Saint Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople

However, Eusebius, one of the principal leaders of the Arians, who, against the provision of the Canons, had been transferred from the see of Berytus to that of Nicomedia, resolved to have himself elevated further to that of Constantinople. He renewed against Paul the accusations of Macedonius, had him deposed in a council composed of Arian bishops or c ourtiers Constance Roman emperor who exiled Eusebius for his opposition to Arianism. of the emperor Constantius, a supporter of Arianism, and obtained being placed on the see of the new Rome in 340. Paul, seeing himself useless to his flock because of the influence of the Arians, whom the emperor Constantius pro tected, Constant Roman Emperor of the West, protector of Saint Paul. withdrew to the West, where Constans reigned. He was received with great marks of respect by both the prince and Saint Maximin of Trier. Having stayed for some time in that city, he went to Rome, where he found Saint Athanasius. There, he attende pape Jules Pope who supported Paul and Athanasius against the Arians. d the council that Pope Julius held in 341. The Fathers of this council assembled in the church where Viton was accustomed to instruct the people and of which, consequently, he was the priest.

In the synod of which we have just spoken, it was decided that Saint Athanasius, Saint Paul, and Marcellus of Ancyra would be restored to their respective sees. Pope Julius, by virtue of the authority he held in the Church, sent them back with a circular letter addressed to the Eastern bishops, which has been preserved for us by Saint Athanasius. Julius disapproved of the conduct of the Arians, especially in that they had dared to judge the bishops of the principal sees that the Apostles had governed, without having previously written to him, as was the ordinary practice; and he ordered the restoration of the three prelates.

Saint Paul, having returned to Constantinople, could not recover his see until after the death of Eusebius, which occurred in 342. As much as his restoration was pleasing to the Catholics, it was displeasing to the Arians. This is why the latter, who had Theognis of Nicaea and Theodore of Heraclea at their head, chose Macedonius as their bishop. This action was followed by a violent sedition. The whole city ran to arms, and several people lost their lives there.

Constantius, who was at that time in Antioch, flew into a rage when he heard this news. He ordered Hermogenes, general of his troops, who was going to Thrace, to pass through Constantinople and drive out the holy bishop. Hermogenes found the city in a strange state of confusion, and the efforts he made to execute the commission with which he was charged only resulted in increasing the unrest and costing him his life. This outrage, committed against the emperor in the person of one of his officers, prompted him to come to Constantinople himself, even though it was the middle of winter; but he allowed himself to be swayed by the prayers of the senate, which was soliciting mercy for the people; however, he took his revenge on Paul by banishing him, even though he refused to confirm the election of Macedonius, because he had been involved in the sedition.

It is not known precisely where the Saint was exiled; it appears that he withdrew once again to Trier. We find him again in Constantinople, where, in 344, he had come with letters of recommendation from the Emperor of the West. Constantius only consented to his reinstatement because he feared bringing the arms of his brother upon himself.

Paul's situation was no more tranquil than before; and the Arians, still in favor, continued to cause him a thousand troubles. He expected some help from the council that was held in Sardica in 347; but things did not change for that reason. The Eusebians, having assembled at Philippopolis, pronounced a sentence of excommunication against Saint Paul and Saint Athanasius, Pope Julius, and several other bishops who, like so many pillars, supported the Catholic faith. The mistreatment suffered by the orthodox increased even more after the death of Constans, which occurred in 350.

Constantius, having nothing more to fear from his brother, declared himself more openly than ever in favor of the heretics. Animated by their discourse, he sent from Antioch, where he was then, an order to Philip, the praetorian prefect, to drive Paul from the Church and the city of Constantinople, and to put Macedonius in his place. The prefect was sold to the Arian party; but he dared not use violence, for fear that the people, filled with affection for their pastor, might revolt; he therefore had it said secretly to Paul to come and meet him at one of the city's baths where he was waiting for him. This was the place he chose to show him the prince's order. The Saint submitted without the slightest resistance, despite the irregularity of his condemnation. However, the people, who suspected some evil design, had gathered at the door of the bath; Philip, to avoid a sedition, had the prelate pass through a door that was on the opposite side, and sent him under guard to the palace, which was not far away. Paul was taken to Thessalonica, without, however, being assigned a place of exile. Thus, he at first had the freedom to remain where he wished: but his enemies soon accused themselves of too much indulgence; they had him loaded with chains and sent to Singara, in Mesopotamia; from there, he was transported to Eme sa, in Cucuse Place of exile and martyrdom of the saint in the Taurus Mountains. Syria, then to Cucusus, a small town situated in the deserts of Mount Taurus, on the borders of Cappadocia and Armenia, where the air was very unhealthy: there he was locked in a dark dungeon and left in total abandonment. His enemies went so far as to forbid anyone from giving him any food.

Six days later, irritated that he was still alive, they had the barbarity to strangle him; but, to hide their crime, they announced that he had died of illness. His martyrdom occurred in 350 or 351.

As for Philip, he could not escape the blows of divine vengeance: that same year, he was stripped of his dignities as well as his possessions. Having become the plaything of all those who had known him, he seemed to desire, like Cain, that a murderous hand would come to deliver him from his remorse; but he had to expiate his crime in the languor of a long exile, far from his homeland and forgotten by his former friends. Divine justice extended even to his son Simplicius, who was, eight years later, condemned to perpetual exile.

Saint Paul was no longer alive, the Arians remained masters of the Church of Constantinople, and they held it until 379, the time when Saint Gregory of Nazianzus was elected bishop of that city.

The body of the Saint was carried from Cucusus to Ancyra, in Galatia, where it was surrounded by great veneration. Theodosius had it transferred to Constantinople (June 7, 381). As this was the day after the closing of the council held in that capital under his reign, all the Fathers of the illustrious assembly attended this solemn translation. The precious remains were deposited in the church which had been built by Macedonius and which, since that time, was known only by the name of Saint Paul. Thus, this famous basilica, which the enemy of our Saint had made the citadel of the Arian heresy, became, by the effect of the secret designs of Providence, the imperishable trophy of the Martyr of Orthodoxy.

The relics of the holy bishop of Constantinople were carried to Venice in 1226, and they are ve Venise Final location of the transfer of relics in 1200. nerated there in the church of Saint Lawrence, which belonged to a Benedictine monastery.

He may be represented with a rope or cord around his neck, to recall that he was strangled with his pallium in a chapel where he was celebrating the holy mysteries.

We have drawn this Life from Godescard, Brussels ed., 1854, and we have composed it according to the Acta Sanctorum, vol. II of June. — All the Latin martyrologies make honorable mention of Saint Paul the Patriarch, as does the Greek Menaion, on September 6. His Life was given by Metaphrastes, who collected it from ancient monuments, by Lipounas and by Sories. Saint Anastasius, his contemporary, Socrates, Secundinus and Theodoric describe his actions in quite some detail. Several authors still speak very honorably of him, according to the report of Baronius, as also in Elysium, both in his Ecclesiastical Annals and in his Annotations on the Roman Martyrology.