Cyril of Jerusalem

Cyril of Jerusalem (Greek: Κύριλλος Α΄ Ἱεροσολύμων, Kýrillos A΄ Hierosolýmōn; Latin: Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus; c.313^[3]– 386) was a theologian of the Early Church. About the end of AD 350, he succeeded Maximus as Bishop of Jerusalem, but was exiled on more than one occasion due to the enmity of Acacius of Caesarea, and the policies of various emperors. Cyril left important writings documenting the instruction of catechumens and the order of the Liturgy in his day and his old age

Cyril is venerated as a saint within the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. In 1883, Cyril was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII.

The Roman Catholic Church maintains an Optional Memorial for Cyril on 18 March.^[4] Cyril is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration on 18 March.^[5] He should not be confused with Cyril of Alexandria.

Little is known of his life before he became a bishop; the assignment of his birth to the year 315 rests on conjecture.^[6] According to Butler, Cyril was born at or near the city of Jerusalem and was well-read in both the writings of the early Christian theologians and the Greek philosophers.^[7]

Cyril was ordained a deacon by Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem in about 335 AD and a priest some eight years later by Bishop Maximus. Around the end of 350 AD, he succeeded Maximus in the See of Jerusalem, although the evidence for this relies on the Catecheses written by Cyril where he refers to himself as "bishop". Jerome also suggests Cyril was an Arian at this stage.^[8][9][a]

Cyril is described as a preacher and liturgist by the pilgrim Egeria.^[10]

Relations between MetropolitanAcacius of Caesarea and Cyril became strained. Acacius is presented as a leading Arian by the orthodox historians, and his opposition to Cyril in the 350s is attributed by these writers to this. Sozomen also suggests that the tension may have been increased by Acacius's jealousy of the importance assigned to Cyril's See by the Council of Nicaea, as well as by the threat posed to Caesarea by the rising influence of the seat of Jerusalem as it developed into the prime Christian holy place and became a centre of pilgrimage.^[11]

Acacius charged Cyril with selling church property.^[12] The city of Jerusalem had suffered drastic food shortages at which point church historians Sozomen and Theodoret report "Cyril secretly sold sacramental ornaments of the church and a valuable holy robe, fashioned with gold thread that the emperor Constantine had once donated for the bishop to wear when he performed the rite of Baptism",^[13] possibly to keep people from starving.

For two years, Cyril resisted Acacius' summons to account for his actions, but a church council held under Acacius's influence in 357 AD deposed Cyril in his absence, and Cyril took refuge with Silvanus, Bishop of Tarsus.^[14] The following year, 359 AD, in an atmosphere more hostile to Acacius, the Council of Seleucia reinstated Cyril and deposed Acacius. In 360 AD, this was reversed by Emperor Constantius again,^[15] and Cyril suffered another year's exile from Jerusalem until the Emperor Julian's accession allowed him to return in 361.^[16]

نُفي كيرلس من القدس مرة أخرى على يد الإمبراطور الآريوسي فالنس عام 367 ميلادي، لكنه تمكن من العودة بعد وفاة فالنس عام 378 ميلادي، وبقي فيها دون مضايقة حتى وفاته عام 386 ميلادي. وفي عام 380 ميلادي، وصل غريغوريوس النيصي إلى القدس بناءً على توصية من مجمع أنطاكية الذي عُقد في العام السابق. وبدا أنه وجد الإيمان في حالة جيدة، لكنه كان قلقًا من أن المدينة كانت فريسة للأحزاب وفاسدة أخلاقيًا. ^{[ 17 ]} وقد أكد مجمع القسطنطينية الأول (381 ميلادي)، الذي حضره كيرلس، صراحةً ولايته على القدس. ^{[ 18 ]} وفي ذلك المجمع، صوّت لصالح قبول مصطلح " هوموسيوس " (الذي يُحدد طبيعة العلاقة بين "الله الآب" و"الله الابن")، بعد أن اقتنع أخيرًا بأنه لا يوجد بديل أفضل. ^{[ 8 ]} ربما تكون قصته أفضل مثال على أولئك الأساقفة الشرقيين (ربما الأغلبية) الذين كانوا في البداية غير واثقين من نيقية، والذين انتهى بهم الأمر إلى قبول عقيدة ذلك المجمع، ومذهب التماثل الجوهري . ^{[ 19 ]}

