Apostle. He prayed, therefore, for some kind of divine answer to be granted to him. This was granted through an incident which was quite miraculous. It happened that an archon working at the palace fell into disfavor rather unjustly and was dismissed by the king and expelled from the royal city. He sought, therefore, the help of the Saint, because he knew, as all people who were treated unjustly, that only through his interference would there be a chance for his restoration. The good shepherd told him to visit him at night in order to avoid being captured and he obeyed him. 23) When he arrived at the bishop’s quarters Proclos opened the door to him and went immediately to notify the Saint. He saw his master through the door crack, however, bending and working on the epistles of the Apostle Paul. He also saw another man, bold, thick-bearded and looking like the prophet Elijah, standing over his master’s shoulder and whispering something in his ear. He thought that this stranger had come from outside without being noticed and he was now speaking to the Saint. He returned, then, and asked the night visitor to wait. Some good hour had passed when Proclos went again to see what had transpired. He saw the Saint to be still in conversation with the unknown visitor. Meanwhile the dawn arrived and the bells rang for the Orthros (Morning Prayer). Therefore, Proclos asked the archon to depart and to come back the following night. This is indeed what happened. Nevertheless Proclos encountered again the same scene as at the night before. As was natural, the archon seemed to doubt the sincerity of Proclos, who emphatically reassured him that he had said the truth and asked the night visitor to be patient and to try once more on the following night. In turn he did as he was instructed, but again the bells rang and the Orthros started at the dawn of the new day! The visitor departed once again disheartened, without indicating any intension on his part to return on the following day at night. Proclos, on his part, was determined to take special measures this time; not to eat and not to sleep, but to keep vigil at the door so that no one else would any longer enter into the rooms of the Saint. The next night arrived and the archon returned to the bishop’s living quarters. Proclos reassured him that he was the first and only visitor and went to notify his master. Amazingly, however, he encountered the same scene. At that point he realized that the scene was not human but divine! He returned and explained the event to the night visitor, who departed again with great sadness. Later on the Saint called Proclos and asked him whether any visitor had come to see him because he expected him for days. Proclos gave him his explanations. The Saint was puzzled and asked what his interlocutor looked like. He in turned showed him the icon of the Apostle Paul which was on the wall opposite him. It was he! St. John understood immediately the meaning of this miracle. It was the divine answer to his question which he expected. He took courage, then, and brought to completion his interpretation of all the epistles of the Apostle Paul. Meantime the archon returned again and with the holy shepherd’s interference was restored to his position by the king.

 

