Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor
S. Cyrilli Alexandrini Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiae Doctoris
Patriarch of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church, and the great defender of the truth that Mary is the Mother of God, who presided at the Council of Ephesus.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria is one of the towering figures of the early Church and a Doctor of the faith. As Patriarch of Alexandria in the first half of the fifth century, he stood as the foremost champion of the Catholic doctrine concerning the Person of Christ, and is honoured above all for his defence of Our Lady’s title Theotokos — Mother of God.
The Council of Ephesus
When it was taught that Mary should be called only the Mother of Christ and not the Mother of God — as though the Son she bore were not truly one divine Person — Cyril rose to the Church’s defence. At the Council of Ephesus in the year 431, over which he presided in the name of the Pope, the Fathers solemnly proclaimed that in Christ there is one Person, the eternal Word made flesh, and that therefore His Mother is rightly called the Mother of God. The faithful of Ephesus are said to have greeted the decree with great rejoicing, escorting the bishops home by torchlight.
Doctor of the Church
Cyril was a writer of vast learning, leaving commentaries on the Scriptures and many works in defence of the faith. His teaching on the unity of Christ became a sure guide for the Church in the controversies that followed. He governed his see until his death about the year 444, and was later declared a Doctor of the Universal Church. To honour Saint Cyril is to give thanks for the gift of right belief, and to renew our love for Mary under the title he so valiantly defended.
The Collect
O God, who didst make blessed Cyril, Thy Confessor and Bishop, an invincible champion of the divine Maternity of the most Blessed Virgin Mary: grant, by his intercession; that we who believe her to be truly the Mother of God may be saved through her motherly protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…
Deus, qui beátum Cyríllum Confessórem tuum atque Pontíficem divínæ Maternitátis beatíssimæ Vírginis Maríæ assertórem invíctum effecísti: concéde, ipso intercedénte; ut, qui vere eam Genitrícem Dei crédimus, materna eiúsdem protectióne salvémur.
Patronage
Saint Cyril is venerated as a Doctor of the Church and a defender of the divine Motherhood of Mary; he is honoured especially in Alexandria and throughout the Eastern Churches.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar, the memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria is observed on 27 June.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Cyril of Alexandria?
In the traditional Roman calendar the feast of Saint Cyril of Alexandria is kept on 9 February as a feast of the Third Class. In the modern calendar his memorial is observed on 27 June.
Why is Saint Cyril important?
Saint Cyril was the chief defender of the doctrine that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and he presided at the Council of Ephesus in 431, which solemnly affirmed this truth and the unity of the Person of Christ.
What does Theotokos mean?
Theotokos is a Greek title meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” It affirms that the Son whom Mary bore is one divine Person, the Word made flesh, and so she is rightly called the Mother of God.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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