www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology St. Gregory Palamas

I read recently in "LOGOS" that +Nicholas Samra, Melkite Auxiliary Bishop of Newton, writes that Saint Gregory Palamas is a Saint in the Melkite Catholic Church. Is Gregory so honored in all the other Eastern Churches as well? I personally derive many blessings from the Saint's writings.
Silouan, monk

Monksilouan,

I believe that he's in the Ruthenian horologion(?) (calendar of saints) as well.

S'nami Boh!

Darrenn

Patriarch Josyp (Slipjy) of blessed memory restored the commemoration of St. Gregory Palamas on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Fast for the Ukrainian Catholic Church. It is in the Typikon for the UCC for the 2nd Sunday of the Great Fast. UCC Bishop Basil Losten discusses the commemoration and merits of St. Gregory Palamas in his tome on the Great Fast "Paschal Pilgramage".

The "Triads" of St. Gregory Palamas are essential reading to all interested in Eastern Christian theology in general and hesychastic spirituality in particular.

The Ruthenian Catholic Metropolia recognizes St. Gregory Palamas as a saint also. He is "optionally" comemorated on the second Sunday of Lent. I have fought on this issue with our priest and last year we did Palamas for Matins and St. Polycarp for Divine Liturgy. I'm shooting for full comemoration of St. Palamas next lent.

Your blessing, father Silouan,

In the translation of the Byzantine "Liturgikon" into French by the Melkite bishop Neophytos Edelby, of blessed memory, who took part in II Vatican Council with blessed patriarch Maximus IV of Antioch, there is no conmemoration of (Saint) Gregory Palamas nor in his feast day nor in the Second Sunday of Great Lent. In the introduction to the Second Sunday of Lent (Melkites use this day a new oficce in Arabic on the Veneration of Holy Relics)Bishop Neophytos sais that on this day the orthodox do conmemorate the memory "of Gregory Palamas".

The veneration of Gregory Palamas among the Slavs is much greater than among Melkites or even among Greeks. Years ago I was talking with a Greek orthodox theologian about this topic, a common friend of us (Greek orthodox as well) asked us "What is "hesychasmos", is it a kind of heresy?".

I have nothing to say about Palamas' writings, as far as I have not read all his work, but i can say that not all orthodox agree with Palamas's theories about "increated and inmaterial light" or the distinction among "God's substance" and "God's energies", I think that these theories are not neccesary for our comprenhension of God's mistery, although I can agree with "Theosis" theory, which, by the way, is not of Gregory Palamas.

I suppose I have good theological and ecclesiological reasons that make me not to consider G. P. a saint (although I respect those who do so). But I have also historical reasons. The canonization of Gregory Palamas few years after his death and the way his doctrine was proclaimes official teaching of the Orthodox Chuch by patriarch Filotheos Kokkinos and Constantinople synods by the insertation of Palamas name in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy and the excommunion of all his enemies is too suspicious and uncannonical for me. In the time he was canonizated by Constantinople Palamas was not a saint for the "Orthodox" people of God (not for the "Orthodox" people of Thessaloniki, where he was Archbishop, certainly) but rather for Palamas's disciples (Filotheos Kokkinos)and byzantine Emperor.

Here you can find some informations about the historical period Gregory Palamas lifed and his participation in Byzantine civil wars by Stefan Crisbasan:

"In the fourteenth century, the influence of the hesychast(gr. isihia - silence), known as the Jesus Prayer monasticism, which went across linguistic, national and political boundaries, was able to establish a new sense of Orthodox unity and thus to limit the impact of the Western influence. The byzantine hesycahsts were traditional suporters in East of the dogmatic and cannonic riguour before the imperial politics.

What is the hesychast movement? In the last years of Andronicos III's reign, a small but influential group of Mount Athos, were perfecting a method of prayer and meditation, which enabled them to see the divine light with mortal eyes, or to become illumined be the aura of Transfiguration. They were known as the hesychasts, the men that leave alone in peace with God. The meditation is not a goal in itself. The goal is to attain the vision of the divine light through which he might attain union, however momentary with God and become itself deified.

