Holy Hierarch Philogonios, Archbishop of Antioch

Saint Philogonios of Antioch

Today, the twentieth of December, is – along with being the feast-day of the glorious and right-victorious God-bearing hieromartyr Saint Ignatios of Antioch – the feast-day of Saint Philogonios, another of the great and holy early primates of Antioch. It is truly meet that today we remember both the third and the twenty-second primates of Antioch, for both were bold confessors of Christ and both shared a great love for the living Truth and for the right beliefs of the Church. Saint Philogonios was also a ‘social justice saint’, who while he was still in his sæcular life was a scholar of the law who defended the poor, the widows and orphans from the predations of the rich and greedy. When he was anointed archbishop of Antioch, he was among the first of the hierarchs of the Church to oppose the hæresy of Arius.

We do not know much about the early life of Saint Philogonios [Gk. Φιλογόνιος, Ar. Faylûjûnûs فيلوجونوس]. We do know, however, that he was well-spoken and thus probably also well-educated. According to his hagiography, he was married and had one daughter. The Latin hagiography departs somewhat from the Ægyptian and Greek hagiographies, however. According to our tradition, after Philogonios’s wife died, he took his property, set aside a portion for his daughter, distributed the rest to the poor and needy, and left the world to become a monk. He had made great progress in the ascetic life before he was chosen as Archbishop. According to the Latin hagiography, he was actually chosen as Archbishop by œconomia, without having become a monk: the canons were dispensed with in his case on account of his great virtue. Whichever is the case, it is clear that the people of Antioch chose Philogonios as their Archbishop on account of his many personal excellences, his vast and profound learning, his ascetic way of life and his true devotion to Christ. His demonstrable love for the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed clearly also had a great deal to do with his election.

The people’s choice of Archbishop was not in error, for it turned out that Saint Philogonios proved to be a wise archpastor, and a keen expounder and defender of the true doctrines and the true knowledge of Christ. According to the eulogy by Saint John Chrysostom, the flourishing of the Church of Antioch in his own day was evidence of Saint Philogonios’s wisdom and careful stewardship. As archbishop he refused all of the comforts and material dignities that his office was due, setting an example for the Church in future generations that, for example, Patriarch Pavle of Serbia of blessed memory followed. Renouncing all such vanities, Saint Philogonios never kept for himself one single denarius or even one extra tunic. He was among the first to denounce the doctrines of Arius, being a close friend of Pope Saint Alexandros of Alexandria, who informed Saint Philogonios by letter of his decision to excommunicate Arius for the second time.

There was a well-documented persecution of Christians under Emperor Maximianus Herculius, under which suffered the holy Antiochian martyrs Barbara, Ioulianē, Hesychios and Theoteknos. There was another politically-motivated persecution of Christians under Emperor Licinius, who campaigned against the Sauromatæ [Ossetians] in the East during this time. Many army officers in this campaign lost their commissions – and possibly also their lives – if they refused to worship the pagan Roman gods; it was during this time also that Saint Abibos of Edessa was martyred.

The Latin and Orthodox hagiographies of Saint Philogonios tell us that he suffered under both of these persecutions for his confession of faith. He may also have been arrested and interrogated for his faith. However, Licinius was defeated in battle by Emperor Constantine and deposed prior to Saint Philogonios’s repose. In addition, the Ægyptian hagiography of Saint Philogonios tells us that he ‘departed in peace’: it is therefore likely that he was released on the orders of Emperor Constantine and restored to his see for the last three months of his life. Holy hierarch Philogonios, right-believing confessor of Christ, defender of the defenceless and needy poor, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!

Apolytikion for Saint Philogonios of Antioch, Tone 4:

In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith,
An image of humility and a teacher of abstinence;
Your humility exalted you;
Your poverty enriched you.
Hierarch Father Philogonios,
Entreat Christ our God
That our souls may be saved.