Joseph

ON ST. JOSEPH, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR.

From the Greek tables and Ecclesiastical History.

NINTH CENTURY.

Joseph, Bishop and Confessor, among the Greeks (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR J. P.

The most illustrious memory today of St. Joseph, archbishop of Thessalonica, is marked in the Greek Fasti, namely in the printed Menaea, and their manuscript Index, in Maximus, Bishop of Cythera, in the Menaea of the Ambrosian library, and in the Menaeon of Chifflet, The Saint's elogium; and in the often-mentioned Sirmond-Chifflet supplement to the printed Menaea. A small elogium Sirleto has; but that being passed over, we shall give that which is read in the Basilian Synaxarion: Our holy father Joseph lived under the reign of Theophilus the iconoclast, the son of Photinus and Theoctista, brother of Theodore, hegumen of the Studites; who, on account of his conversation conspicuous for virtue, was by common vote created bishop of Thessalonica. Where, when he had spent time long enough, and had taught the orthodox faith, by command of the Emperor he returned to Constantinople. And when both he and his brother had stood before the iconoclast Emperor, they were compelled to deny the cult of the venerable images. Since they could not be forced to this; Theodore indeed was relegated in exile to the marsh of Apollonias; but Joseph

having lived in various prisons, and constantly endured the rest of his calamity too, and again by one of the impious, sent by the Emperor, being compelled to subscribe to the profession of the heretical faith, and refusing to do this, was shut up in a darker prison, and departed from the living. Whence he seems not unworthy of the name of Martyr, although I have found him marked among the Greeks only with the title of ὁμολογητοῦ, confessor, or bishop of Thessalonica: and Gretser rightly observes, in his notes on the homily on the holy Cross, composed by him, that in the title of the oration he is named ὁμολογητὸν, which name among the Greeks is given to those who, outside of martyrdom, suffer something for the cause of faith or justice.

[2] The aforesaid Supplement composes these verses: verses; Ἔσοπτρον ἡ σάρξ· οὗ λυθέντος, Παμμάκαρ, Οὐδὲν μέσον σοι πρὸς Θεοῦ θεωρίαν. The flesh a mirror: when this, thrice-Blessed one, is dissolved, nothing forbids you to behold the face of God. Moreover, in the printed Menaea and in Maximus of Cythera the Saint is repeated on the 15th of this month with a similar elogium, to which at the end is added: Shut up in almost blind dungeons he is delivered over; in which he endured many and intolerable evils; and consumed by hunger and thirst and all calamities, he migrated to the eternal rest, which he found none in the present life at any time: by whose prayers may we be freed from all evils. Amen. Beware lest you confound this Joseph with another Hymnographer of the same name, somewhat younger, whom we gave on April 3, from page 266.

[3] various things pertaining to the Saint; In the Life of St. Nicholas the Studite at February 4 mention is made of this St. Joseph. That various epistles, given by St. Theodore to him, are extant in Baronius, was indicated in the same place in the annotations on chapter 2, letter f; of which presently. From number 37 of the same Life we also learn that St. Plato, who is venerated on April 4, was the uncle of those two brothers: for, as is there narrated, Theodore himself was gloriously laid to rest on January 16 beside his renowned and God-inspired uncle Plato, together with his brother and Bishop Joseph, on the right toward the eastern part of the shrine of St. the Forerunner: for the monastery of the Studites was built in honor of St. John the Baptist. Of this our holy prelate mention recurs also in the historical Commentary on St. Theophylact, Bishop of Nicomedia, at March 8, number 6.

[4] by his deeds, St. Joseph is much illustrated by the epistles of St. Theodore his germane brother given to him, which Baronius produces, first, as he confesses at the year 808, number 1, translated into Latin from a codex of the Colonna library by the work and diligence of Sirmond. At the year 809, number 46 he premises these things: When in this manner the pseudo-bishop of Thessalonica … did such cruel and deformed things against the most holy monks, who turned away from his communion … he who truly was pastor and father, and legitimate archbishop of Thessalonica, Joseph, was deposed by the Moechian heretics in a Moechian synod (of which he treats in the same place, number 3). Hearing these things he was greatly tormented; and of these he again wrote to his own germane brother Theodore; to which the latter wrote back consolatory letters, reported in the same place, number 47. Whence I taste a few things: But I have said, not by antiphrasis, far be it; but altogether truly, that you shine in these our times in the archiepiscopal dignity, after the example of the holy Fathers. Nor would I err if I called you a column and firmament of the Church, my best brother, etc. And from the epistle reported in the same place at the year 815, number 11, we learn that our Saint was relegated into exile: Rise therefore, man of God … you shall not be left utterly in the island. Perhaps you must be exercised and proved, as before, that you may thence bring back a more illustrious crown. In the same place, number 8, he had treated of the exile in the said island, which he does not name, on occasion of St. Plato, confined in a certain one of the islands which are before the city: (he had treated of Constantinople) just as also our brother Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica, in another very harsh one; whence you may to some extent gather its situation. And again at the year 816, number 43, a most sweet and truly fraternal epistle is brought forward by Baronius, who pursued him with the highest praises; in which Theodore says that he grieves, among other things, that there perished … the iambics which he had written against the Iconoclasts. It would be long to transcribe the whole: which he thus concludes: I salute those who serve your reverence: he who is with me, namely Nicholas, as a suppliant servant venerates you.

[5] Other honors of our Saint are handed down in the same place. He openly refuses and illustrious by his writings; that he will communicate with the patriarch of Constantinople at the year 808, number 2. And, as is narrated at number 17; being the defender and champion of the opinion of Theodore his brother, and not able to be heard, nay having suffered calumny, that he had obtained the archbishopric by evil arts, he gave letters to Simeon the monk … which are given with an apology concerning his episcopate, number 18; concerning his separation (which is in Theophanes and Cedrenus), number 19. Of his Oration on the venerable and life-giving Cross, translated from the Greek by our Gretser, and inserted in his volume 2 On the Cross of Christ (of which matter, as also of the time in which it was written, see his notes), our Possevino treats in volume 1 of the Apparatus Sacer. The canons which our Saint composed, to be distinguished from those which Joseph the Hymnographer composed, was said at the same April 3, page 268. There can also be seen the Marian Piety of the Greeks of our Simon Wangnereck in the Prolegomena, number 22. The Commentary on Ecclesiastical Writers most recently published treats of the writings of St. Joseph in volume 2 from column 24.

[6] who did not live beyond the year 844 or 845. In what year St. Joseph died, I have nothing whence to define, his Life being lacking: which if it be drawn out from somewhere, perhaps it will be permitted to establish something certain of the year of his death, and perhaps also of the day on which he died; if indeed it was ever written, of which matter it is not clear to me. This meanwhile seems certain enough, that he did not prolong his life beyond the year 844 or the one immediately following; as far as we attain from the Life of St. Theodora the Empress, given at February 11, § VIII, number 55; where you will read the words brought forward by us above; and a little after, in the same place, number 56, the solemn translation of St. Theodore being reported, of which above, it is said that the body of the same Theodore was placed in the monastery of Studius, in which the rich ark both of the great Plato and of blessed Joseph is likewise kept. Which translation is there fixed to the year 844 or the following; Baronius connecting it to the year 844.

* to the reigning city.