24) The rigorous pastoral ministry of the Saint and what its cost was! The Saint did not cease to preach and to censure strongly clergy and lay people in his meetings. He censured them for their life style and behavior, because his zeal for the Church and its holiness was like a fire which burned inside him. So the lenient and gentlest pastor appeared to the senseless citizens to be hard and to be a person that had to be cast-off. To this resentment others were added. 25) Eutropios the Prime Minister, who had been previously a warm supporter of Chrysostom, had suddenly become his opponent. He agreed with the state authorities, against the opinion of the hierarch, that the church asylum should be abolished, because it was taken up by many unjustly-treated people who turned to the holy shepherd for solidarity and help. Eutropios did not know, as the author of the synaxarion says, that he was sharpening the knife against himself! When later on he found himself in need of the church he found the way closed. Who was there, however, to help him? The saintly shepherd! And so it became manifest how merciful, accommodating and philanthropic the holy Chrysostom was. 26) Another case is that of the Arian heretics of the City. How the Saint got them out of the City and how their case was adjusted thanks to the intervention of the Saint. 27) In the meantime the Saint continued uninterruptedly his scathing homilies, the authenticity of which was sealed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the manifestation (in the Anaphora) of the Holy Spirit (!), as many martyrs said. 28) The authority of the holy shepherd is stressed in another remarkable story which is mentioned as an example by the author of the synaxarion. The saint had been instrumental in the conversion of a Macedonian heretic who did not believe in the divinity of the Holy Spirit. His wife, however, who had not accepted the orthodox faith, tried to prove to her husband that there was no difference between the Orthodox and the heretical Macedonian celebration of the holy Eucharist. She came to the Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox with her husband, pretending that she had accepted the Orthodox faith and the holy Chrysostom offered “the divine bread” she hid it and replaced it with another which had been consecrated by the Macedonians. When she put it in her mouth, however, then she found out that her bread was transformed into a stone! 29) Another case mentioned by the author of the synaxarion is that of the Goth (mercenary) general Gainas who was an Arian heretic and put forward claims for church rights of the Arian soldiers who served in the Roman army of Byzantium. The Saint confronted him with boldness and he was completely dumbfounded. 30) Finally, the strict pastoral policy of holy Chrysostom is seen in his care for the canonical order which he defended and applied even beyond the boundaries of the royal city. The case of the deposition of Antoninos of Ephesos and of a number of Asiatic bishops who had been ordained by him is characteristic. The elevation of Antoninos on the episcopal throne of Ephesos and his entire pastoral activity were not only simoniac but also tyrannical, as bishop Theophilos of Valentioupolis showed by means of seven grave accusations. Chrysostom went ad loc and restored the canonical order –a necessary act which, however, was to cost him dearly later when the crisis in the Church and the persecution against him broke out. 31) After his return to his cathedra Chrysostom continued his work without wavering, protecting the widows, caring for the orphans, helping the victims of unjust treatment, guiding everyone to virtue, i.e. to caring for the soul, and preaching daily the divine word which flowed like running from a rich and fresh source.

B) REACTION TO THE TRANSFORMATORY POLICY: CHURCH CRISIS

31) The Crisis in the Church: The cost of Chrysostom’s consistent and upright ministry began to take greater dimensions with the outbreak of a crisis in the church which is characterized by the author of the synaxarion as a wild whirlwind. What was the cause? It was “the passion of avarice” which the Saint opposed and denounced as “the most evil and most difficult to eliminate of all passions.” The grandiose slaves to this passion were those who started the war and created the crisis. First of all was “Eudoxia, the first lover of riches,” although the Saint never referred to her in person when he generally denounced avarice. Yet, whenever she heard his words she took them personally. How, then, did the war against the saintly pastor begin?

31) (continued) The confrontation of queen Eudoxia with St. John Chrysostom: The beginning of the confrontation was the case of the Patrician Theoderichos whose property queen Eudoxia tried to sequestrate and appropriate for herself. She asked him to lend her money for social (humanitarian) purposes. He refused and under the pressures of the queen he turned to the man of God. The Saint saved the Patrician with his intervention and he in turn donated his wealth to the Church. Then, Eudoxia interfered and accused the Saint that he was avaricious. The Saint answered her that the donation of the Patrician was not given to him but to Christ. Him you will make sad and yourself you will hurt if you oppose this donation, he said. “This is the first seed of the antipathy and repugnance of Eudoxia towards Chrysostom,” says the author of the synaxarion. 32) Another case of confrontation is related to a certain widow Kallitrope who resided in Alexandria and fell victim to the Augustalian (Roman Governor) Paulacios. She took him to court in the royal city and he turned the trial to her detriment. The Kallitrope turned to the Queen for help, who used the occasion to acquire money –“This is what that avaricious and inhibited woman did, because she lived for gold, saw gold, breathed gold and thought about gold day and night.” The last option for the heartbroken widow was “the common haven,” the saintly Chrysostom, to whom she turned. The holy shepherd asked Eudoxia to return to the widow what she owed her. Eudoxia warns him not to get involved in this case. He insisted, and then, she sent two centurions to arrest him. They hastened to carry out the order, but on the way they saw an Archangel who warned them that he protected the Saint! Eudoxia had no other option left to her. She yielded, but she used another means. She sent Frumentios to try to change the Saint’s mind. He remained unmoved and so the widow got back what was owed to her. 33) The Queen resumed the attack. She sent a message to the Saint to confine himself to his ecclesiastical duties and not to get involved in politics. He responded that he did not meddle in such affairs, but simply censured injustice, denounced it and interceded for the victims, because such is the role of a bishop. A Bishop is obliged to teach against the passions, such as avarice, and to defend what is just. Eudoxia decided to exterminate the Saint. How? She rallied against him clergy and laity, courtiers and women. The most fervent companions in this fight were the Patriarch Theophilos of Alexandria and the Antiochian Bishops Acacios of Berroia, Antiochos of Ptolemais, and Severianos of Gabala. There were also two presbyters and five deacons. In other words, the Queen used a gang and instigated a conspiracy.

