Paul II the Black of Alexandria

Paul II
Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Church	Syriac Orthodox Church
See	Antioch
Installed	550
Term ended	575
Predecessor	Sergius of Tella
Successor	Peter III
Personal details
Born	Alexandria, Byzantine Empire
Died	581 Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

Paul II the Black of Alexandria (Syriac: Pawlows d-Beth Oukhomé) was the Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 550 to 575, when he was deposed.

Paul was born in Alexandria into the family of Ukama. He went on to become a monk at the Monastery of Gubba Baroya, near Mabbogh, where he was educated in Greek and Syriac literature. Paul later became a secretary to the Patriarch Theodosius I of Alexandria and abbot of a convent in Alexandria.

In 546, after the death of Sergius of Tella, Paul was sent by Theodosius to the East to restore unity to the monophysite community after the disruption caused by his predecessor, who had adhered to Tritheism before dying. In 550 Paul was consecrated as Patriarch of Antioch by Jacob Baradaeus, apparently against his will because he had wanted to succeed Theodosius as patriarch of Alexandria. After the death of Theodosius in 567, Paul even attempted to buy the patriarchal seat.

During his reign as patriarch, Paul participated in a debate between John III Scholasticus and the bishops Conan of Tarsus and Eugene of Seleucia on Tritheism in Constantinople, in 570. The following year, Paul and three other Syriac Orthodox bishops were summoned to Constantinople, allegedly to restore unity to the imperial church, but remaining stalwart in the adherence to their own creed, were thrown into prison and tortured until they accepted the communion of John Scholasticus. In 572, Paul escaped the capital and took refuge with al-Mundhir in Arabia.

...
Wikipedia