Saint Achillas
Patriarche
d'Alexandrie (+ 312)
Patriarche d'Alexandrie,
il était d'abord chargé de l'enseignement de la foi à l'École catéchétique
d'Alexandrie. Il ne fut patriarche que quelques mois. Il est célèbre par son
érudition, sa foi et la sainteté de sa vie. Maître en science philosophique, il
le fut plus encore quand il devint disciple du Divin Maître.
À Alexandrie, en 312, saint Achillas, évêque, remarquable par son érudition, sa
foi, sa vie et ses mœurs.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/7132/Saint-Achillas.html
Saint Achillas
Élevé au sacerdoce par
l’archevêque d’Alexandrie Théonas (282-300), en même temps que l’illustre
Piérios, saint Achillas se rendit célèbre par sa sagesse et sa conduite
évangélique, digne de servir de modèle à tous les chrétiens. Il fut chargé de
l’enseignement de la foi et assura quelque temps la direction de l’École
catéchétique fondée par Piérios. Après l’exécution de saint Pierre, le dernier
martyr de la Grande Persécution (cf. 24 novembre), il fut consacré archevêque
d’Alexandrie. Mais il n’occupa cette charge que quelques mois, pendant lesquels
il s’efforça de réorganiser l’Église ébranlée par la persécution. Après son
décès, survenu en juin 312, saint Alexandre fut élu pour lui succéder (cf. 29
mai).
SOURCE : https://foi-orthodoxe.fr/vie-des-saints/juin/saint-achillas-patriarche-dalexandrie/
Blessed Achilleo of
Alexandria
Also
known as
Achilla
7
November in some calendars
Profile
Priest, ordained in
the late 3rd
century. Director of the famous school in Alexandria, Egypt. Bishop of Alexandria in 311.
Though he only led his see for a few months, he was known for preaching and writing against Arianism.
Additional
Information
Roman Martyrology, 1914 edition
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Blessed Achilleo of Alexandria“. CatholicSaints.Info.
8 January 2022. Web. 12 June 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-achilleo-of-alexandria/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-achilleo-of-alexandria/
St. Achillas
Feastday: November 7
Death: 313
Bishop and theologian who
lived in an era of dispute in the Church. Achillas was the bishop of
Alexandria, Egypt, one of the most powerful cities in the world at the time.
Succeeding as bishop a man named St. Peter the
Martyr, Achillas ordained Arius, who was to begin the influential heresy of
Arianism. When Achillas recognized the untruths in Arius' preaching, he took
steps to defend the faith and
was attacked by Arius and
another heretical group called the Meletians. Achillas remained firm in the
faith. A council held in Alexandria condemned Arius and
forced him to flee to Palestine. Achillas, however, did not live to see this
condemnation.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1099
Article
ACHILLAS (St.) Bp. (Nov.
7) (4th cent.) The Patriarch of Alexandria who succeeded St. Peter the Martyr.
Deceived by the hypocrisy of the afterwards notorious heretic Arius, he
ordained him priest. Two years later (A.D. 313) St. Achillas passed away,
reverenced by all for his many virtues, and had for his successor St.
Alexander, who was followed by the great St. Athanasius.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Achillas”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 30 April 2012.
Web. 12 June 2024. <http://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-achillas/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-achillas/
Saint Achillas' Story
Bishop and theologian who
lived in an era of dispute in the Church. Achillas was the bishop of
Alexandria, Egypt, one of the most powerful cities in the world at the time.
Succeeding as bishop a man named St. Peter the Martyr, Achillas ordained
Arius, who was to begin the influential heresy of Arianism. When Achillas
recognized the untruths in Arius' preaching, he took steps to defend the faith
and was attacked by Arius and another heretical group called the Meletians.
Achillas remained firm in the faith. A council held in Alexandria condemned
Arius and forced him to flee to Palestine. Achillas, however, did not live to
see this condemnation.