34) The negative role of Theophilos of Alexandria: The confrontation of Theophilos and Chrysostom had deep roots, which the author of the synaxarion tries to uncover. It all began with Theophilos’ dispute with two of his most worthy priests, Peter and Isidore. Theophilos accused the first that he offered communion to a Manichean (heretical) woman. Peter maintained that this woman had been converted to Orthodoxy and brought forth as his witness the priest Isidore who had been ordained by the Great Athanasios. Theophilos defrocked Peter without reason and sought an opportunity to punish Isidore. The pretext was provided when Isidore was given 1000 gold coins for philanthropic purposes by Theodote, the sister of the second Commander Theodore, with the request that he tells nothing of this to Theophilos who would use such money for his building projects. When Theophilos heard of this, he planned to punish Isidore. He accused him in writing at a clergy gathering, that he had fallen into the lewdness of sodomy. Isidore, who was about 80 years old, asked for a witness who would testify to the accusation. Theophilos had paid 15 gold coins to a young person to bear false witness by using his sister. The young man said all this to his mother and his mother to Isidore. Isidore took refuge at the altar, but Theophilos expelled him. So, he left his parish and returned to his monastery in Nitria where he had been before as a younger person. Isidore, however, would not find rest even there, because he would be pursued there (as the author of the synaxarion says) by Theophilos, or rather by the enemy of all human beings (the devil) through him (Theophilos). How did this happen? The occasion was provided by a certain issue which had arisen among the monasteries of Egypt at that time.

35) Origenism and anthropomorphism: This issue had to do with the question how far could one accept the anthropomorphous theology of the Old Testament, i.e. whether God had a human form or not. Theophilos had denounced the followers of anthropomorphism, namely, the simple minded (illiterate) monks who said that God had a bodily human face. When they learned the position of Theophilos these monks decided to dethrone him. He, in turn, tried to befool them by means of word-playing and by assuring them that this is how he too saw God in his mind. In this way he averted their anger. They then asked him to denounce Origen explicitly. Nevertheless, he vacillated, speaking sometimes in this and sometimes in that way, whereas as a bishop he was obliged to teach that God is incorporeal and his only bodily form is the incarnation of his Logos. God, in other words, becomes visible only through the means of the humanity of Christ, but not in his Godhead.

36) The Tall (aged) Brothers: The four distinguished monks known as the Tall Brothers, Dioscoros, Ammonios, Eusebios and Euthymios, had a perfect relation with Theophilos, who respected them deeply and regarded them as the core of his eyes and his closest collaborators in Alexandria, when he was still “theophilos,” i.e. a friend of God. When, however, he became a friend of silver and gold things changed and the Tall Brothers returned to their monastery. 37) Theophilos accused them falsely of anthropomorphism, saying that they were Origenists, i.e. they believed that “the Godhead was incorporeal.” They came to Alexandria to defend themselves, but Theophilos condemned them and expelled them –“he anathematized and denounced both them and the divine Isidore.” Then he ordained certain weaklings and used them against the Tall Brothers having placed libelous documents in their hands which he himself had composed. 38) So on that basis Theophilos asked the Roman Augustalian (Governor) of Alexandria to exile these holy men as upholders of evil doctrines. The follow up to this was the persecution of these monks and the destruction of their monastery. They managed to escape the persecution because they hid in the well of their monastery. Subsequently these saints came to Alexandria almost naked. The people saw them and engaged in vandalism, demanding the extradition and trial of Theophilos. He hid himself from fear for the wrath of the people. The interference of the archon saved the holy fathers. They, however, departed for Jerusalem where they sought the support of Patriarch Silvanos of Jerusalem. Theophilos learned of this and wrote immediately to Silvanos asking him not to receive them without his own condescension, neither ecclesiastically or privately. This led the Tall Brothers to the decision to continue their journey from Jerusalem to Constantinople and to seek their justification there. On arrival there they visited “the sweet and merciful pastor” and told him of all their sufferings. On being informed the Saint allows them to stay at the church of St, Anastasia, but without partaking of the immaculate sacrament before an ecclesiastical decision was officially issued regarding their case.