Deification or theosis was always supposed to be within the reach of a pure heart. The Latins suspected this doctrine to be misguided and dangerous, but the hesychasts of the fourteenth century were not breaking new ground. They were developing the practices and the theology of a long and unbroken Tradition of Orthodox mysticism.

They were denounced by an Italian Greek called Barlaam of Calabria, a humanist scholar monk. Barlaam challenged their theology, which was seen by many as being of an outsider into the field of Orthodox truth.

The man who rose to the challenge was Gregory Palamas, himself a monk and the main formulator of the hesychast doctrine. Barlaam was supported by his fellow monks at Athos and by John Cantacuzene who, though he admired Barlaam's erudition, believed the theology of the hesychast to be perfectly Orthodox. A council of bishops examined the case was held by the Patriarch, which took place on June 1341. Barlaam was condemned and left for Italy.

Two months later another monk rose to challenge the hesychast theology, Gregory Akindynos. In a council held this time chaired by Cantacuzene following the repose of the patriarch Andronicos III. Akindynos was condemned and Palamas again vindicated. The debate had a political turnout of rivalry between the John Cantacuzene and the Patriarch John. The Patriarch made out of Palamas a protege of Cantacuzene, assisted by Gregory Akindynos. Palamas was arrested in Constantinople and then excommunicated. Here Cantacuzene derived for him invaluable benefit having behind him the religious authority of the monks of Mount Athos. His political victory in 22 of May 1347 inevitably entailed the spiritual victory of Hesychasm. The Patriarch was deposed and denounced and his place was taken by a hesychast monk.
Saint Gregory Palamas was appointed to the see of Thesalonica".

In 1349 Gregory becomes Archbishp of Constantinople thanks to the support of the hesychast emperor John VI Kantakouzenos, but the people of Thesalonike opposed his election and did not allow him to establish himself in the city until many years later. Then Gregory Palamas had no problem to send Emperor's army againts the Christians of his eparchy, who refused him as Archbishop. Many Thessalonians were dead in the walls of the city by Emperor's army. Well I am sory that in that moment I can not provide you with more hystorical documents in this moment. I promisse you that I will provide you with more hisrorical fonts in future. But I hope that you will understand that to consider Gregory Palamas a saint , at least from the historical point of view, it is not so easy as some of you can imagine.

More information abot emperor John IV, the personal friend of Gregory Palamas and the Emperor who brough the Turks from Minor Asia to fight against the Christians who did not accept him as emperor:

John VI Kantakouzenos (1346-54).

a. John declared himself emperor in 1341 after the death of Andronikos III, but a civil war broke out between him and the supporters of the regency, led by Ann of Savoy.

b. Social and religious factionalism complicated the situation, as Kantakouzenos was supported by both the religious and the political zealots.

c. Hesychasm also separated the two sides.

d. Supported by Dušan and the Ottoman Sultan Orhan, Kantakouzenos finally made good his claim to the throne in 1346/47.

e. Dušan himself, however, was the real victor, and he even called himself "emperor of the Serbs and the Greeks."

f. Kantakouzenos' foreign policy was decidedly anti-Latin, and he continued to rely on the Turks for aid.

g. Opposition to Kantakouzonos centered around the legitimate emperor John V, and John VI was forced to abdicate in 1354. He entered a monastery and became a famous literary figure, writing a history of considerable importance.

Civil Wars are something really awful, and we, Spaniards, know it very well, Gregory Palamas was not only a theologian (whose orthodoxy I will not judge in this moment) but also an historical personality, who took part in a bloody Civil War supporting a non legitime emperor (that means a "trator" according to Byzantine law). Gregory Palamas, was, as historians tell us, the bishop who send Emperor's army againts his own spiritual folck. Well, if you still consider him a saint...I just wonder what the word "saint" means for you or for the Catholic Church. The word "saint" means for me a Christian who is now in heaven, an intercessor and a model of Christian life and virtue for other Christians.

