St Athanasius Part Three

On the 7th day of the Coptic Month of Pashons we celebrate the life and struggles of the Patriarch St Athanasius the Apostolic. Part Three, Exiled but never Exited

A Greek historian testified about Athanasius saying: "Athanasius’s fluency in speech and his outspokenness in the council of Nicea brought over him all the hardships that he encountered in his life.” A prophecy of the suffering the young Athanasius would endure during his life. For light creates shadows. The greater the light, the more shadows it casts. The young Athanasius demonstrated such Divinely inspired eloquence that the devil made him his target for the reminder of his life.

After the passing of Pope Alexander, the patriarch of Alexandria, whom Athanasius had served many years, there was a renowned unified calling to make Athanasius the new Patriarch of Alexandria. This beguiled the wicked followers of Arianism. They crafted false charges against the great saint, and convened their own council at Trye to levy these allegations against the new Pope. Most of the attendants were Arians, and against Athanasius.

One of these charges alleged that Athanasius had killed a bishop sympathetic to the Arians. The Arians brought two arms of a dead person and claimed that they were the arms of Arsanius. Then Arsanius, who had shown himself to Athanasius prior to the council’s beginning, was brought in, and showed his arms to the council and declared his regrets. The Arians said that Athanasius was a sorcerer and he was able to make arms for him. They became violent against Arsanius who left the council and went to the Emperor.

Despite all the charges being rebuked, the sneaky Arius brought all the false charges against Athanasius before the Emperor. Using the fake council as proof of the new Pope’s guilt. Athanasius was called to the Emperor, but many loyal to Arius prevented his appearing. The Emperor gave his order to exile Athanasius to France in February 5th., 335 A.D. where its bishop had met him with great honor.

Arius died a horrible death and it was said: "God made Arius to die in a public washroom, where his bowels poured out of his body, and the people regarded his death as a punishment from the Divine Justice."
When the Emperor heard about the death of Arius, he recognized the innocence of Athanasius, and recommended while he was on his death bed, in the year 337 A.D. that Athanasius be returned to Alexandria.

But the remaining Arians did not stop. They assembled another fake council, where they excommunicated Athanasius. They appointed instead someone called Gregory, and they sent their decision to Pope Julius, ArchBishop of Rome. Pope Athanasius assembled a council in Alexandria in 340 A.D. where he protested against the Arians, then he wrote a letter to all the churches to declare his innocence.

However, the Arians influenced new Emperor, as well as some weak church leaders, to recognize Gregory as the Pope of Alexandria. But Gregory and his fellow Arius demons, raped Alexandria of her wealth and purity. The people of Alexandria were horrified, and decided to resist, but the Arians attacked the churches.

Pope Athanasius sought the help of all the churches in the world, left his Seat, and traveled to Rome. A council was assembled in Sardica, where they declared:
a. The innocence of Pope Athanasius b. Confirmed the cannons of the Nicean Creed.
c. They excommunicated the Arian bishops.
d. Deposed Gregory from his office.


Athanasius returned for the second time to his Chair, and the people received him with joy. Gregory the Theologian, the writer of the liturgy, described this reception saying: "The people came as the flood of the Nile," and he also pointed out to the palm branches, the carpets, and the many clapping of hands.

The Arians did not like the return of Athanasius to...