2 of 11

Saint Cyril the Great�The Pillar of Faith

Born: circa 375 – 380 AD

Pope: 412 AD

Died: 444 AD

The second Christological controversy, which led to the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and the condemnation of Nestorius

3 of 11

Fourth to Mid Fifth Century

Abba Petros (Peter), Seal of the Martyrs 293 A.D. 10 yrs 11 mons

18. Abba Achillas 303 A.D. 6 mons

19. Abba Alexandros 303 A.D. 22 yrs 10 mons

Abba Athanasius, The Apostolic 326 A.D. 46 yrs

21. Abba Petros II 372 A.D. 5 yrs 9 mons

22. Abba Timotheos 378 A.D. 6 yrs 5 mons

23. Abba Theophilos 384 A.D. 27 yrs 2 mons

Abba Kyrillos (Cyril), Pillar of Faith 412 A.D. 31 yrs 8 mons

25. Abba Dioscorus 443 A.D. 14 yrs 2 mons

4 of 11

Ecumenical Councils (4th to mid 5th Century)

Nicea Arius: Denied the Abba Alexandros 318

June 325 Divinity of the Son Abba Athanasius The Creed

Apollinarius: The Logos Abba Athanasius 3 volume book

replaced the human spirit

Constantinople Macedonius: Denied Abba Timotheos 150

March 381 the Divinity of the Spirit Creed extended

Ephesus Nestorius: Separation Abba Cyril 200

June 431 in the Nature of Christ (Pillar of Faith) Union; Theotokos

Ephesus II Eutyches: Denied the Abba Dioscorus 130

August 449 humanity of Christ Affirming the faith

Chalcedon To reconsider the Abba Dioscorus ?

October 451 outcome of Ephesus II Schism

The Great Schism 1054 AD: West, Catholic and East, Orthodox

5 of 11

Saint Cyril the Great

Born in Alexandria between 375 and 380 AD.
He studied the work of Origen, St. Athanasius, St. Didymus the Blind, and read the works of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.
He studied Hebrew and Syriac languages, but he wrote almost all his works in Greek.
His uncle Pope Theophilus (the 23^rd Pope) sent him to St. Macarius’ Monastery, where he became disciple of St. Serapion for 5 years.
His uncle appointed him deacon, then priest. He was involved with his uncle in the tragedy of condemning St. John Chrysostom.
He succeeded his uncle as the 24^th Pope in October 412 AD.
He fulfilled his uncle’s advice in adding St. John Chrysostom to the congregation of the saints.
Stormy relations with civic authority over paganism, and with the Jews of Alexandria when they killed some Christians.
Against Nestorius and the Council of Ephesus 431 AD.
St. Cyril is a common father for the universal Church. Catholic, Greek, Syrian and Coptic (July 10) celebrate him as saint and teacher of the Church.

6 of 11

Against Nestorians

St. Cyril sent a letter to Nestorius in which he explained the nature of Christ, as the Incarnate Son of God, one Person, and declared St. Mary’s right to be called “Theotokos” Θεοτόκος (God bearer)
The heresy: Nestorius said “that which was formed in the womb of Mary is not God Himself … God dwells in Him (Jesus)… It is not God who has suffered, but God conjoined with the crucified flesh”
St. Cyril explained the names of Christ, Emmanuel and Jesus, then defined the Hypostatic Union as opposed to mixture or external association only.
The Twelve Articles of Anathemas

7 of 11

The Cyrillian Formula

μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη,

(mia phsis tou Theou Logou sesarkomene)

Meaning "one physis of the Word of God made flesh" (or "... of God the Word made flesh")

Also stated as “one incarnate nature of God the Word”

(mia): is preferred in expressing the one united nature

(mono): "only," "alone," or "singular". It is often used as a prefix in words like "monotheism" (belief in one God)

