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Greek Name Days

5th century

Saint Gennadius I, Patriarch of Constantinople

Patriarch of Constantinople from 458 until his death in 471, a learned interpreter of Scripture who convened a synod that condemned simony, the buying of ordinations.

17 November

Biography

Gennadius I succeeded Patriarch Anatolius on the throne of Constantinople in 458, having previously served as a presbyter in the same Church. Known for his learned writings, he worked to bring heretics back to Orthodoxy and persuaded Emperor Leo I to exile the heretic Peter the Fuller, who had usurped the throne of Antioch.

He would not ordain any priest who did not know the Psalms well, and he convened a synod that condemned simony, the buying of ordinations. He died on 17 November 471.

Sources and further reading