August 30: Saint Alexandros, Archbishop of Constantinople

Today the Church celebrates and honours the sacred memory of Saint Alexandros, the Archbishop of Constantinople. Saint Alexandros lived at the time of the first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great. He was one of the Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Synod which, in 325, in Nicaea, condemned the Arian heresy. The Archbishop of Constantinople at that time was Saint Mitrofanis, but, since he was very old and sick he was represented at the synod by Alexandros, who was still a priest. It was often the case that, for a variety of reasons, bishops were represented at synods by priests.