 

40) Chrysostom, the Tall Brothers and Theophilos: Chrysostom wrote to Theophilos asking him to forgive the Brothers. Theophilos not only ignored Chrysostom’s plea, but wrote to the Emperor accusing the Tall Brothers and sending libelous documents which he had concocted against them. The monks in their turn submitted their own letters to the Saint, whereupon he wrote again to Theophilos who was enraged on account of this against him. He takes him to task by means of an acrimonious letter arguing that he has no right to judge beyond his jurisdiction, trespassing the canons of the Synod of Nicaea (325) and interfering in the affairs of his own church. This attitude forced the Tall Brothers to write memos to the Emperor concerning their case. The Emperor wrote to the Archon of Alexandria asking him to send Theophilos to Constantinople. He also wrote to Innocent of Rome to send representatives who would consider the conflict between Theophilos and the monks of Nitria. The calumniators confess to the authorities that these events were instigated by Theophilos. He, in turn, to avoid imprisonment, returns to the same device. He bribes the archons. He also spreads rumors that John offered communion to Brother Dioscoros. So he goes to Constantinople not in order to be judged but in order to judge others, He goes with many bishops and persuades Epiphanios of Cyprus to write to John to keep away from Origen’s books. The Saint foresees the intrigues but thrusts himself to the Lord.

 

41) Chrysostom and Eudoxia: the vineyard of the widow of Theognostos: Theognostos was an archon who was falsely accused before the Emperor and therefore had his property sequestrated. He was expelled to Thessalonica, but died on the way there. His widow addressed her problem to the Great Shepherd. The Great one, in his turn, took care of her offering her hospitality in the Church’s hostel. Eudoxia, however, challenged her and implicated her in a new misfortune. She tried to take away her vineyard. The Saint interfered in favor of the widow. Eudoxia arraigned him that he ignored the laws. He visited the queen and told her to her face not to imitate Ahab’s wife. She became deranged against him and went on with the confiscation of the vineyard of the widow without any compensation. Then the Great Shepherd instructed the doorkeepers of the church to refuse entry to the queen. 42) Later on, on the feast of the exaltation of the precious Cross throngs of people turned up at the church. Among them was also the queen, but the doorkeepers did not allow her to enter according to the instructions of the Great Shepherd. Eudoxia protested that this was an “insult.” One of the queen’s guards attempted to hit the door with his sword and his right hand was paralyzed. Then Eudoxia withdrew to her rooms. The guard with the paralyzed hand turned to the Great Shepherd and expressed his repentance. He was sent by the Saint to go and wash his hand and when he did so he was healed.

 