Dear Francisco,

I'm extremely busy at meetings today, but I wanted to briefly comment on your post on Gregory Palamas.

Number one - do not be offended if I suggest you read some scholarly commentaries on his life, Meyendorff and Kallistos Ware's article on him in the Lenten Triodion, for example.

There is no longer any disagreement on Palamas between Catholics and Orthodox and your concerns, although valid, can be better informed.

Secondly, and from the hagiographic point of view, your concerns about his manner of canonization/glorification unfortunatley betrays a latent Latin triumphalist attitude toward the Orthodox in general that is both unecumenical and unbecoming so educated a man as yourself.

There are many examples of "questionable" processes of canonization of Latin saints as well, speed with which they are canonized etc. There was some controversy over the speed with which Pope St Pius X was canonized, as you know.

There are those who question the many beatifications and canonizations of our current Pope - I've seen Spanish-language publications call him the "Saint-making machine."

The fact that a Patriarch who was sympathetic to him as his student canonized St Gregory Palamas takes nothing away from its validity. Pope John Paul II, for example, reversed the decision of Pope Paul VI with respect to the Polish St Maximilian Kolbe and had him formally declared a martyr.

The Pope also sped up the process of Faustina Kowalska who, lo and behold, was from his Archbishopric of Cracow. I don't hear any RC's complain about that.

During the canonization of the Carmelite Martyr, St Raphael Kalinowski, the Papal sermon tended to centre around a Polish patriotic theme, according to some American Carmelites who attended the ceremony in Rome. No one complained beyond that.

The fact that the Pope, as a Pole, has beatified and canonized more Polish saints that ever in Poland's history - I wonder if his Polish background has ANYTHING to do with that? Would that number have entered the calendar without a Polish Pope? Yet, you have said not one word about that nor did you put "saints" or "catholic" in parentheses as you did for "orthodox" which you spelled with a small "o."

I find that offensive since I too am "Orthodox but in communion with Rome."

Catholics of the Latin Church have a history of attacking Orthodox saints because the Eastern processes of canonization are not, in their rationalistic minds, as "precise" and "demanding" as theirs.

Frankly, that's a sickening argument. The emphasis your Church places on scientific "proof" for miracles and the exorbitant sums of money expended on the "business" of saint-making is scandalous from a spiritual and material point of view.

It is also rather bad manners, from a religious point of view, to treat Saints of another Church the way you seem to be doing.

Fr. Holweck in his "Dictionary of Saints" mentions how Spain appropriated for its own Church saints who were clearly not Spanish - how place-names representing no one were written as "Saints" into the calendar etc. And all this was later discovered and discarded by the Bollandists - truly a tragic page in the history of the Church.

You are at the beginning of your examination and appreciation of the Eastern Church.

I sincerely believe, as you yourself admitted, that you need to read Palamas and commentaries on him, before passing judgement on him, as you have, unacceptably, done here.

You are an educated man who only needs more reading on this subject to come to a more comprehensive appreciation and understanding of it.

May God bless you.

Alex

My dearest Alex,

I suposse that an Orthodox, or a Eastern catholic like bishop Neophytos Edelby (a Melkite) can put in doubt the holyness of Gregory Palamas but I can not do so because I am a Latin and I am suspicious of "a latent Latin triumphalist attitude toward the Orthodox". You use several time expressions like "your church", "Latin saints" "Catholics of the Latin Church have a history of attacking Orthodox saints", "to treat Saints of another Church the way you seem to be doing", "Spain appropriated for its own Church saints", "You are at the beginning of your examination and appreciation of the Eastern Church", that make me really sad. I though that we, although of different nationalities and liturgical traditions, were members of the same Church. "Disciples of Paul, of Christ, of Apollo, Is the Body of Christ divided?" In the Church of Christ there are no "Greeks" nor "Jews". Dearest Alex, when Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, was attending the sessions of the Second Oecumenical Council in the year 381 there was a strong discussion among Easterns and Westerns, Gregory hoping to reconciliate both sides said (I do not remember by heart, probably you will know better than me )"Westerns, Easterns, may God borfid me use other name than that of my Lord Jesus Christ who died a in the cross for my sins". If you really think that my attitude towards Orthodox is that of a "a latent Latin triumphalism ", I must tell you that you have understood nothing of what I have said (probbly that is my fault and not yours). If you think I am just suspicious just becouse of being Spanish, well I am terribly sorry.

