† இன்றைய புனிதர் †
(செப்டம்பர் 10)
✠ புனிதர் புல்ச்செரியா ✠
(St. Pulcheria)
கிழக்கு ரோமப் பேரரசின் பேரரசி:
(Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire)
பிறப்பு: ஜனவரி 19, 398 அல்லது 399
கான்ஸ்டன்டினோபிள்
(Constantinople)
இறப்பு: ஜூலை 453
அனேகமாக கான்ஸ்டான்டினோபிள்
(Probably Constantinople)
ஏற்கும் சமயம்:
ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை
(Roman Catholic Church)
கிழக்கு மரபுவழி திருச்சபை
(Eastern Orthodox Church)
நினைவுத் திருவிழா: செப்டம்பர் 10
புனிதர் ஏலியா புல்ச்செரியா, கிழக்கு ரோமப் பேரரசரான (Eastern Roman Emperor) தமது இளைய சகோதரர் இரண்டாம் தியோடோசியஸின் (Theodosius II) சிறுவயது ஆட்சி காலத்தில், பைசண்டைன் பேரரசின் (Byzantine Empire) ஆட்சிப் பிரதிநிதியாக (Regent) இருந்தவரும், கிழக்கு ரோமப் பேரரசின் பேரரசர் மார்சியனை (Marcian) திருமணம் செய்ததன் மூலம் அப்பேரரசின் பேரரசியுமாவார்.
பைசண்டைன் பேரரசர் (Byzantine Emperor) “ஆர்கேடியஸ்” (Arcadius), மற்றும் பேரரசி “ஏலியா யூடோக்ஸியா” (Empress Aelia Eudoxia) ஆகியோரின் மூத்த மகளான இவர், கி.பி. 415ம் ஆண்டு, தமது பதினைந்தாம் வயதில், தமது இளைய சகோதரரான இரண்டாம் தியோடோசியஸின் பாதுகாவலராக ஆட்சிப் பொறுப்பை எடுத்துக்கொண்டார். மேலும் “அகஸ்டா – பேரரசி” (Augusta - Empress) என்று பறைசாற்றினார். தமது சகோதரர் ஆட்சியின்போது அரசியல் சக்தியை மாற்றிக்கொண்டிருந்தாலும், புல்ச்செரியா குறிப்பிடத்தக்கவராக இருந்தார். கி.பி. 450ம் ஆண்டு, ஜூலை மாதம், 26ம் நாளன்று, தமது சகோதரர் இரண்டாம் தியோடோசியஸ் மரித்ததும், கிழக்கு ரோமப் பேரரசர் மார்சியனை (Marcian) திருமணம் செய்ததன் மூலம் அப்பேரரசின் பேரரசியானார். அதே சமயத்தில், கன்னித்தன்மைக்கான தமது சத்திய பிரமாணத்தை மீறாமலும் இருந்தார். மூன்று வருடங்கள் கழித்து, கி.பி. 453ம் ஆண்டு, அவர் மரித்தார்.
புல்ச்செரியா, திருச்சபை வரலாற்றில் மிக முக்கியமான “எபேசஸ் மகாசபை” (The Council of Ephesus) மற்றும் “சால்செடன் மகாசபை” (The Council of Chalcedon) ஆகிய இரண்டு கிறிஸ்தவ ஆலோசன மகாசபைகளை நடத்த வழிகாட்டியதன் மூலம் கிறிஸ்தவ திருச்சபை மற்றும் அதன் இறையியல் வளர்ச்சியில் பெரிதும் செல்வாக்கு கொண்டிருந்தார். ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபையும், கிழக்கு மரபுவழி திருச்சபையும் இவரை புனிதராக ஏற்கின்றன.
† Saint of the Day †
(September 10)
✠ St. Pulcheria ✠
Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire:
Born: January 19, 398 or 399
Constantinople
Died: July 453
Probably Constantinople
Venerated in:
Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast: September 10
Saint Aelia Pulcheria was Regent of the Byzantine Empire during the minority of her brother Theodosius II, and empress by marriage to Marcian.
She was the second (and oldest surviving) child of Byzantine Emperor Arcadius and Empress Aelia Eudoxia. In 415, the fifteen-year-old Pulcheria took over the reins of government as the guardian of her younger brother Theodosius II and was also proclaimed "Augusta" (Empress). Pulcheria had significant, though changing, political power during her brother's reign. When Theodosius II died on 26 July 450, Pulcheria provided a successor by marrying Marcian on 25 November 450, while simultaneously not violating her vow of virginity. She died three years later, on July 453.