42) Epiphanios of Cyprus and Chrysostom: According to the author of the synaxarion, Epiphanios came to Constantinople much earlier than Theophilos. He came with his anti-Origenistic writings. He did not seek to meet Chrysostom because he was (ill) informed about his position regarding Origenism. He went all over the Royal City, he ordained a deacon, and refused the hospitality of Chrysostom who invited him. The man of God reminded him that according to the ecclesiastical custom he had to stay with him. He responded that he was prepared to do so only if he would condemn Origenism. The Great one informed him that the issue of Origenism had to be investigated with sobriety and not with impertinence. In the meantime Eudoxia was informed about this disagreement between the two hierarchs and invited Epiphanios to summon a synod against the arrogant Chrysostom who was the upholder of an anti-ecclesiastical doctrine. Indeed she sent him the following message: “To you I grant the authority over all the churches and demand that a synod should be summoned against him, to remove him from his throne as it is right.” With these words she expressed her great anger. The answer of Epiphanios was devastating: “My child, whether John is accused of heresy and does not come if summoned, or, on the contrary, whether he comes and shows that he is clear from this heresy, or again whether he repents for this heresy, I cannot condemn him, because the royalty cannot judge the priesthood. In addition, the royals ought to be forgiving.” The Eudoxia was in such great sorrow that she uttered something quite irrational and dangerous: “If John is not condemned for his haughtiness then I will order the temples of the idols to be reopened and paganism to be restored.” At this point the question of the author of the synaxarion is obvious: “What more did Herodias do when she believed in the death of that other John?” The difference, of course, between them had to do with their passions. Herodias had the passion of debauchery, and Eudoxia, the passion of avarice. Both of them refused to be examined and sought to be absolved. Meantime Epiphanios realized how unacceptable the whole affair was and, stating that “he had absolutely no place in this conflict,” departed for his cathedra. According to the author of the synaxarion, the story that he supported the condemnation of Chrysostom is rather false. Chrysostom too did not know any of this. It was perhaps a matter of divine economy, so that the patristic authority and sanctity of both Chrysostom and Epiphanios might be shown, if it is true that they wished each other not to return to their throne alive – as it actually happened. Both died outside their jurisdiction and, whether this was a divine economy or not, it reveals that both of them were saints and so their wish was fulfilled; or perhaps the whole affair is a bad rumor which never happened.

 

44) Theophilos in Constantinople: A little later Theophilos came to Constantinople with many bishops at the invitation of Eudoxia. A multitude of evil people gathered who wanted the dethronement of the wise shepherd. Who were they? They were certain sinful and guilty souls, who had been proven unworthy for the priesthood by the upright verdict of the saintly John. They met secretly with Eudoxia, exchanged gifts and conspired against the Saint. They stained their souls with the blood of an innocent, without stretching their hands on him and without the King Arcadios taking notice of their designs. They found the pretext they were looking for, although there was no truth in it. The Great Shepherd was in church, preaching about the priests of shame who ate at the table of Jezebel, as Elijah says in the book of the Kings (III, 18:1ff). Theophilos and his gang took these words to the King, alleging that they had been said with reference to themselves and to the Queen. The King was sad in hearing this and so he yielded to the request of the condemnation of the Saint which had been submitted to him. A Synod was designed for the opponents. Two deacons who had been defrocked by the Saint, one for fornication and another for murder, are restored to their office and submit false libelous statements which vilify the Patriarch.

 

THE THIRD PERIOD: CHRYSOSTOM‘S FIRST AND SECOND EXILE

 

