The Departure of St . Kyrellos (Cyril), Bishop of Jerusalem .

On this day of the year 386 A .D . the holy father Anba Kyrellos (Cyril), Bishop of Jerusalem,departed . This father was chosen in the year 348 A .D . as a successor for Anba Maximus, Bishopof Jerusalem, for his knowledge and righteousness . He did not stay long on his Chair, until acontention arose between him and Acacius Bishop of Caesarea about who had the right to be inprimacy over the other . Kyrellos argument in that he was the successor of St . James, one of theTwelve Disciples .Anba Kyrellos had sold some of the church vessels and distributed the money on the needybecause of a famine that befell the land of Palestine . Acacius took this chance and made an effortto obtain an order to exile him from the country . Anba Kyrellos was exiled without any onelistening to his case . In the year 359 A .D ., he appealed his case before the council of Seleucia .The council called Acacius to hear from him his argument, but he did not attend, so they judgedby removing him from his office, and the return of Kyrellos to his Chair (Parish) . He did not staylong for Acacius went and enticed emperor Constans to assemble a council at Constantinople andthe Arian bishops agreed with him . This council convened in the year 360 A .D . and ordered toexile this saint once more .When Constans died, and was succeeded by Julian who ordered the return of all the exiledbishops to their chairs . This saint returned to his chair in the year 362 A .D . and shepherded hispeople faithfully and honestly, but he resisted the Arians . They went to emperor Valens the Arianwho invalidated the order of his predecessor Julian stating the return of the exiled bishops to theirchairs . This way St . Kyrellos was exiled for the third time, where he remained until the death ofValens in the year 379 A .D . When Theodosius the great reigned and assembled the one hundred268fifty in a council against Macedonius (The second universal council), this father attended, andopposed Macedonius, Sabilius and other heretics . This Saint composed many Homilies andExhortations, exceedingly profitable, in the Doctrines of faith and old traditions then departed inpeace .May his prayers be with us . Amen .