Pope Heraclas of Alexandria
Saint Heraclas of Alexandria | |
---|---|
Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria | |
Saint Heraclas (Theoclas) | |
Papacy began | 232 |
Papacy ended | 17 December 248 |
Predecessor | Demetrius |
Successor | Dionysius |
Personal details | |
Born | Egypt |
Died | (248-12-17)December 17, 248 Egypt |
Buried | Church of the Cave, Alexandria |
Nationality | Egyptian |
Denomination | Church of Alexandria |
Sainthood | |
Feast day | 17 December (8 Koiak in the Coptic calendar) |
Pope Heraclas (Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλῆς, Theoclas) was the 13th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, reigning 232–248.
Pope Heraclas of Alexandria was born to pagan parents who became Christians and were baptized after his birth. They taught him the Greek philosophy, then Christian doctrine. He also studied the four gospels and the epistles. Demetrius, 12th Patriarch of Alexandria, ordained him deacon, then a priest over the church of Alexandria. He was successful in the ministry and was faithful in all that was entrusted to him. He followed Origen as head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria.
When Demetrius died, Heraclas was chosen as Patriarch. He converted many pagans and baptized them. He devoted his efforts to teaching, preaching and instructing. He assigned to St. Dionysius the work of judging between the believers, and taking care of their affairs. Pope Heraclas sat on the throne of St. Mark for 16 years until his death.
He was the first Patriarch of Alexandria to be referred to as "Pope" (in Greek, Papás), a term, originally a form of address meaning 'Father', that was used by several bishops. The first known record of this designation being assigned to Heraclas is in a letter written by the bishop of Rome, Dionysius, to Philemon:
τοῦτον ἐγὼ τὸν κανόνα καὶ τὸν τύπον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου πάπα ἡμῶν Ἡρακλᾶ παρέλαβον.[1]
[I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed Pope, Heraclas.]
References
- ^ [1], Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica Book VII, chapter 7.4 (trans.)
- General
- St. Heraclas (Theoclas), 13th Pope of Alexandria.
- Meinardus, Otto F.A. (2002). Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity. American University in Cairo Press. ISBN 978-977-424-757-6.
- Atiya, Aziz S. The Coptic Encyclopedia. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1991. ISBN 0-02-897025-X
External links
- The Official website of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy See of Saint Mark the Apostle
- Coptic Documents in French
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Heraclas". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Titles of the Great Christian Church | ||
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Preceded by | Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria 232—248 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
Chalcedonian schism
(43–451)
Popes and Patriarchs
(451–present)
- Timothy II
- Peter III
- Athanasius II
- John I
- John II
- Dioscorus II
- Timothy III
- Theodosius I
- Peter IV
- Damian
- Anastasius
- Andronicus
- Benjamin I
- Agathon
- John III
- Isaac
- Simeon I
- Alexander II
- Cosmas I
- Theodore I
- Michael I
- Mina I
- John IV
- Mark II
- James
- Simeon II
- Joseph I
- Michael II
- Cosmas II
- Shenouda I
- Michael III
- Gabriel I
- Cosmas III
- Macarius I
- Theophilus II
- Mina II
- Abraham
- Philotheos
- Zacharias
- Shenouda II
- Christodoulos
- Cyril II
- Michael IV
- Macarius II
- Gabriel II
- Michael V
- John V
- Mark III
- John VI
- Cyril III
- Athanasius III
- John VII
- Gabriel III
- John VII
- Theodosius III
- John VIII
- John IX
- Benjamin II
- Peter V
- Mark IV
- John X
- Gabriel IV
- Matthew I
