The Orthodox Church commemorates a great Church Father and Teacher, Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople (also known as Saint Gregory Nazianzus).
He is one of the most important Saints in Christianity and Theology. He was born in AD 330 in Nazianzus, Cappadocia. His father was Bishop of Nazianzus, whose name was also Gregory, and he taught him reading and writing his mother, Nonna, brought him up in the Christian faith.
During his studies, he became friends with Saint Basil the Great with whom he spent a period of his life in a monastery established by them in Pontus. The great needs of the Church and the problems created by the various sects forced his return to Cappadocia, where he was ordained a deacon and a presbyter and, against his will, was ordained bishop of Sasima.
He became Archbishop of Constantinople, as he had already proven his faith in the Lord with his pious life, his preaches, and his struggle against the spread of the Arian heresy. He also presided at the Second Ecumenical Council.
He resigned from the throne of Constantinople and the presidency of the Synod when he found that some of his bishops were challenging him, thus becoming a model of humility and true love for the Church. After his death in AD 390, he was honored with the title “Theologian,” also given to the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John.
A modern theologian, academic teacher, scholar of the work of St. Gregory, Stylianos Papadopoulos, describes him as a “wounded eagle of theology”.
It should be noted that the saint’s memory is also celebrated together with the other two great enlighteners, Saint Ioannis Chrysostomos and Saint Basil the Great on January 30.
Source: Church of Cyprus