على الرغم من أن لاهوته كان في البداية غامضًا بعض الشيء في صياغته، إلا أنه بلا شك التزم التزامًا تامًا بالمذهب الأرثوذكسي النيقاوي . حتى وإن تجنب مصطلح "homoousios" المثير للجدل ، فقد عبّر عن معناه في العديد من المواضع، مستبعدًا بذلك كلًا من مذهب باتريباسيان ، ومذهب سابيل ، وصيغة "كان هناك وقت لم يكن فيه الابن" المنسوبة إلى آريوس . ^{[ 17 ]} وفي نقاط أخرى، اتخذ الموقف المعتاد للآباء الشرقيين، كما في تأكيده على حرية الإرادة، ومفهوم " autexousion " (αὐτεξούσιον)، وفي نظرته إلى طبيعة الخطيئة. فبالنسبة له، الخطيئة هي نتيجة الحرية، وليست حالة طبيعية. الجسد ليس سبب الخطيئة، بل هو أداتها. وعلاجها هو التوبة، التي يشدد عليها. ومثل العديد من الآباء الشرقيين، يركز على الحياة الأخلاقية السامية باعتبارها جوهرية للمسيحية الحقيقية. إن عقيدته في القيامة ليست واقعية تمامًا كعقائد آباء آخرين؛ لكن تصوره للكنيسة تجريبي بامتياز: فالكنيسة القائمة هي الشكل الحقيقي الذي قصده المسيح، وهو تكملة لكنيسة العهد القديم . أما تفسيره لسرّ القربان المقدس فهو محل خلاف. يرى البعض أنه يميل أحيانًا إلى الرؤية الرمزية، رغم تأكيده على عقيدة واقعية راسخة. فالخبز والخمر ليسا مجرد عنصرين، بل هما جسد المسيح ودمه. ^{[ 20 ]}

تزخر كتابات كيرلس بطبيعة الله المحبة والمتسامحة، وهو أمرٌ كان نادرًا في عصره. يُغني كيرلس كتاباته بعباراتٍ رائعة عن قوة التسامح الشافية والروح القدس ، مثل: "يأتي الروح القدس برفقٍ ويُعرّف بنفسه من خلال عبيره. لا يُشعر به كعبءٍ لأن الله نور، نورٌ ساطع. تتدفق أشعة النور والمعرفة أمامه مع اقتراب الروح. يأتي الروح القدس بحنان الصديق الحقيقي ليُخلّص، ويُشفي، ويُعلّم، ويُرشد، ويُقوّي، ويُعزّي". وقد اتبع كيرلس نفسه رسالة الله في التسامح مراتٍ عديدة طوال حياته. ويتجلى ذلك بوضوحٍ في منفاه الرئيسيين حيث تعرّض للعار وأُجبر على ترك منصبه وشعبه. لم يكتب قط، ولم يُظهر أي ضغينةٍ تجاه من ظلموه. وقد أكّد كيرلس على موضوعي الشفاء والتجديد في تعاليمه المسيحية. ^{[ 21 ]}

من الأفضل النظر إلى محاضرات كيرلس الثلاث والعشرين الشهيرة التي ألقاها على الموعوظين في القدس أثناء تحضيرهم للمعمودية وبعدها، من جزأين: تُعرف المحاضرات الثماني عشرة الأولى باسم المحاضرات التعليمية ، أو الخطب التعليمية ، أو المواعظ التعليمية ، بينما تُسمى المحاضرات الخمس الأخيرة غالبًا بالمواعظ السرية ^{( μυσταγωγικαί )} ، لأنها تتناول الأسرار (μυστήρια) أي أسرار المعمودية والتثبيت والإفخارستيا . [ ²² ]

His catechetical lectures (Greek Κατηχήσεις, Katēchēseis)^[23] are generally assumed, on the basis of limited evidence, to have been delivered either in Cyril's early years as a bishop, around 350 AD, or perhaps in 348 AD, while Cyril was still a priest, deputising for his bishop, Maximus.^[24] The Catechetical Lectures were given in the Martyrion, the basilica erected by Constantine.^[19] They contain instructions on the principal topics of Christian faith and practice, in a popular rather than scientific manner, full of a warm pastoral love and care for the catechumens to whom they were delivered. Each lecture is based upon a text of Scripture, and there is an abundance of Scriptural quotation throughout. In the Catechetical Lectures, parallel with the exposition of the Creed as it was then received in the Church of Jerusalem are vigorous polemics against pagan, Jewish, and heretical errors. They are of great importance for the light which they throw upon the method of instruction usual of that age, as well as upon the liturgical practises of the period, of which they give the fullest account extant.^[18]

It is not only among us, who are marked with the name of Christ, that the dignity of faith is great; all the business of the world, even of those outside the Church, is accomplished by faith. By faith, marriage laws join in union persons who were strangers to one another. By faith, agriculture is sustained; for a man does not endure the toil involved unless he believes he will reap a harvest. By faith, seafaring men, entrusting themselves to a tiny wooden craft, exchange the solid element of the land for the unstable motion of the waves."^[25]

