Ecumenical Patriarchs of the Great Church of Christ:
...
Ciriacus I 217 - 230
The Ursula legend (in the Voragine box below) mentions that (Rome) pope Ciriacus was the nineteenth pope after Peter. Callistus (218~222/3) was the 15th pope after Peter, immediately followed by Urban I (222/3~230), Pontian (230~235), Anterus (235~6) and then Fabian (236~250), the 20th pope (19th after Peter) in our local listing of Emperors, Popes and Persecutions. Given the turmoil of that period of time within Rome, and the fact that many of those popes were unknown until their tomb inscribed names were discovered within what came to be called the Crypt of the Popes within the catacombs of the Callistus cemetery complex, it is highly probably that there could have been another pope, named Ciriacus/Cyriacus/Kyriakou/Quiriaci/et al, who has disappeared from the official records. Voragine's Ursula legend (below) does indeed indicate the this Roman pope Ciriacus abdicated in favor of Ametus (?Anterus 235~6?) and had is name removed from the catalogue of popes because he went to martyrdom with Ursula and the 11,000 virgins without consulting the other clergy in Rome.
...
Cyriacus 596 - 606 (Note that he is not referred to as Cyriacus II - thereby putting into question the legitimacy of the 'supposed' predecessor above.) [ See Kyriakus, below. ]
. . .
Cyriacus 595-606 is reflected at that blogspot site, along with a listing of all the Patriarchs of Constantinople 315-1462
Oct 27 - The True Vineyard 27 Sunday 7th OF LUKE; Nestor Gt. M; Cyriacus of Constantinople is one feast day found referencing him or ???
He, apparently, is the Pope to whom reference is made when relating the legend of St. Ursula and the 11,000 vigins; www.fineart-china.com has a picture of a painting by:
CARPACCIO, Vittore Italian High Renaissance Painter, ca.1450-1525 Scenes from the Life of St Ursula: The Pilgrims are met by Pope Cyriacus in front of the Walls of Rome mk86 c.1491 Tempera on canvas 281x307cm Venice, Galleria dell'Accademia[ The problem with this legend, apparently unless another, later Pope Cyriacus is discovered, is that this Pope is of the 7th century while Ursula is (supposedly - it is a legend) of the 12th or 13th century. ]
The story of Ursula, all in Latin still untranslated by this webmaster, with numerous references to Ciriaci, Ciriaco, Ciriacus and Cyriacus as papa, papam and pape is contained online in the year 1516 published version of John of Tynemouth's early 14th century work:
He is also the Bishop to whom or about whom the following Epistles from St. Gregory (The Great - Pope 590-604) were written (note that another page at this web site has other Epistles from St. Gregory written to or about the contemporaneous Abbot Cyriacus):
- EPISTLE IV - TO CYRIACUS, BISHOP
- EPISTLE V. TO CYRIACUS, BISHOP
- Gregory to Cyriacus, Bishop of Constantinople
-
EPISTLE XXXII - TO PETER, SUBDEACON OF SICILY
. . .
On the arrival of the servant of God, brother Cyriacus, at Rome I questioned him closely as to whether he had communicated with thee about the receiving of a bribe in the cause of a certain woman. ... [ July 2009 webmaster note: This reads more like a communication regarding abbot Cyriacus. ] - EPISTLE LXVIII - TO EUSEBIUS OF THESSALONICA
- Gregory to Eusebius of Thessalonica, Urbicus of Dyrrachium, Andrew
of Nicopolis, John of Corinth, John of Prima Justiniana, John of Crete,
John of Larissa and Scodra, and many other bishops.
We are constrained by the care of government which we have undertaken to extend vigilantly the solicitude of our office, ... (Enough included to exemplify the eloquence of the letter.) ... And having found that he paid no regard, we have not desisted, in our desire of concord, from addressing the like admonitions to our most blessed brother and fellow-priest Cyriacus, his successor. But since it is the case, as we see, now that the end of this world is near at hand, that the enemy of the human race has already appeared in his harbingers, so as to have as his precursors, ...
