Saint Anatolius | |
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Icon of Patriarch Anatolius of Constantinople
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Bishop and Confessor; Patriarch of Constantinople | |
Born | 4th century AD Alexandria, Egypt |
Died | July 3, 458 Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church; Roman Catholic Church |
Feast | July 3 |
Attributes | Vested as a Bishop with omophorion, holding a Gospel Book |
Saint Anatolius was Patriarch of Constantinople (449 – July 3, 458).
Anatolius was born at Alexandria. He was ordained a deacon by St. Cyril of Alexandria. He was present at the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in the year 431.
He became Patriarch through the influence of Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria with Emperor Theodosius II, after the deposition of Flavian by the Second Council of Ephesus, having previously been the apocrisiarius or representative of Dioscorus with the emperor at Constantinople. After his consecration, being under suspicion of Eutychianism (Leo, Epp. ad. Theod. 33 ad Pulch. 35), Anatolius publicly condemned the teachings not only of Eutyches, but also those of Nestorius, subscribing to the letters of Cyril against Nestorius and of Pope Leo I against Eutyches (Leo, Epp. 40, 41, 48).
In conjunction with Pope Leo, according to Zonaras (Annals iii), he requested that the Emperor Marcian summon a general council against Dioscorus and the Eutychians, but the Imperial letter instructing Anatolius in the preparations for the Council of Chalcedon only mentions Pope Leo (Philippe Labbe, Conc. Max. Tom. iv.). In this council Anatolius presided in conjunction with the Roman legates (Labbe, Conc. Max. iv.; Evagr. H. E. ii. 4, 18; Niceph. H. E. xv. 18). By the famous 28th canon, passed at the conclusion of the council, Constantinople was made equal in dignity with Rome (Labbe, iv. 796; Evagr. ii. 18). Hence arose the controversy between Anatolius and the Roman pontiff. Leo complained to Marcian (Ep. 54) and to Pulcheria (Ep. 55) that Anatolius had outstepped his jurisdiction by consecrating Maximinus II as Patriarch of Antioch, as well as protesting to Anatolius (Ep. 53).