Tryphon

ON ST. TRYPHON

PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

AFTER A.D. 945

Tryphon, Patriarch of Constantinople (St.)

G. H.

Under the empire of Basil the Macedonian, of his sons Leo the Wise and Alexander, of his grandson Constantine Porphyrogenitus, and of his son Romanus the younger, the last Emperor of the progeny of Basil, the See of Constantinople had many Patriarchs, outstanding in sanctity of life, Among the various holy Patriarchs of that time and enrolled among the Blessed. Of these the first was St. Ignatius, who in the year 838, under the empire of Basil, ended his life, and is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on October 23. The second is St. Stephen, son of the Emperor Basil, who having died in the year 888, is venerated on May 17. The third is St. Anthony, surnamed Cauleas, whose illustrious Acts we gave somewhat on February 12, on which he migrated from this life in the year 895; and other things equally worthy of being read, written by Nicephorus Gregoras, we later received, and we keep them to be published in the Supplement. The fourth can be counted Nicholas Mysticus, the predecessor of Anthony, who, driven from his see, and again restored, lived until the year 930, and the 15th day of May, on which and the neighboring days he is inscribed in various sacred Menaea. The fifth is St. Tryphon, St. Tryphon, of whom we here treat: and the sixth, St. Polyeuctus, whose Acts we illustrated on February 5.

[2] When the aforesaid Nicholas had died, as has been said, on May 15 in the year 930, in the month of August Stephen II was substituted, created in the year 933. formerly Metropolitan of Amasea, whom St. Tryphon succeeded in the year 933. Then at Constantinople there lived Leo Grammaticus, who continued Theophanes's Chronology up to the death of the aforesaid Emperor Romanus, or the year of Christ 963, and wrote these things concerning St. Tryphon: On the eighteenth day of the month of July, in the sixth Indiction, holy by public testimony, the Patriarch Stephen dies: then in December they ordain Tryphon the monk, distinguished by the testimony of piety and sanctity, as Patriarch, until the son of the Emperor Romanus, Theophylactus, whom they had determined to create Patriarch of Constantinople, should have reached the term of age. The father of Theophylactus, Romanus Lacapenus, having been taken up as partner of the Empire by his son-in-law Constantine Porphyrogenitus, and then called Augustus, had raised his three sons Christopher, Stephen, and Constantine to the same eminence: but his fourth son Theophylactus he wished to intrude into the Patriarchal throne, but because of the Ecclesiastical Canons he could not effect it. Therefore St. Tryphon was elected and ordained as legitimate Patriarch, as will appear from what is to be said below; although the Emperor Romanus intended only that he should be Patriarch, until his son Theophylactus had obtained the legitimate age.

[3] St. Tryphon remained in the administration of his Patriarchate, illustrious by the testimony of piety and sanctity, until the year 945, in which unwilling and reluctant he was deposed by force: which things are thus indicated by the said Leo Grammaticus: Further the Patriarch Tryphon, in the month of August, the third Indiction, and died shortly after his deposition made in the year 945; they deposed; and with him retiring into his own monastery, and having ended his life, for one year and five months, the age of Theophylactus, son of the Emperor Romanus, not yet mature, the Church remained widowed of a pastor. And after some things interposed it is added: The aforesaid son of the Emperor, Theophylactus, on the day of February in the sixth Indiction, was consecrated Patriarch, with the Legates of the Roman Pontiff standing by, and producing the Synodal volume treating of his ordination, and placing him on the Patriarchal throne. That year was 948, when after the violent deposition of St. Tryphon two years and five months had elapsed; since the consecration of Theophylactus should have been examined before in a Synod or Roman consistory, under Agapetus II. But with St. Tryphon in the meantime having died, the faculty of ordaining Theophylactus was granted; which the Legates sent from Rome produced, and placed him on the Pontifical throne, and peace was restored to the Church. The force used is thus indicated in Cedrenus.

[4] The Emperor asked, in what way Tryphon could be called into judgment on alleged charges, and ejected from the Church. Perceiving the Emperor to be of doubtful mind, and not having where to turn, Theophanes Bishop of Caesarea, also called Choerinus, a trifling man, took upon himself the business of accomplishing the matter. And when the Emperor embraced his operation, reckoning that Tryphon should be circumvented by cunning, thus he addresses him: Many things, Lord, the Emperor devises against you, and seeks out crimes, having been previously deceitfully persuaded on account of which he can cast you down from your throne: howsoever with great labor, he accomplishes nothing. For who would accuse an innocent man! One thing those put forward who desire you deposed, that you are entirely unskilled in letters: if we can remove this fault, certainly all will have been gaping wolves, who lie in wait for you. Therefore if you hear me, before the whole council on a clean paper write your name and Pontifical dignity, and send it to the Emperor, so that certainly knowing the hope of that charge to be empty, he may cease to devise those things against you. so that by publicly writing his name, This counsel seemed useful. At once therefore the council is gathered, and the Patriarch then speaks thus: Those who unjustly strive to cast me down from the Pontificate, O divine colleagues, having vainly devised many things, that they might find some plausible cause for expelling me, have thought up this final calumny, that they say me unskilled in letters. Therefore now in the sight of all of you I inscribe these letters, so that the sycophants seeing, he might prove that he knew letters, and surely convicted, may cease to make trouble for me by no right. Having said these things he received a clean paper, and with all looking on he wrote these things: Tryphon by the mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople the new Rome, and ecumenical Patriarch. And this writing he gave to the Protothronus to be borne to the Emperor. Which when he received, to which, when another had annexed a profession of abdication attaching above another clean paper, on it he wrote out a resignation, in which Tryphon professed himself unworthy of so great an office, and yielded the throne to him whom he wished. he was expelled by force. With that resignation brought forth in the council, Tryphon was led away from the Church, many lamenting the deceit, and blaming the Protothronus. These things Cedrenus, which if they had been indicated by Leo, we would employ greater faith.

[5] Moreover when the Constantinopolitans recognized him as their true Patriarch, and he is venerated in the Patriarchal Church, and perhaps carried his sacred body to the great and Patriarchal Church to be preserved: in

which afterwards they venerated him with Ecclesiastical cult: which in the great printed Menaea they have left thus attested: On the same day April 19 of our holy Father Tryphon Archbishop of Constantinople: whose celebration is performed in the most holy great Church. The same things are read in the Ms. Menaea and in Maximus Bishop of Cythera ἐν βίοις ἁγίων and on the following day April 20 in the ancient Synaxarium of the Parisian Clermont College of the Society of Jesus. His memory on this day is also extant in the Menology of Cardinal Sirlet, from which today's Roman Martyrology has been increased almost on individual days; and citing that, Ferrari reported the same. In the Menaea this distich is added:

Θεὸν ποθήσας, ὁ τρυφὴν μισῶν Τρύφων, Θεοῦ παρέςη τῷ κατοικητηρίῳ.

The hymnographer alludes to his name Tryphon and τὴν τρυφὴν, which means delights, luxury, and softness, because he held those things in hatred, Crimes of his successor revealed elsewhere, but sought God with sincere affection, and therefore with God in the heavenly dwelling among the Saints he rejoices. Concerning the evil and scandalous life of his substitute Theophylactus, the writers deal here and there, and from those some things, which could be proposed to honest ears, we said on the Life of St. Polyeuctus February 5, §1. To which we add that by Leo Grammaticus all these things are passed over in the highest silence: so that we may think, even for that reason, that all things concerning St. Tryphon, which could be against the family of Romanus Lacapenus and the royal persons in it, were buried in deep silence.