CrucisSt. Germanus of Constantinople
St. Germanus of Constantinople was born around 634 and died around 733. He rose to become patriarch of Constantinople in 715, serving as the chief bishop of the Byzantine Church during a turbulent period of war, heresy, and imperial interference in Church affairs. He was known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary and composed homilies and hymns in her honor.
When the Emperor Leo III inaugurated the iconoclast movement, ordering the destruction of sacred images, Germanus stood firm in defense of the ancient practice of venerating icons, teaching that such honor passes to the one represented and does not violate the worship due to God alone. Rather than yield to the emperor's demands, he resigned his office in 730 and withdrew into retirement, suffering for the faith. He is venerated as a saint and an early confessor for the holy images, whose veneration the Church would later solemnly uphold.
Selected quotes
“In the holy icons we behold not wood and color only, but the faces of those who now behold God.”
“The Church on earth sings with the Church in heaven, and the liturgy joins the two in one praise.”
“Hail, O Mother of God, the bridge that leads the earthbound to heaven.”