The eleventh Doctor of the Church was a man who fought heresy all his life, the Patriarch of Egypt Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Born in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 370 AD, Cyril was the nephew of the Patriarch of Alexandria - Theophilus and, under his influence, rose to prominence while unfortunately being prejudiced against Saint John Chrysostom. Present at the synod of 403, Cyril was among those who deposed the golden throated Doctor.

From that time on Cyril advanced, succeeding in 412 his uncle as Patriarch of Alexandria. Shortly after his appointment he realized the traps that had been set and could more readily sympathize with St. John Chrysostom. Heresies were rampant in his city, most notably Novatianism and Nestorianism. Pope Zozimus I was impressed by Cyril's zeal and had approved his appointment, hopeful Cyril could sweep out heresy. In fact, from that point on Cyril refuted all heresies, specifically more than a decade later Nestorianism which was promulgated by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople in 428. Nestorius denied the divinity of Jesus and then that Mary was not truly the Mother of God. This infuriated Cyril so that he addressed the matter to Zozimus' successor Pope Celestine I who made it a priority to excommunicate Nestorius if he persisted.

It must be noted that at that time in history most of Christendom leaned toward Nestorianism, just as the bishops prior to that had favored Arianism. Just as today so many have cowtowed to modernism, only a remnant remain loyal to the True Teachings of the Church Christ founded. Celestine was one who realized the errors of Nestorianism and charged Cyril with the duty of informing Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Syrian bishops in Ephesus. The letter Celestine had sent with Cyril was badly interpreted by the Syrians and they, in turn, thinking it was Cyril's own handwriting, charged Cyril with heresy and acting as an imposter. Just as St. John was rebuked, and as his Lord and Savior Jesus had been rebuked by the Sanhedrin, so Cyril was too. He was imprisoned and abandoned until the Council of Ephesus, which was convened by the emperor Theodosius in 431 in which the saint was exonerated and elevated to the highest chair, representing Pope Celestine I as he presided over the Council. Truly the last shall be first. Cyril decreed that the Nicene Creed be read and then he declared as twelve anathemas against Nestorius.

After this Cyril went on to write profound treatises on the Incarnation and the dogma of Mary's Divine Motherhood - Theotokos. Though he had his critics who felt he could have been tougher on Nestorianism, the truth is that ever since his condemnation of Nestorianism, it ceased to be a threat to Holy Mother Church.

A staunch defender of the Faith, Cyril died in his beloved city of Alexandria at the age of 64 in 444 with the Church stronger for his efforts. His feast (February 9) had always been celebrated in the Byzantine and Coptic liturgies but was extended to the Universal Church in 1883 by Pope Leo XIII, who also officially proclaimed Cyril a Doctor of the Church at that time.

-- The Straight Skinny (saint@the.day), February 07, 2004

Answers

Isn't he also known for bringing Christianity to the Slavs by inventing an alphabet for their language (named Cyrillic after him) and transcribing the Bible into it?

-- Anti-bush (Comrade_bleh@hotmail.com), February 08, 2004.

That was a deiifernt St. Cyril.

This one's claim to "fame" was his effectiveness as a hammer of heretics.

-- The Straight Skinny (saint@the.day), February 08, 2004.

Gotcha. My bad.

-- Anti-bush (Comrade_bleh@hotmail.com), February 08, 2004.

Nestorians survived in the Persian Empire. Some made it all the way to China by 700 AD.Another to India.

Ne storians in China and India.

Many Catholics are Nestorians without knowing it.

The Christioan Yahwist.

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), February 09, 2004.

Their Creed, taken from the same web page:

One is Christ the Son of God, Worshiped by all in two natures; In His Godhead begotten of the Father, Without beginning before all time; In His humanity born of Mary, In the fullness of time, in a body united; Neither His Godhead is of the nature of the mother, Nor His humanity of the nature of the Father; The natures are preserved in their Qnumas*, In one person of one Sonship. And as the Godhead is three substances in one nature, Likewise the Sonship of the Son is in two natures, one person. So the Holy Church has taught. * Qnuma, is an Aramaic word. The nearest equivalent is the Greek “hypostasis”, in Latin “substantia” and in English “substance”. The Christian Yahwist

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), February 09, 2004.