St. Cyril of Alexandria
(Inter 370-375 - 444 AD)
Historical Note
Not much is known of the early life of St. Cyril of Alexandria except that
he received a Christian education in his childhood and spent some time in
the Egyptian desert with a community of monks.
St. Cyril succeeded his uncle, the proud and cupiditous Theophilus, to the
Patriarchate of Alexandria in 412 AD. His candidature had been strongly
opposed by those who feared that the nephew was of the same spirit as the
uncle. To some extent this was true. St. Cyril shared many of his uncle’s
attitudes and prejudices, including opposition to St. John Chrysostom,
whom he helped to depose at the Synod of the Oak in 403 AD. (Only in
417 did St. Cyril restore the name of Chrysostom to the diptychs of the
Alexandrian Church). He also shared his uncle’s ruthlessness towards
heretics and Jews, punishing them with expulsion and confiscation of their
places of worship. His example of ruthlessness is said by some to have
inspired a Christian mob to publicly strip and murder the female pagan
philosopher Hypatia for allegedly having incensed the city’s Governor
against the bishop.
St. Cyril’s ruthlessness is also evident in the great controversy that marked
his time, the Nestorian heresy. That Nestorius’ teachings had to be opposed
and condemned is without question, but a more kind and temperate attitude
on the part of St. Cyril to Nestorius himself and his powerful supporters
such as John of Antioch might have prevented an enduring heresy and
schism.
Almost immediately after Nestorius began preaching his heresy against the
hypostatic union and the term Theotokos St. Cyril refuted him, demanded a
retraction and appealed to Pope Celestine when none was forthcoming. St.
Cyril presided over the Council of Ephesus as vicegerent of the Pope which
in its first session condemned, deposed and excommunicated Nestorius on
June 22, 431. Some argue that Nestorius was condemned before he even
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