SOURCE : https://www.saintsfeastfamily.com/copy-of-st-achillas-nov-7
Saint of the Day – 7
November – Saint Achillas (Died 313) Bishop, Confessor
Posted on November
7, 2023
Saint of the Day – 7
November – Saint Achillas (Died 313) Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, Confessor,
Scholar particularly in Philosophy and Theology. Bishop St Theonas had Ordained
him to the Priesthood and appointed Achillas as the Head of the Catechetical
School of Alexandria upon the departure of St Pierius, for Rome, who we
celebrated on 4 November. Born in Alexandria, Egypt and died there in 313 of
natural causes. Also known as – Archelaus, Achillas of Alexandria, … of
Egypt, “Achillas the Great.”
The Roman Martyrology
states of him today: “At Alexandria, blessed Achillas, a Bishop renowned for
erudition, faith and purity of life.”
Achillas is less
well-known than his contemporary, Arius. But, while one has gone down in
history as one of the most notorious of all heretics, the other is honoured, as
one who kept the True Faith to the end.
Achillas was, a complete
Alexandrian, where he was born some time in the 3rd Century. The City was one
of the theological centres of Christendom – which made it an attractive target
for heretics. Sabellius came to Alexandria in the early 3rd Century, teaching
the heresy that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all just different modes
of one Divine person.
St Theonas,
excommunicated Sabellius. His successor, Peter, had to contend with Meletius,
who preached that those who had fallen away in persecution would have to be
re-Baptised. Peter also had to discipline Arius. Before Peter was Martyred he
nominated Achillas to succeed him.
As a former Head of
Alexandria’s Catechetical School, Achillas was unlikely to be deceived by
theological error. But, he was able to be deceived by his own kindness and
merciful gentleness towards repentant sinners and by such a clever and wily man
as Arius. Arius seems to have convinced Achillas that he, Arius, had changed
and should be allowed back into the fold of the Church. Achillas eventually
realised his mistake and started to oppose Arius publicly. He died without
seeing the final victory of orthodoxy. After his death, Arius nominated himself
to become Bishop of Alexandria but the clergy and the people, chose Alexander.
St Jerome lamented that
“because, as a spark in Alexandria, he was not extinguished, Arius became a
conflagration which laid waste the world!” But, for his efforts, Achillas has,
nevertheless, been recognised as a Saint. St Athanasius (297-373), later the
Archbishop of Alexandria and, the Doctor of the Church, described our St
Achillas by the honourific “Achillas the Great.”
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Saint of the week Achillas
(November 7)
An Alexandrian life
Achillas is less well-known than his contemporary Arius. But while one has gone
down in history as one of the most notorious of all heretics, the other is
honoured as one who kept the faith.
Achillas was, through and
through, a man of Alexandria (pictured), where he was born some time in the 3rd
century. The city was one of the theological centres of Christendom – which
made it an attractive target for heretics. Sabellius showed up in the early 3rd
century, teaching that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all just different
modes of one divine person.
Heresies and patriarchs
St Theonas, the “pope” of Alexandria, excommunicated Sabellius. His successor,
Peter, had to contend with Meletius, who preached that those who had fallen
away in persecution would have to be re-baptised. Peter also disciplined Arius.
Achillas succeeded Peter.
As a former head of Alexandria’s catechetical school, Achillas was unlikely to
be deceived by theological error. But he was able to be deceived by as smooth
an operator as Arius.
Arius’s spark
Arius seems to have convinced Achillas that he, Arius, had changed and should
be allowed back into the fold of the Church. Achillas eventually realised his
mistake and started to oppose Arius publicly. He died without seeing the final
victory of orthodoxy.
St Jerome lamented that
“because as a spark in Alexandria he was not put out, Arius became a
conflagration that laid waste the world.” But for his efforts, Achillas has
nevertheless been recognised as a saint.
