Memorial Day of Saint Eutyches, Archbishop of Constantinople

Eutyches was born in 512 in Phrygia in western Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) His parents - the warrior Alexander and the daughter of a clergyman Sinesia - gave the young man a good education, sending him to Constantinople However, the grandfather-saint instilled in his grandson a love for the Almighty and taught him prayers Thanks to his grandfather, Eutychius abandoned worldly life and chose the path of a monk He believed that all earthly wisdom is nothing before God's revelation The young man took tonsure in the Amasya monastery, and years later, for his strict, godly life, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite of the Amasya monasteries During the reign of Justinian I, preparations were made for the opening of the V Ecumenical Council By that time (552) Eutyches was ordained Patriarch of Constantinople Due to poor health, the Metropolitan of Amasia could not go to the great meeting and sent a new Patriarch in his place So Eutyches had the opportunity to preside at the opening of the Council At the V Ecumenical Council, participants discussed controversial issues of heresy that contradict church dogmas, and excommunicated heretics from the Church But soon a new heresy was put forward about the incorruptibility of the Savior’s flesh Heretics claimed that during the hours of crucifixion Jesus had the flesh of God and did not suffer from torment The Patriarch condemned this nonsense in 565, but the ruler himself stood on the side of the heretics and in anger deprived him of his rank as a saint, exiling him to the Amasia monastery For 12 years Eutyches remained in exile, until the death of the Patriarch who replaced him He was then restored to his former post, and he continued to wisely lead his flock until the end of his days The saint died on Thomas Sunday in 582 His holy relics were kept in the Temple of Constantinople, but in 1246 they were taken to Venice During the period of his exile, Eutyches received from above the gifts of providence and healing of ailments So he prophesied the ascension to the throne of Justin II and Tiberius II With his prayer, the saint helped a woman who had given birth to stillborn children give birth to healthy sons He also restored speech to two mutes, healed a man’s hand from a cancerous tumor, and cured a poor man from leprosy with the word of God Eutyches could cast out demons from the bodies of those suffering