By Lambros K. Skontzos Theologian – Professor
The island of Patmos was sanctified by the presence of two great personalities of our Church who were connected with it. Saint Ioannis the Theologian and Venerable Christodoulos.
The first one wrote the book of Revelation in Patmos, where he was in exile, and the second one established the famous monastery there.
Saint Christodoulos was born in 1020 in Nicaea of Bithynia. His pious parents were Theodore and Anna, who raised him with the ideals of Christianity.
He developed love for Christ and the Church and made the decision to assume the monastic habit. As a young man, he followed an ascetic life, living as a hermit on Mount Olympus of Asia Minor.
Later he went to Palestine to worship the Holy Land and to meet the reputable ascetics and monks there.
Then he returned to Asia Minor and settled on Monastery of Mount Latros in Caria in western Asia Minor, also known as Monastery of Stylos. There he founded a renowned library and brought together many monks. Ever since then he became known as “Latrinos”, from the area of Latros.
There, with prayer, fasting, vigil, and struggle against his passions, Saint Christodoulos emerged as a great spiritual figure of the region. However, living conditions became difficult because of the frequent raids that ravaged Western Asia Minor. That’s why, in 1070, he made the decision to leave and settle in the island of Patmos.
With the aid of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118), he established the famous Monastery, dedicated to St. Ioannis the Theologian, to the Cave where the “the disciple whom Jesus loved” had seen the wonderful visions and wrote the Apocalypse. As a scholar, he took care to set up a large library.
However, he did not stay for long in Patmos. He went to Constantinople to settle some cases of the Monastery. Shortly afterwards, he resigned from Abbot and went to Strovilos in Asia Minor, where he assumed the leadership of the Monastery of Arsenios.
Again, he did not stay there for long. He went to Kos, where he established a monastery dedicated to the Mother of God. Emperor Alexios Komnenos granted him the suburbs of Leros and the island of Leipsoi.
Then, having established a brotherhood in the Monastery, he went back to Constantinople to meet again emperor Alexios Komnenos, and presented his plan to repopulate the island of Patmos with monastics.
He took the imperial decree in 1088, with a golden bull, in which Fr. Christodoulos was granted sovereignty over the island of Patmos in exchange for the holdings on Kos.
Having gained great fortune in the Monastery, he began to build the brilliant building complexes, as we see them today. But again, he did not stay permanently in the Monastery because the monks were forced to flee Patmos in the face of pirate raids instigated by Emir Dzaha, who looted and slaughtered the Christians.
About 1092 Christodoulos fled to Euboea in Greece, where a wealthy pious resident offered him a luxurious home to stay, which Christodoulos converted to a Monastery. He did not want to stay in the Monastery, because luxury did not fit into his ascetic spirit.
That is why he settled in a cave west of the town of Elymnion to follow an ascetic life. The pious inhabitants of Euboea had a great deal of respect for Christodoulos, because they understood that he was a great spiritual personality. Many of them characterized him as an angel in human form!
In the cave, Venerable Christodoulos constantly prayed and studied the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers. A multitude of believers gathered daily to receive his wishes and his spiritual counseling. Despite the long hours he dedicated to receive those who visited him, he never refused to talk with somebody.
In 1093 he made his will and codicil. In fact, in order that his will be valid, he called on seven officers of the Episcopate of Euripus, Chalkis, to watch the will-maker sign it. The signees were the following: “Leo the presbyter and sakellarios of the city of Euripus, Ioannis the presbyter and the notary of the fortress Euripus, Michael … of the seat of Euripus, Basil the deacon … and the notary Euripus etc.”.
The daily life and the passing away of Saint Christodoulos in Euripus is described in detail by Metropolitan Ioannis of Rhodes in his work: “Life and Times of Our Father Venerable Christodoulos”. Shortly before reposing to the Lord, he sensed his death and gathered his followers, to whom he announced his passing away.
He assured them that the Hagareneswould not conquer the islands. He also ordered them to transfer his remains to Patmos. He passed away peacefully on 16 March 1093. In the biography of Venerable Christodoulos there is a reference to the transfer of his relics to Patmos.
The believers of Euboea, when they were informed that their relic was to be transferred, reacted because they considered him their own saint patron, and father. So, they were guarding it. But one night his followers took it without being noticed, boarded a ship and left for Patmos, where they placed it at the Holy Monastery of St. Ioannis the Theologian, which was built by Venerable Christodoulos. It remains incorrupt, and miraculous, emitting a sweet fragrance up to today.
A celebration in his honour is held on October 21 and on March 16.