45) The pseudo-Synod of the Oak and Chrysostom’s first exile: A gathering took place at the Oak (403) in the field of Rufinus near Chalcedon, where Theophilos and the Antiochian Bishops Severianos, Acacios and Antiochos were present. Chrysostom had 40 Bishops on his side who wondered how it happened that Theophilos, who had been called to the Royal City to be judged, had managed to dissuade the archons and to appear as the judge of others. Chrysostom told them not to be faint-hearted because one enters into the kingdom of heaven after many tribulations. He also told them that no one should abandon the Church for his sake. He only wanted them to remember him in their prayers. He also asked of them not to break communion, because this would create a schism, but simply not to sign his deposition, because he had not committed any crime. Then the call came to him summoning him to appear before the synod in order to defend himself against the libelous statements which had been submitted against him. They addressed him simply as John and not as Archbishop of Constantinople. Chrysostom sent a delegation of three bishops and two presbyters (as his letter to Pope Innocent says), stressing that he did not try to avoid the judgment but the declared enemy and obvious opponent, and that it was not canonical for one from Egypt to judge bishops who were in Thrace. Theophilos, however, continued his anti-canonical procedure against him. He ill-treated the delegates of Chrysostom, without respecting their clerical identity. He then informed the King that since Chrysostom refused to come to the Synod and to answer to the serious accusations which had been expressed against him, he was deposed according to the sacred canons and consequently the state must expel him from the Royal City. When the people heard this, they rose up with protests to the King in support of Chrysostom and against Theophilos. The Saint, however, as he wrote to Innocent, accepted his forced expulsion from the City late at night so that greater evil among the people might be prevented; but he first stated that he requested the summoning of a canonical synod which would examine the absurdities which had been committed. They disembarked him on the opposite side of the Propontis, in Prainetos. Meantime Theophilos writes to Innocent to inform him about the deposition. He also condemned Heraklides of Ephesos (who had replaced the simoniac Antoninos) without calling him to defend himself, and he caused a series of other absurdities and disturbances. The people then of the Royal City are up in arms against the perpetrator of the deposition of the Saint, who departs secretly for Egypt in order to avoid the persecution. At the same time Theophilos is reconciled with the Tall Brothers and accepts the books of Origen which he had previously rejected.

 

46) Chrysostom’s return from his first exile: One night after these things had come to pass a powerful earthquake occurred in the Royal City, which caused serious damages in the royal bedrooms. The people saw this as a God-given sign and cried for the return of the holy shepherd to the city. This is exactly what the King did. He recalled John Chrysostom to his throne. The people learned of this on the 13th of November and came out on the streets of Constantinople. It was a sea of people and its breakers were the hymns of praise which were directed to the God of all goodness. They expressed their sadness because they had been deprived of his presence and their extreme pleasure because he returned to them. The Saint arrived outside the City, but did not come in. He wanted to be assured that the King would summon a canonical synod which would decide synodally about his position. Finally, however, he gave in to the entreaties of the people and the archons and entered the City taking up again his throne. Then, the Church, says the author of the synaxarion, received again its bridegroom, its mourning ended; it bloomed again because it was watered by the rivers of his inspired words. Nevertheless, the envy did not cease, but gained greater strength to the point that it managed to expel the Shepherd from his flock once more! But how did all this happen?

 

