By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
Our Church today commemorates the Venerable Queen Theodora. Saint Theodora was born in Edessa of Paphlagonia and was of aristocratic descent. She was distinguished for her piety and devotion to Orthodoxy. In 830 AD she married the Byzantine emperor Theophilos, who was an iconoclast. During the iconoclasm she kept icons in her chambers in the imperial palace, which she protected as holy relics and venerated them. In 842 AD. after the emperor’s death, Theodora served as regent for her son Michael.
Following the death of her husband, Theodora convened a Synod which decided on the restoration of the Holy Icons. Later, she devoted herself to prayer and the study of the Bible in a monastery. She died venerably and her remains were found intact in the church of Panagia Spiliotisa in Corfu.
Source: Church of Cyprus
