By Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria
Today, the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Anatolius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Martyrs Hyacinth, Theodotus, Theodota, Diomedes, Eulampius and Asclepiodotus.
Saint Anatolius, who was a priest and representative of the Church of Alexandria, became Patriarch of Constantinople in 449 AD.
He became Patriarch through the influence of Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria, a supporter of the heresy being spread by Eutyches, hoping that Saint Anatolius would support his false teaching.
However, he did not manage to achieve his objective, because Anatolius was the first to support he deposition of Patriarch Dioscorus during the Fourteenth Ecumenical Synod, held in Chalcedon in 451 AD. Saint Flavianius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who had been deposed by Dioscorus during the “Robber” Council of Ephesus in 449 AD, was numbered among the saints.
The stance of St. Anatolius teaches us how steady, cautious, and prudent we should be in cases of heretic thoughts and false teachings. Therefore, the deposition and severance of ties from the false teaching is done for the sake of the Church and the salvation of the faithful.
Patriarch Anatolius was killed unfairly by fanatical heretics in 458 AD.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus