views on the Head f St. Mark’s Church and again he met
with the same indomitable refusal. Through an ultimatum
that the Emperor sent him through a special messenger,
asking him either to accept the Chalcedonian decrees, or
suffer the consequences, he replied fearlessly and publicly
that he would do no such thing. “The Emperor has power
over his corruptible body of mine”, he told the messenger,
“but my soul belongs to Jesus Christ my Great King. You
can do with me whatever you please ... but I will follow
in the footsteps of my Fathers, the Teachers of the
Apostolic Church”.
Displeased but not giving up, the Emperor decided
to put his prestige on the line and try again in person t
persuade the Alexandrian Pope to comply with his
demand. He invited him to Constantinople, received him
royally and graciously together with the Empress, then
held several private sessions with him. Gently but firmly
and frankly the man-of-God made it clear to the Emperor
that nothing would ever make him deviate from the Faith
defended so boldly and valiantly by all his immortal
predecessors.
- Unable to shake Abba Theodosius by so much as a
hairsbreadth, Justinian banished him^11 and gain an
intruder, named Paul of Tinnis, was imposed on St.
Mark’s Chair. This intruder entered Alexandria
surrounded by imperial troops.
The Egyptians were enraged; they met the
intruder with loud proclamations “This is a new Judas!
Down with the betrayer! Down with the intruder!
Paul of Tinnis remained for a year in Alexandria,
during which no one communicated with him except the
envoy and the troops who accompanied him, the governor
of the city, and his attendants. In desperation, he sent a