CrucisSt. Eulogius of Alexandria
St. Eulogius of Alexandria was a Syrian by birth who became a monk and priest at Antioch before being chosen Patriarch of Alexandria about 580, an office he held for some twenty-seven years during the reign of the Emperor Maurice. He governed the great Church of Egypt in an age torn by the lingering divisions over the Council of Chalcedon, laboring to win back to Catholic unity those who had embraced the Monophysite denial of the two natures in Christ.
A learned and prolific theologian, he wrote many works defending the orthodox faith, chiefly against the Monophysites and other errors, of which only fragments and summaries survive, several preserved by the later patriarch Photius. He was a close friend and correspondent of Pope St. Gregory the Great in Rome, and the affectionate letters that passed between the two great bishops are a witness to the unity of East and West in that age. Esteemed for his zeal, learning, and holiness, he died about 607 or 608. He is venerated as a saint, his memory kept on 13 September.
Selected quotes
“Pray for the unity of the Church, that the seamless robe of Christ be not torn by the quarrels of men.”
“Knowledge of doctrine without humility breeds pride; let learning bow before the One it seeks to know.”
“The Word did not cease to be God when He became man; He took up our nature without laying down His own.”