Saint Mitrophanis Archbishop of Constantinople
Date of celebration: 04/06/2020
Saint Mitrophanes was the first bishop of Constantinople (313 – 327 AD); He was the son of Dometius and the nephew of the emperor Probus.
When in May 325 AD the First Ecumenical Council took place in Nicaea, Mitrophanes could not attend himself, because he was quite old and sick. However, he sent as his representative the protopresbyter Alexander, a willing and God-fearing man. Also, during the years when Mitrophanis was Archbishop, many large building projects of Vasilefoussa were founded. Among them are the famous churches of Agia Sophia, Agia Irini and Agia Dynameo.
Mitrophanis died in 327 AD. (probably at the age of one hundred and seventeen) and left as his successor his worthy protopresbyter Alexander (celebrated August 30). Because he believed that the salvific work of the Church is promoted even more with the correct episcopal succession, thus responding to the divinely inspired word of the Holy Bible, which states that: “they see the bishop is untouchable” (1 Timothy, 3.2). That is, the good and high work of stewardship of God’s house must be entrusted to good and chosen people. Therefore, therefore, the bishop must be blameless, so that no one can say anything against him.