Pope Boniface III gets the Emperor Phocas to decree that '... "the See of Blessed Peter the Apostle should be the head of all the Churches" and that the title of "Universal Bishop" should be reserved exclusively for the bishop of Rome. ...' This, of course, establishes the Papacy in Rome rather than Constantinople - so far as the Roman Empire is concerned. Boniface was buried in St. Peter's, November 12, the same year in which he was consecrated. His communications regarding Cyriacus imply that Cyriacus must not have died in 602 or 606!
That doesn't sit well with the eastern Church as can be seen in
Book IV
Chapter 7 (500k file!)
7. OF THE BEGINNING AND RISE OF THE ROMISH PAPACY TILL IT ATTAINED A
HEIGHT BY WHICH THE LIBERTY OF THE CHURCH WAS DESTROYED, AND ALL TRUE RULE
OVERTHROWN.
. . .
Of this we have an example in a letter of Gregory to Anastasius and Cyriac of Constantinople, and in another letter to all the
patriarchs together, (Gregor. Lib. 1 Ep. 24, 25; Lib. 6 Ep. 169.)
. . . the Church, and entire prerogative of my brethren. If your
holiness calls me universal Pope, it denies itself to be this whole which
it acknowledges me to be."
. . .
17. The eventual establishment of the papal supremacy
"At length Phocas, who had slain Maurice, and usurped his place, (more friendly to the Romans, for what reason I know not, or rather because he had been crowned king there without opposition,) conceded to Boniface III what Gregory by no means demanded, viz., that Rome should be the head of all the churches. In this way the controversy was ended. . . ." (An alternative site has the same document.)
"Another emperor who becomes a case in point was Phocas, who, in the seventh century, became displeased with Cyriacus, bishop of Constantinople, divested him of his title as the universal head of the Church, and conferred this title upon Boniface III, the Roman pontiff who accepted it. By what authority we ask? Again it was political. The record does not show whether the Emperor Phocas was even a member of the Christian Church." (alternative site)
THE LIFE OF ST. THEODORE OF SYKEON
79
The servant of God journeyed to the metropolis, Ancyra, ...
After much argument one with the other finally they both decided to refer
the matter to Kyriakus, the most blessed Patriarch of
Constantinople, and to abide by whatever order he should send. So
they both wrote; the blessed Theodore sent his requests to the Emperor
Maurice of pious memory as well as to the most blessed Patriarch, Kyriakus, advising them to accept his resignation; but the
metropolitan expressed his annoyance at this request to the most holy
Patriarch and said he would await hls commands.
And the most blessed Patriarch Kyriakus wrote to the metropolitan to grant Theodore's request-for the Emperor had ordered him to do this-and at the same time to bestow upon him the bishop's 'Omophorion' [A wide band of embroidered stuff, corresponding to the Western pallium] so that he would retain his rank, because he was a holy man and it was through no fault of his that he was resigning his bishopric. On receiving ...
82
About that time the holy servant of Christ received letters both from the
Christloving Emperor Maurice and from the blessed Patriarch,
Kyriakus, and from the magnates urging him to
come up to Constantinople, the imperial city, and give them his blessing.
Consequently, being thus compelled, he travelled to the divinely protected
city, and after greeting the most blessed Patriarch,
Kyriakus, and the Emperor and the senate and pronouncing a
suitable blessing in each case, he sat down to table with them. The Emperor
and the Empress and all the officers of the bedchamber ...
93
Three men possessed by demons came ... At that moment the
Patriarch Kyriakus sent for Theodore, as he was accustomed
to do. ...
128
(Summary) Domnitziolus sent to the Saint a gold cross for processions
and worship; in its central boss Thomas (who had succeeded Kyriakus as Patriarch of Constantinople*) had the following
relics inserted-a piece of the Holy Cross and a piece of the stone of
Golgotha and a piece of the holy tomb of our ; ...
The dates of the Patriarchs of Constantinople at this time are:
Kyriakus, A.D.595-606; Thomas, A.D.607-610; Sergius
A.D.610-38.
