Christian Faith but that legated to them by their own
Church Fathers.
- The successor of Anastasius was Emperor Justin I,
whose accession to the throne occurred a short time after
Timotheos III had been elected 32nd Pope of Alexandria.
Timotheos had already proven by word and deed that he
was worthy of the august Chair to which he was elevated,
and that he was a man who had the courage of his
convictions.
Unlike Anastasius, Emperor Justin I was a man
who liked to interfere in theological controversies, and to
impose his way of thinking through the temporal power he
possessed. But neither the Pope of Alexandria nor his
people were the type to accept this. The result was that a
clash occurred between Abba Timotheos and the Emperor
as it was bound to occur in such a situation, and in
consequence the Coptic Patriarch was banished, and many
outrageous acts of oppression and persecution began
against the Copts both as individuals and as a Church.
The gap between the East and the West steadily
deteriorated and widened.^9 Emperor Justin I expended
much effort to try and make the Coptic Pope obey his
wishes. He tried to tempt him with offers of worldly
power, position and gifts. And when he stubbornly
maintained that he would not budget one iota from the
Faith legated to him by his forebears the Emperor got
enraged and ordered his banishment. - Other Eastern Orthodox Church dignitaries were
mistreated in like manner by Justin because of their refusal
to go along with him in the doctrines he wanted to impose
upon them. One of these was Severus, Bishop of
Antioch, whom the Emperor not only banished but also