Entry of St. Severus the Great into Egypt

Entry of St. Severus the Great into Egypt

“Though I flee for Christ’s sake, yet His word did not flee [from Antioch]; it is close to where the law of the spirit desires to carry it.” - St. Severus the Great of Antioch, Letter 53In his Patriarchal Encyclical commemorating the 1500th anniversary of this event, Patriarch HH Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II writes, "When Justin I, the Chalcedonian, succeeded Anastasius and became Emperor in 518, he severely persecuted the Orthodox Christians and exiled a group of Orthodox bishops. Mor Severus was forced to leave Antioch on September 25, and he arrived in the coastal city of Seleucia. From there, he moved to Egypt on September 29, 518. In the absence of its shepherd, Antioch suffered many harsh persecutions; the Chalcedonians seized the opportunity of the exile of Mor Severus and installed illegal patriarchs, starting thus the line of succession of the Chalcedonian Patriarchs. Our saintly Patriarch continued to administer the Church of Antioch from his exile in Egypt for a period of 20 years. He encouraged the believers to remain faithful to the Orthodox faith and wrote letters encouraging them to endure the persecutions... While we remember the steadfast Orthodox faith of Patriarch Mor Severus the Great – the Crown of the Syriac People – as well as his wisdom in administering the Church of Antioch while he was in exile, we also celebrate his great role in preserving the See of Antioch to this day."Letter of Patriarch St. Severus of Antioch on his flight to Egypt: https://bit.ly/SeverusLetterFlightLecture Series - St. Severus of Antioch (courtesy Urho the Way): https://bit.ly/3pxTeoy Paris 146 and Vat. LXIX