SOURCE : https://catholicherald.co.uk/saint-of-the-week-achillas-november-7/
Beato Achilleo
(Sant'Achilla) Vescovo di Alessandria
Festa: 13 giugno
† 312
Non si hanno molte
notizie sulla sua vita, sebbene sia ricordato da Eusebio, da sant' Atanasio e
da Socrate, i quali ne tessono grandi lodi. Secondo Eusebio Achilla fu ordinato
sacerdote insieme con san Pietro dal vescovo Teona (282-300) e, prima della sua
elezione a vescovo, divenne direttore della celebre scuola di Alessandria,
allora rinomata in tutto l'Oriente. Nel 311, quando era già vecchio, succedette
nella sede episcopale della stessa città a san Pietro, morto martire per la
fede il 25 novembre dello stesso anno. L'episcopato di Achilla ebbe la durata
di pochi mesi, perché egli morì il 13 giugno 312, come attesta lo scrittore
Severo di al-Asmunayn, autore della storia dei patriarchi copti. Secondo altri,
invece, Achilla sarebbe morto il 3 giugno, giorno in cui è commemorato in
alcuni sinassari greci. Alla morte di Achilla, poi, fu eletto vescovo di
Alessandria sant' Alessandro, che insieme con sant' Atanasio doveva divenire
campione della fede cristiana contro Ario. I copti hanno escluso Achilla dal
loro calendario, per la sua supposta condiscendenza verso Ario; secondo alcune
fonti, infatti, il celebre eresiarca avrebbe ricevuto proprio da lui il
sacerdozio: della validità di questa affermazione non si ha, tuttavia. nessuna
prova. Negli antichi martirologi latini Achilla non è ricordato. Adone per
primo, nel sec. IX, lo inserì nel suo martirologio, desumendone l'elogio dalla
Storia ecclesiastica di Eusebio, e gli assegnò arbitrariamente, secondo il suo
metodo, il 7 novembre.
Etimologia: Achille
= bruno, scuro, dal greco
Martirologio
Romano: Ad Alessandria d’Egitto, beato Achílleo, vescovo, che rifulse per
cultura, fede, condotta di vita e costumi.
La figura di Beato Achilleo, Vescovo di Alessandria vissuto tra la fine del III e l'inizio del IV secolo, emerge dalle pagine di storia come un faro di sapienza e fede in un periodo tumultuoso per il primo Cristianesimo. Sebbene le informazioni pervenuteci siano frammentarie, la sua memoria è stata tramandata da illustri personaggi come Eusebio di Cesarea, Sant'Atanasio e Socrate Scolastico, che ne tessono un elogio unanime.
Secondo Eusebio, Achilleo fu ordinato sacerdote insieme a San Pietro dal Vescovo Teona (282-300). Prima di assumere la carica episcopale, divenne direttore della rinomata Scuola di Alessandria, un centro di cultura e teologia di primaria importanza nel mondo antico. In questo ruolo, Achilleo ebbe modo di trasmettere il suo sapere e la sua fede a numerosi discepoli, contribuendo alla formazione di nuove generazioni di cristiani.
Nel 311, ormai anziano, Achilleo succedette al Vescovo Pietro, martirizzato per la fede il 25 novembre dello stesso anno. Il suo episcopato, seppur breve, fu segnato da un impegno profondo nella guida della comunità cristiana di Alessandria. Achilleo si distinse per la sua saggezza, la sua rettitudine morale e la sua incrollabile fede, diventando un punto di riferimento per i fedeli in un periodo di grandi sfide.
Achilleo morì il 13 giugno 312, lasciando un'eredità spirituale preziosa. La sua figura fu venerata fin dai primi secoli del Cristianesimo, come attestato dalla sua menzione negli antichi martirologi latini. Adone, nel IX secolo, lo inserì nel suo Martirologio, fissandone la commemorazione al 7 novembre, data che oggi non viene più riportata nel Martirologio Romano.
Mentre la sua santità non è mai stata messa in discussione, alcuni scritti copti sollevano dubbi sulla sua posizione in merito all'eresia ariana. Secondo queste fonti, Achilleo avrebbe addirittura ordinato sacerdote Ario, il celebre eresiarca che negava la natura divina di Cristo. Tuttavia, l'attendibilità di tali affermazioni è incerta e non trova riscontro in fonti storiche più autorevoli.
Autore: Franco Dieghi