47) Chrysostom’s second exile (404): The occasion was provided when the Queen placed a silver column of her likeness near the sanctuary of the church of St. Sophia, which naturally incurred a variety of social activities (public festivities). The Saint denounced this act as an insult, because the songs of the social activities constituted an open contradiction to the praises sung in the church services. Eudoxia was personally insulted by these statements of the Shepherd. And as a result, “a synod was immediately summoned once again and royal letters were sent out for this cause, recalling the bishops who had gathered before and also new ones, although no obvious grounds were specified.” They wrote to Theophilos, the Libyan beast, as the author of the synaxarion calls him. He, however, did not respond in a straight manner. He sent three bishops, arming them with the canon which had been used by the Arians against St. Athanasios. “If any bishop or presbyter, justly or unjustly deposed, returns to the Church on his own initiative without a synodal decision he has no longer the right to defend himself” (Synod of the Encaenia of Antioch). The order of Theophilos was that Chrysostom should be expelled by the King on the basis of this canon, without having the right to defend himself. So the bishops gathered together in the presence of the King, those against (the three) and those supporting the Saint (about 10) and disagreed concerning this canon. Finally, however, they agreed it could be applied to the case of John because he had not been deposed by a synod but expelled by the state authorities and not by a synod. 48) When the Pascha of 404 drew near the king was persuaded that the canon was applicable in the case of John. So, he asked him to depart as one who was condemned by two synods. He bravely refused to accept this decision, appealing to his divine calling. “I was entrusted the Church by God the Savior and I dread to depart from it of my own accord.” They allowed him to remain in the episcopal edifice, but not to take part in the liturgies. When the Pascha arrived the King asked the opinion of the group of Acacios and Antiochos about what was to be done. His blood on us, they said. “So, they vote against the just man in his absence, without reason and without a chance of defense.” What happened afterwards, on the Great Saturday, is narrated by the Great Shepherd himself in his letter to Pope Innocent. Lucius with his armed men forced the people out of the church incurring on them grave injuries. There was bloodshed. And so the people came out of the city with the Johannite clergy who did the liturgy in the woods. This went on until Pentecost, when the enemies of the Great Shepherd became infuriated. They persuaded the King to expel Chrysostom by force. The announcement of the royal decision was sent out and the Great one gathered his bishops and gave them his last will and testament. While this was happening he was notified that Lucius with his armed men was approaching. The Bishops asked Chrysostom to leave in order to prevent a bloody clash between his people and the soldiers. He bided them good-bye and promised to depart. 49) Then he bid good-bye to his close assistant Olympias, whose amazing profile is at this point outlined by the author of the synaxarion. She was for the Saint what Thecla was for the Apostle Paul. Along with Olympias there were some other deaconesses, Procle, Pentadia, and Silvane, who received the final orders and admonition of the saintly shepherd. Then, he departed secretly from the eastern gate, because the people had gathered waited for him on the western side. The people heard of this and they reacted differently, some with disappointment and sadness and others with joy. 50) At this point something terrible took place. A fire started at the episcopal throne inside the great church and looked as if “no hand had ignited it.” It was a divine sign which reminded everyone of the earthquake of the first expulsion of the Saint. The patriarchal church was entirely destroyed and this included the buildings all around apart from the little house (the treasury) where the sacred vessels were kept. This happened, says the author of the synaxarion, not for the preservation of the gold, but for the protection of the Saint against further accusations. Nevertheless, this fire was attributed to the Saint’s followers, the Johannites.

51) The events that followed the second exile: So the great man of God was led by the soldiers to Cucusos of Armenia, where he arrived after 70 days of exhausting hardships. The author of the synaxarion describes his martyrdom by citing extracts from the letters of the saint which he wrote on the way (letters 118, 120, 121, 234, and 221 in its entirety). 52) At Cucusos he was welcomed by bishop Adelphios of Arabissos in whose place there were many pagans. A young boy who had been paralyzed was brought to him to be healed. The Saint spoke to him about the true God and guided him to the true faith. The youth believed, the Saint prayed and the Lord granted the healing. This event was followed by a massive conversion to the Christian faith of the people of the region who were baptized by the Saint, and the ordination of seven bishops and several presbyters and deacons, following the organization of the local church, the catechism and the liturgical provisions. 53) Meantime Chrysostom’s trials included the trials of his followers and disciples, the so-called Johannites. The author of the synaxarion supplies details about the participation of the collaborators of the Great Shepherd in his sufferings. These sufferings resulted from the attitude and policies of John’s successors at the throne of Constantinople, which are described in this chapter. 54) The first successor was Arsacios, who was over 80 in age when he was ordained and served as patriarch only for 14 months. 55) The next patriarch was Atticos, who committed many atrocities. He expelled Heraclides of Ephesos, who had replaced Antoninos, and put in his place a tribune eunuch. He chased the Johannites and endorsed the illegal capturing of the throne of Antioch by the insolent and malicious Porphyrios, who was ordained by the declared enemies of Chrysostom, Antiochos, Severianos and Acacios, and who as patriarch committed unheard-of deviations. 56) Under such circumstances, the bishops of the Johannites turned to King Honorios of the West and to Pope Innocent of Rome. They sent three letters, one signed by the laity, another by the clergy and a third one signed by forty bishops. They arraigned that “the second expulsion of John was wrongly and unconstitutionally ordered,” and demanded the recalling of the Saint and the summoning of a synod in Thessalonica. The West sent, in response, a delegation of bishops with letters and memos in support of Chrysostom and of the petitions of the Johannites. This delegation included the Johannite bishops Kyriakos, Demetrios, Palladios and Eulysios. 57) Unfortunately however, they were captured in Greece by the armed forces at the command of the cunning Eudoxia and were led captives to a fortress in Thrace (in Athyra). They questioned them and confiscated the letters and the gifts they carried for the King Arcadios. At the same time they were offered 300 golden coins in order to recognize and communicate with Atticos. Their refusal to compromise ended in torture. Meantime others make their appearance pretending to be Johannites and recognize Atticos in order to take the 300 golden coins. Finally, after many tribulations and four months later the Western delegation was able to return to Rome and to report the unprecedented ordeal to which they were subjected by the enemies of Chrysostom.