8 of 11

His Works

Commentaries on the Old Testament – allegorical and typological exegesis on selected passages of the Pentateuch; commentary on Isaiah; commentary on the Minor Prophets.
Commentaries on the New Testament – the longest on the Gospel of St. John; also, on the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew.
Dogmatic writings against the Arians.
Dogmatic writings against the Nestorians.
Apology against the three books of Julian the Apostate, dedicated to Emperor Theodosius II.
Letters.
Paschal Letters – pastoral epistles on the dates of the Feast of the Resurrection and the Lent.
Sermons / homilies – more than 22 remain.
The Liturgy of St. Cyril – for all intents and purposes the same as that of St. Mark

9 of 11

Cyril of Alexandria Twelve Anathemas

1. If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God, inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [as it is written, “The Word was made flesh”] let him be anathema.

2. If anyone shall not confess that the Word of God the Father is united hypostatically to flesh, and that with that flesh of his own, he is one only Christ both God and man at the same time: let him be anathema.

3. If anyone shall after the [hypostatic] union divide the hypostases in the one Christ, joining them by that connection alone, which happens according to worthiness, or even authority and power, and not rather by a coming together, which is made by natural union: let him be anathema.

4. If anyone shall divide between two persons or subsistence those expressions which are contained in the Evangelical and Apostolical writings, or which have been said concerning Christ by the Saints, or by himself, and shall apply some to him as to a man separate from the Word of God, and shall apply others to the only Word of God the Father, on the ground that they are fit to be applied to God: let him be anathema.

10 of 11

Cyril of Alexandria Twelve Anathemas

5. If anyone shall dare to say that the Christ is a Theophorus [that is, God-bearing] man and not rather that he is very God, as an only Son through nature, because “the Word was made flesh,” and “hath a share in flesh and blood as we do:” let him be anathema.

6. If anyone shall dare say that the Word of God the Father is the God of Christ or the Lord of Christ, and shall not rather confess him as at the same time both God and Man, since according to the Scriptures, “The Word was made flesh”: let him be anathema.

7. If anyone shall say that Jesus as man is only energized by the Word of God, and that the glory of the Only-begotten is attributed to him as something not properly his: let him be anathema.

8. If anyone shall dare to say that the assumed man ought to be worshipped together with God the Word, and glorified together with him, and recognized together with him as God, and yet as two different things, the one with the other (for this “Together with” is added [i.e., by the Nestorians] to convey this meaning); and shall not rather with one adoration worship the Emmanuel and pay to him one glorification, as [it is written] “The Word was made flesh”: let him be anathema.

11 of 11

Cyril of Alexandria Twelve Anathemas

9. If any man shall say that the one Lord Jesus Christ was glorified by the Holy Ghost, so that he used through him a power not his own and from him received power against unclean spirits and power to work miracles before men and shall not rather confess that it was his own Spirit through which he worked these divine signs; let him be anathema.

10. Divine Scripture says, that Christ became High Priest and Apostle of our confession, and that he offered himself for us a sweet-smelling savour to God the Father. Whosoever shall say that it is not the divine Word himself, when he was made flesh and had become man as we are, but another than he, a man born of a woman, yet different from him, who is become our Great High Priest and Apostle; or if any man shall say that he offered himself in sacrifice for himself and not rather for us, whereas, being without sin, he had no need of offering or sacrifice: let him be anathema.

11. Whosoever shall not confess that the flesh of the Lord giveth life and that it pertains to the Word of God the Father as his very own, but shall pretend that it belongs to another person who is united to him [i.e., the Word] only according to honour, and who has served as a dwelling for the divinity; and shall not rather confess, as we say, that that flesh giveth life because it is that of the Word who giveth life to all: let him be anathema.

12. Whosoever shall not recognize that the Word of God suffered in the flesh, that he was crucified in the flesh, and that likewise in that same flesh he tasted death and that he is become the first-begotten of the dead, for, as he is God, he is the life and it is he that giveth life: let him be anathema.