Biographical selection:
“Thanks to you, the scandals stimulated by the evil spirit were suppressed. Thanks to your efforts, the whole earth today are united in the confession of the same Faith.”
With these words, Pope St. Leo the Great paid tribute to Empress Pulcheria (399-453), grand-daughter of Theodosius. She was baptized by St. John Chrysostom in Constantinople and while still very young, she made a vow of virginity along with her two younger sisters.
Six years after her father, Arcadius, died, the Senate proclaimed her Augusta (empress) and named her regent of her younger brother Theodosius II. Pulcheria was 15 years old when she assumed the full responsibility of the government. It is rare in History to find so much prudence joined with such great precocity.
At age 20, Theodosius married Athenais, daughter of a pagan philosopher of Athens. His wife, who received the name Eudoxia when she was baptized, sought to weaken Pulcheria’s influence over the Emperor. Eudoxia ended by persecuting her sister-in-law and favouring the heresy of Nestorius, while St. Pulcheria supported St. Cyril of Alexandria against the heretic. Pulcheria was removed from power and withdrew from the court.
In 441 Eudoxia was exiled because of her infidelity to the Emperor, and Pulcheria returned. Theodosius was supporting the heresy of the monk Eutyches, but Pulcheria convinced him to withdraw it and follow St. Leo the Great.
In 450 Theodosius died. Pulcheria was again proclaimed Empress. One year later the Council of Chalcedon (451) – she assisted at its third session - condemned Monophysitism, the heresy of Eutyches. In a letter to the Empress Pulcheria, St. Leo credited her with overcoming the heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches.
On her return from exile, she found the Empire threatened by Attila. She agreed to marry General Marcian to maintain the stability of the Empire on the condition that he respects her vow of virginity. Together they governed the Empire. Marcian persecuted the Nestorians and followers of Eutyches, recalled the Catholic Bishops who had been exiled by Theodosius, and kept Attila outside the boundaries of the Empire. St. Pulcheria died in 453 at age 54.
Comments:
It is the most beautiful life! Life was full of lessons that deserve commentaries.
First, you can see the very important role of elites in giving a good example in the customs and protecting the Catholic Religion. In his eulogy of St. Pulcheria, St. Leo the Great gave her the credit for the bad customs being suppressed and the whole earth having the same unity of Faith. This happened because a certain woman who consecrated herself to God was raised to the imperial throne, held the reins of the government, and used this power and influence to favour a Saint who was a Pope, St. Leo, and the Patriarch of Alexandria, St. Cyril.
Above all, the Catholic Religion must have holy priests, bishops, and Popes. But often this is not enough. It is also necessary to have saints in the principal posts of the civil order. The life of St. Pulcheria teaches us that the laypeople also have an important role to play in building Christian Civilization and defending the Church. The clergy, even with saints as Pope and Bishops, was not able by itself to extirpate the heresies of Nestorianism and Monophysitism.
Second, St. Pulcheria’s first care was for the service of God. She consecrated herself as a virgin; she was the regent of her brother; she fought against the bad influence of her sister-in-law; she was exiled but did not abandon the good cause; she returned and helped it conquer. Her only concern was to make the cause of God victorious.
Third, there is one point that is not clear in this admirable life. Given her influence over her brother, why did she allow him to marry Eudoxia? The latter was the daughter of a pagan, and eventually caused an enormous problem for the cause of God. The selection does not mention who arranged that marriage. Would it have been a concession on the part of St. Pulcheria? It is possible. Then, she would not have been a saint yet. Was there a good reason for that marriage? Perhaps. At any rate, it was made with a high price, since St. Pulcheria was exiled because of it and the heresiarchs Nestorius and Eutyches were protected by Eudoxia. Once again, it follows the same principle, with a good Empress, everything goes well; with a bad Empress, everything worsens.
Fourth, it is interesting to notice what happened with Attila. When he came to the West, he did not go straight to the Western Roman Empire. First, he tried to invade the Eastern Roman Empire. He was defeated there and then decided to enter Western Europe where he caused the devastation we know. We can see the role of the Holy Empress who through her prayer and action decisively kept those terrible enemies out of the Empire.
What should we ask of St. Pulcheria? We should ask her for the grace to understand and make understood with renewed ardour our role as laymen in temporal society following the plan of Divine Providence. That is, to serve God and Holy Mother Church living in the temporal order and transforming it into a true Christendom.
~ Late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
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