DAY OF STS. METROPANOS, ALEXANDROS, PAUL, MARKIANOS AND MARTYRON

Aysor
Nov 5 2009
Armenia

Today Armenian Apostolic Church marks commemoration day of Sts.
Pontiffs Metropanos, Alexandros and Paul the Confessor, and the
Scribes Markianos and Martyron.

The Pontiff Metropanos (Metrophanes) was the junior son of the King
Probios. He has been ordained by the Bishop Titos of Byzantine and
has succeeded him in his office. Bishop Metropanos was known for his
deep faith and good reputation, who was able to influence even King
Kostandianos the Great to decide that the site of the new capital city
to be built should be in the place of Byzantine. He was appointed
by the same king to be the first Bishop of Constantinople. Because
of his old age the Pontiff Metropanos has not participated in the
First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, in 325, sending instead of him
Alexander, who later succeeded him. He passed away in 236 AD.

The Pontiff Alexandros (Alexander) has succeeded the Pontiff
Metropanos. According to the tradition he has been ordained by the
Pontiffs participating in the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, when
they had arrived to Nicaea to attend the previous Pontiff’s burial
ceremony. St. Alexandros has participated in the First Ecumenical
Council of Christ’s Church. He has been a generous, eloquently
speaking, fair and pious pontiff, who has always struggled against
the Arianism and the heathen philosophers. According to the Church
tradition it is thanks to his prayers and the prayers of the Pontiff
St. James of Nisibis that Arius has died. The Pontiff Alexandros has
passed away in 326 AD. (According to some sources – in 327 AD.)

The Pontiff St. Paul the Confessor was born in Selanik. He was a
pious man and very well knowing the Holy Bible. He has succeeded
the Pontiff Alexander of Constantinople. For his strict attitude
against Arians St. Paul has been exiled by the King Kostantdianos
to Pontos. He returns to Constantinople in 338 AD. But it was fated
that the Pontiff should be exiled for three more times. For the last
time the Pontiff Paul has been exiled to the town Kokison (Armenia),
where he has been martyred by the Arians, who strangled him during
the Divine Liturgy in 350 AD.

Markianos (Marcian) and Martiron (Martyrius) were senior scribes, who
served in the Patriarchate of Constantinople and assisted the Pontiff
Paul the Confessor who was the Patriarch during that period. When they
become aware of the Pontiff’s being strangled, they spread among the
people the fact that the reason for the Pontiff Paul’s death are the
Arians. For making them to keep silent the Arian Eparkos living in
Constantinople orders to behead the scribes in about 350 AD.