Today, January 30, the Church celebrates the Three Hierarchs, the patrons of Letters.
Who were the three Hierarchs and why do we honor them?
With the term Three Hierarchs, we briefly refer to the three prominent Saints and theologians, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Gregory of Nazianzus.
For their wisdom and their Christian life, the Orthodox Church called them saints and they celebrate each one individually. But because of a disagreement among Christians over which of the three offered the most, it was decided and established by the end of the 4th century that there should be a common celebration for all three on January 30 of each year.
A large group of believers and priests were divided into three, depending on which of the three hierarchs they considered more important. Thus, the Johannites, the Gregorites and the Basilites were created. In order to relieve factions within the Orthodox Church and while each of the three Fathers of the Orthodox Church had his own feast, the scholar and Metropolitan of Euchaeton John the Black (1000 – 1070), introduced the feast of the Three Hierarchs into the church.
What unites the three Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, is that all three fought a theological battle in favor of the triune nature of God, which during the time they lived was strongly challenged by Arius and his supporters. The Three Hierarchs seem to have had a common path as they were born around the region of Cappadocia, lived in the same period of time, had similar studies – all three studied philosophy and rhetoric – had common teachers, fought Arianism, developed friendship with each other and lived an ascetic life.
The names celebrating today are as follows:
Archontis, Archontion, Archontionas, Archontia, Archonti, Archontoula, Archontissa, Archonto
Black, Black-skinned, Black-skinned, Black-skinned
Chryssi, Chryssa, Chrysalia, Chrysavgi, Chrysoula,
Silia, Chrystalla, Chrystallia
Aura
The Three Hierarchs
The Christian Church jointly honors the three Great Fathers and Ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. In Greece, they are honored as patrons of education and letters. The first time they were celebrated in this capacity was on January 30, 1842. A year earlier, specifically on August 9, 1841, the Academic Council of the Othoniou University (now the National Kapodistrian University of Athens – NKUA), proclaimed the Three Hierarchs as patrons of Greek Letters and Education.
The feast of the Three Hierarchs was introduced into the church in the mid-11th century by the scholar and metropolitan of Euchaeton John Mauropodas (1000-1070), during the reign of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (1000-1055).
Mauropodas's aim was to present these three prominent figures of Christianity as the foremost champions of the Trinitarian doctrine and to put an end to the factionalism that was brewing within the body of the church as to which of the three hierarchs was the greatest. It is characteristic that at that time a large number of priests and believers had been divided into three groups: the Johannites, the Gregorites and the Basilites.
The feast of the Three Hierarchs, in addition to its ecclesiastical character, also has an educational meaning for us. It is considered the feast of Greek letters, since the Three Hierarchs contributed to the development of Christian teaching, in combination with the development of ancient Greek letters.
The educational character of the feast of the Three Hierarchs was established on August 9, 1841, by the academic council of the Othoniou University (now the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and was first celebrated on January 30, 1842. In the following years, the celebration was extended to all levels of education.
Apolytikion of Three Hierarchs – JANUARY 30
King Basil the Great
Saint Basil, or King of Caesarea, was a bishop of Caesarea and is considered the Father of the Church and one of the greatest theologians of the Orthodox Church. His contribution to Christian theology is considered fundamental while he is also credited with the "divine liturgy of the Great Kingdom". Basil the Great studied in Athens and considered the study of classical writers and Greek philosophy very important, of course from a Christian perspective. His contribution to the development of letters and charity made him one of the greatest figures of the Christian tradition.
John Chrysostom
It is believed that his language "dripped honey" as he was the most charismatic orator of his time. He served as Patriarch of Constantinople and dedicated his life to the development of charity. In fact, the daily meals he organized fed 7.000 people!
In the field of philosophy, he may have rejected the theories of the ancient Greeks about God, but he did not hesitate to use the instrumental methods of their philosophy in order to develop a systematic theology.
In his life he was a model ascetic while he did not fail to condemn those priests who were rich in their capacity. Such was the harsh criticism of the Emperors that the court eventually persecuted and exiled him. But his fame surpassed him since he is considered a Saint by almost all Christian denominations.
Gregory the Nazianzen
Also known by the nickname "theologian", Gregory was the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 4th century. His influence on Trinitarian theology is considered so significant that he became known as the "Trinitarian Theologian". Most of his works influence modern theologians, especially with regard to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. He was a friend of the Great Kingdom as well as of the brother of Saint Gregory of Nyssa.
He was a strong follower of letters and wanted to bridge the gap between Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking theologians of his time. Apart from being an excellent theologian, however, he was also a very good poet, having written several poems on theological and moral issues.
The final abolition of the holiday of the Three Hierarchs
Thus, from 1842 until 2020, the Three Hierarchs were celebrated at all levels of education, which was delayed on their feast day. This holiday was abolished in 2020, during the ministry of Niki Kerameos, and until a few days ago it only concerned tutoring centers and foreign language centers.
Source: newsbomb.gr