In the 13th lecture, Cyril of Jerusalem discusses the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The main themes that Cyril focuses on in these lectures are Original sin and Jesus' sacrificing himself to save us from our sins. Also, the burial and Resurrection which occurred three days later proving the divinity of Jesus Christ and the loving nature of the Father. Cyril was very adamant about the fact that Jesus went to his death with full knowledge and willingness. Not only did he go willingly but throughout the process he maintained his faith and forgave all those who betrayed him and engaged in his execution. Cyril writes "who did not sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, did not revile, when he suffered did not threaten".^[26] This line by Cyril shows his belief in the selflessness of Jesus especially in this last final act of Love. The lecture also gives a sort of insight to what Jesus may have been feeling during the execution from the whippings and beatings, to the crown of thorns, to the nailing on the cross. Cyril intertwines the story with the messages Jesus told throughout his life before his execution relating to his final act. For example, Cyril writes "I gave my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to blows; and my face I did not shield from the shame of spitting".^[27] This clearly reflects the teachings of Jesus to turn the other cheek and not raising your hands against violence because violence just begets violence begets violence. The segment of the Catechesis really reflects the voice Cyril maintained in all of his writing. The writings always have the central message of the Bible; Cyril is not trying to add his own beliefs in reference to religious interpretation and remains grounded in true biblical teachings.

Danielou sees the baptism rite as carrying eschatological overtones, in that "to inscribe for baptism is to write one's name in the register of the elect in heaven".^[28]

Soon after his appointment, Cyril in his Letter to Constantius^[29] of 351 AD recorded the appearance of a cross of light in the sky above Golgotha, witnessed by the whole population of Jerusalem. The Greek church commemorates this miracle on 7 May. Though in modern times the authenticity of the Letter has been questioned, on the grounds that the word homoousios occurs in the final blessing, many scholars believe this may be a later interpolation, and accept the letter's authenticity on the grounds of other pieces of internal evidence.^[30]

Cyril interpreted this as both a sign of support for Constantius, who was soon to face the usurper Magnentius, and as announcing the Second Coming, which was soon to take place in Jerusalem. Not surprisingly, in Cyril's eschatological analysis, Jerusalem holds a central position.^[31]

Matthew 24:6 speaks of "wars and reports of wars", as a sign of the End Times, and it is within this context that Cyril read Julian's war with the Persians. Matthew 24:7 speaks of "earthquakes from place to place", and Jerusalem experienced an earthquake in 363 at a time when Julian was attempting to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.^[32] Embroiled in a rivalry with Acacius of Caesarea over the relative primacy of their respective sees, Cyril saw even ecclesial discord a sign of the Lord's coming.^[33]

"In His first coming, He endured the Cross, despising shame; in His second, He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving glory. We rest not then upon His first advent only, but look also for His second."^[34] He looked forward to the Second Advent which would bring an end to the world and then the created world to be made anew. At the Second Advent he expected to rise in the resurrection if it came after his time on earth.^[35]

There has been considerable controversy over the date and authorship of the Mystagogic Catecheses, addressed to the newly baptized, in preparation for the reception of Holy Communion, with some scholars having attributed them to Cyril's successor as Bishop of Jerusalem, John.^[b] Many scholars would currently view the Mystagogic Catecheses as being written by Cyril, but in the 370s or 380s, rather than at the same time as the Catechetical Lectures.^[c]

According to the Spanish pilgrim Egeria, these mystagogical catecheses were given to the newly baptised in the Church of the Anastasis in the course of Easter Week.^[19]

• Liturgy of Saint James
• Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross
• Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, patron saint archive

• The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, 3rd Edition, Donald Attwater and Catherine Rachel John, New York: Peguin Putnam Inc., 1995, ISBN 0-14-051312-4
• Lives of the Saints, For Every Day of the Year edited by Rev. Hugo Hoever, S.O.Cist., PhD, New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1955
• Omer Englebert, Lives of the Saints New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994, ISBN 1-56619-516-0
• Lane, A. N. S., & Lane, A. N. S. (2006). A concise history of Christian thought. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic.
• Van, N. P. (1 January 2007). 'The Career Of Cyril Of Jerusalem (C.348–87): A Reassessment'. The Journal of Theological Studies, 58, 1, 134–146.
• Di Berardino, Angelo. 1992. Encyclopedia of the Early Church. New York: Oxford University Press.
• In Cross, F. L., & In Livingstone, E. A. (1974). The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press.

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