Saint Gennadius I (d.471) was the twenty-first Patriarch of Constantinople from 458 to 471. Gennadius is seen to have been a learnt writer and followed the Antiochene school of literal exegesis although little writings has been left about him. He is celebrated in the Greek Menaea on August 25 and November 17, and on the former day in the Roman-Martyrology.

Biography

His first public writing was quoted by Facundus (Defensio, II, iv) against Saint Cyril of Alexandria in two works, probably in 431 or 432, including a passage to show that his work was more violent even than the letter of Ibas. The Anathemas of Cyril and Two Books to Parthenius were criticized. In the latter he exclaims, "How many times have I heard blasphemies from Cyril of Egypt? Woe to the scourge of Alexandria!" In 433 Gennadius probably reconciled with Cyril. If Saint Cyril's letter of 434 (Ep. lvi) is to the same Gennadius, they were friends in that year. Gennadius was a presbyter at Constantinople when he succeeded Anatolius in 458 as the Bishop of Constantinople. From the beginning of his episcopate Gennadius proved his zeal for the Catholic faith and the maintenance of discipline. His discretion was before long tested.

Timothy Aelurus, the Monophysite who made himself the Patriarch of Alexandria and was later chased from the Patriarchate by order of the Roman emperor, had obtained leave to come to Constantinople, intending, by a pretence of Catholicism, to re-establish himself on his throne. On June 17, 460, Pope Leo I warned Gennadius (Ep. clxx) against Timothy Aelurus and urged him to do his utmost to prevent the voyage of Timothy, and to secure the immediate consecration of an orthodox prelate for Alexandria. All happened as Leo desired; Timothy Aelurus was banished to the Chersonese, and Timothy Solofaciolus was chosen bishop of Alexandria in his stead. About the same time, Gennadius' liberality, penetration, and desire for order was observed in his appointment of Marcian, a Novatianist who had come over to the orthodox church, the chancellor of the goods of the church of Constantinople.

Two Egyptian solitaries told John Moschus a story which is also recorded by Theodorus Lector. The church of Saint Pope Eleutherius at Constantinople was served by a reader named Carisius, who led a disorderly life. Gennadius severely reprimanded him in vain. According to the rules of the church, the patriarch had him flogged, which was also ineffectual. The patriarch sent one of his officers to the church of Saint Eleutherus to beg that holy martyr either to correct the unworthy reader or to take him from the world. Next day Carisius was found dead, to the terror of the whole town. Theodorus also relates how a painter, presuming to depict the Saviour under the form of Jupiter, had his hand withered, but was healed by the prayers of Gennadius.

About the same time Saint Daniel the Stylite began to live on a column of Pharos near Constantinople, apparently without the Patriarch's leave, and certainly without the permisslon of Gelasius, the owner of the property where the pillar stood, who strongly objected to this strange invasion of his land. The Emperor Leo protected the ascetic, and some time later sent Gennadius to ordain him priest, which he is said to have done standing at the foot of the column, because Saint Daniel objected to being ordained and refused to let the bishop mount the ladder. At the end of the rite, however, the patriarch ascended to give Holy Communion to the stylite and to receive it from him. Whether he then imposed his hands on him is not said. Possibly he considered it sufficient to extend them from below towards the saint. According to Theodorus Lector, Gennadius would allow no one to become a cleric unless he had learned the Psalter by heart. He made Saint Marcian oeconomus of the Church of Constantinople.

The buying and selling of holy orders was a crying scandal of the age. Measures had been taken against simony by the council of Chalcedon. It seems not later than 459, Gennadius celebrated a great council of eighty-one bishops, many of whom were from the East and even from Egypt, including those who had been dispossessed of their sees by Timothy Aelurus. The letter of this council against simony is still preserved (Mansi, VII, 912). An encyclical was issued, adding anathema to the former sentence.

Gennadius died at Constantinople August 25, 471. He stands out as an able and successful administrator for whom historian have roundly praised.

Biblical works

John Moschus said of Gennadius to have been very mild and of great purity. Gennadius of Marseilles said of Gennadius was lingua nitidus et ingenio acer, and so rich in knowledge of the ancients that he composed a commentary on the whole Book of Daniel. The continuation of Jerome's Chronicle by Marcellinus Comes tells us (according to some manuscripts) that Gennadius commented on all epistles of Saint Paul.

Principal fragments of his biblical works include Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Hebrews, and are interesting specimens of 5th century exegesis. Some fragments are collected in Migne, P.G., LXXXV, chiefly from the two catenae of Cramer on Romans; a few passages are found in the catena of Aecumenius, others in the catenae of Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, and a few in the Vienna MS. gr. 166 (46). The text on Romans, a series of explanatory remarks on isolated texts, is the most important.

Sources

• Bolland. AA. SS. Aug. 25, p. 148;
• Ceillier, x. 343.
• Gennadius, CP. Patr., Patr. Gk. lxxxv. p. 1611, etc.;
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia.

 [1] (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06416a.htm) 

• This article uses text from A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies (http://www.ccel.org/w/wace/biodict/htm/TOC.htm) by Henry Wace. [2] (http://www.ccel.org/w/wace/biodict/htm/iii.i.xxxvii.htm#iii.i.xxxvii)