58) The last events of St. John Chrysostom’s exile: At Cucusos Chrysostom continued his pastoral activities on the side of Adelphios. He preached, taught, celebrated, wrote letters (including the most famous to Olympias). He recommended patience, and explained that there is no sad trial which is as terrible as sin. The trials, then, which one is called to undergo –and here he describes his own with great vividness– are temporary and lead to perfection with greater speed. This attitude irritated his enemies and filled them with such envy that they decided to destroy him. They sent him by a new order to Arabissos where he is confronted with new accusations, contradictions and hardships. He remained unbeatable in his attachment to the truth and continued the work of pastoral care for those faithful who gather around him. The envy of his enemies, however, pushes them to send him to a new place of exile, the deserted place of Pitious, in the borders of the Roman dominion, where constant invasions occurred on the part of the neighboring barbarians. 59) As he moved to this new trial it became obvious that the end of his life had drawn near. A few days earlier he had seen in a vision the Apostles Peter and John visiting him again and assuring him that the final victory against the demons was at hand. They gave him something to eat and indicated to him that if he ate it he would not need to take anything else. He obeyed and ate it, without however explaining anything about this incident, which came to be known to the extent that it was heard by the two deacons who followed him to the end and who delivered many other incidents of his life during that period. The journey on foot continued without mercy under the hardest weather conditions. 60) Pitious was the final destination, but he never reached it –according to the wish of Epiphanios, as the author of the synaxarion observes! They reached Komana and made a stop at the place of martyrdom of St. Basiliscos who had been martyred there at the time of Maximianos. At night the holy martyr Basiliscos appeared to Chrysostom and told him that on the following day they would be together –“take courage my brother, shine and rejoice, for tomorrow will join us together!” He also appeared to the verger asking him to prepare a place for Chrysostom’s burial. The next day the guards forced him to continue the journey to Pitious. He is resentful because of the vision. Finally, however, the weather and the seduction of the guards on account of an omen made them return to Komana, to the place of Basiliscos. Here he celebrated the Divine Liturgy, he communicated, he distributed his possessions to his disciples and to the faithful who were present, even his sandals, he said his last prayer –“Glory to God on account of everything”– made the sign of the cross, stretched his apostolic feet on the earth and departed for the blessed journey which would lead him to see Christ and to be with Christ, rejoicing eternally in the beauty of his person. This migration and translation of the holy father occurred on the day of the exaltation of the precious Cross, the 14th of September in the year 407 –an event which signified that the saint had been fully crucified to the world, that he had no other boast except the cross of Christ and that he left behind him the dust of the world below in order to enter pure in the heavenly city. 61) On that occasion it also became indisputably obvious how the longing of the people for the Saint. As the news of his departure run out to every place, so the crowds of monks run from Syria, Cilicia, Pontos and Armenia to venerate his blessed body which was placed beside that of the holy martyr Basiliscos “to the glory of God, for which he always accomplished all things.”

The martyrdom of St. John Chrysostom shook the entire Church throughout the world. His disciples, who included a multitude of bishops, priests, monks and faithful, did not recognize his successors. The schism of the Johannites, as they called it, was adopted by the churches of the West and of Old Rome. The lifting of this schism was partially achieved when the name of St. John Chrysostom was restored to the diptychs of the patriarchates –of Antioch (413), of Constantinople and Alexandria (417) –and finally, at the transference of his relics to Constantinople by Patriarch Proclos, his former disciple.