- Gabriel V
- John XI
- Matthew II
- Gabriel VI
- Michael VI
- John XII
- John XIII
- Gabriel VII
- John XIV
- Gabriel VIII
- Mark V
- John XV
- Matthew III
- Mark VI
- Matthew IV
- John XVI
- Peter VI
- John XVII
- Mark VII
- John XVIII
- Mark VIII
- Peter VII
- Cyril IV
- Demetrius II
- Cyril V
- John XIX
- Macarius III
- Joseph II
- Cyril VI
- Shenouda III
- Tawadros II (current)
Popes and Patriarchs
(451–present)
- Proterius
- Timothy II
- Timothy III
- John I
- Peter III
- Athanasius II
- John II
- John III
- Dioscorus II
- Timothy IV
- Theodosius I
- Gaianus
- Paul
- Zoilus
- Apollinarius
- John IV
- Eulogius
- Theodore I
- John V
- George I
- Cyrus
- Peter IV
- Peter V
- Peter VI
- Cosmas I
- Politianus
- Eustatius
- Christopher I
- Sophronius I
- Michael I
- Michael II
- Christodoulos
- Eutychius
- Sophronius II
- Isaac
- Job
- Elias I
- Arsenius
- Theophilus II
- George II
- Leontius
- Alexander II
- John VI
- Cyril II
- Sabbas
- Sophronius III
- Elias II
- Eleutherius
- Mark III*
- Nicholas I
- Gregory I
- Nicholas II
- Athanasius III
- Gregory II
- Gregory III
- Niphon
- Mark IV
- Nicholas III
- Gregory IV
- Nicholas IV
- Athanasius IV
- Mark V
- Philotheus
- Mark VI
- Gregory V
- Joachim I
- Silvester
- Meletius I Pegas
- Cyril III
- Gerasimus I
- Metrophanes
- Nicephorus
- Joannicius
- Paisius
- Parthenius I
- Gerasimus II
- Samuel
- Cosmas II
- Cosmas III
- Matthew
- Cyprian
- Gerasimus III
- Parthenius II
- Theophilus III
- Hierotheus I
- Artemius
- Hierotheus II
- Callinicus
- Jacob
- Nicanor
- Nilus
- Sophronius IV
- Photius
- Meletius II
- Nicholas V
- Christopher II
- Nicholas VI
- Parthenius III
- Peter VII
- Theodore II (current)
(1276–1954)
- Atanasio (Athanasius)
- Egidio da Ferrara (Giles)
- ?Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne
- Juan (John)
- Guillaume de Chanac
- Arnaud Bernard du Pouget (Arnaldo Bernardi)
- uncanonical Jean de Cardaillac
- Pietro Amely di Brunac
- ? Johannes Walteri von Sinten
- uncanonical Simon of Cramaud
- Pietro Amely di Brunac
- Leonardo Dolfin
- Ugo Roberti
- Pietro Amaury di Lordat
- Lancelotus de Navarra
- Giovanni Contarini
- Pietro
- Vitalis di Mauléon
- Giovanni Vitelleschi
- Marco Condulmer
- Jean d'Harcourt
- Arnaldo Rogerii de Palas
- Pedro de Urrea
- Pedro González de Mendoza
- Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
- Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo
- Bernardino Carafa
- Cesare Riario
- Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora
- Ottaviano Maria Sforza
- Julius Gonzaga
- Cristoforo Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte
- Jacques Cortès
- Tommaso
- Alessandro Riario
- Enrico Caetani
- Giovanni Battista Albani
- Camillo Caetani
- Séraphin Olivier-Razali
- Alessandro di Sangro
- Honoratus Caetani
- Federico Borromeo
- Allesandro Crescenzi
- Aloysius Bevilacqua
- Petrus Draghi Bartoli
- Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia
- Carlo Ambrosio Mezzabarba
- Filippo Carlo Spada
- Girolamo Crispi
- Giuseppe Antonio Davanzati
- Lodovico Agnello Anastasi
- Francisco Mattei
- Augustus Foscolo
- Paolo Angelo Ballerini
- Domenico Marinangeli
- Paolo de Huyn
- Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto
(1724–present)
- Cyril VI Tanas
- Athanasius IV Jawhar
- Maximos II Hakim
- Theodosius V Dahan
- Athanasius IV Jawhar
- Cyril VII Siaj
- Agapius II Matar
- Ignatius IV Sarrouf
- Athanasius V Matar
- Macarius IV Tawil
- Ignatius V Qattan
- Maximos III Mazloum
- Clement Bahouth
- Gregory II Youssef-Sayur
- Peter IV Geraigiry
- Cyril VIII Geha
- Demetrius I Qadi
- Cyril IX Moghabghab
- Maximos IV Sayegh
- Maximos V Hakim
- Gregory III Laham
- Youssef I Absi
(1824–present)
- *Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III.
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