If I spell "orthodox" with small "o" is because I use it as adjetive. If I have writen "Orthodox" (name) with small "o" is just because my English is not so good.

Do you think that it was necessary to talk about Spain (Have I writen something about Canada or Ukrania?). By the way probably you will know that Spanishs say that the relics of Saint James the Elder (brother of S. John the Theologian) were brough to Spain from Palestine, well you must know that the historical evidences say that IT IS COMPLETELY FALSE that the relics of S. James were broug to Spain. The relics of S. James are probably in Jerusalem Armenian Cathedral. After that, I hope you will allow me to use historical evidences when talking about Gregory Palamas.

You say I did not put "saints" or "catholic" in parentheses or questionated the processes of canonization of Latin saints. Well I have not done so because everybody knows that "Roman" processes of canonization during the last years are not serious at all. Some "Latin" "saints" whose holiness I question: Emperor Henry II (the guy that made the pope Benedict insert the filoque in the creed of the Roman mass), the "saints" and "beates" of the Spanish Civil War (that Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI considered not martyrs but victims of political violence), Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer (Opus Dei), ...By the way in the Orthodox Church there are not proccesses of canonization, all the martyrs are considered saints.In the Orthodox Church is the people of God who dicide who is a saint and who is not that is why I consider Gregory Palamas's process a bit suspicious, because it was quite similar to the Latin ones, but I will try to read more about Palamas, who knows, may be he was not as bad as I think after all, I will give him a second oportunity. But do not forget that to consider someone saint or not has nothing to do with his nationality or liturgical tradition. Easterns also make mistakes (probably less than Westerns), only God is perfect.

Dear Francisco,

Forgive me, Brother in Christ, for any misunderstanding that I have about your intentions concerning the East etc.

I am only responding to what I perceive you to be saying and when I speak critically it is not of you, but of the ideas put forth that I am sensitive to because, perhaps, of a "natural" suspicion of Latins .

I mentioned the Spanish situation because it was a good example of problems with hagiography, according to Fr. Holweck and because one's own saints are always the ones we know best.

If you perceive that I brought in your Spanish background in any negative way, I ask your forgiveness for that was not my intention. I too am of partial Spanish background.

As for belonging to the same Church - we belong to the Catholic Church of Christ whose Whole is present in the Particular Churches that comprise it. "My Church" is the Particular Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. "Your Church" is the Particular Latin Catholic Church of Spain. And yet we are both of the same Church of Christ.

I ask your forgiveness as we both enjoy the riches of Christ in all our traditions.

Alex

You do not need to ask my perdon but if I have said something offensive I must say to you that I am very sorry. As we say in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy before Holy Communion and on Dairy Sunday vespers "Forgive me, brother, as I forgive you". I understand pretty well you "natural" suspicion of "Latins". Your brother in Christ.

Has anybody got the recently published volume of homilies by St. Gregory Palamas? My book budget is very small these days, so I pay a lot of attention to personal recommendations.

http://www.light-n-life.com/landl-c...Category=&Search=palamas&istart=

Vicki Williams

Holy Father Gregory, pray unto God for us and heal our Divisions, O Thou, who taught of the Uncreated Light!

"Rejoice, pride of our holy fathers; rejoice, voice of inspired theologians, tabernacle of inward stillness, dwelling place of knowledge and throne of doctrine; spiritual ocean where action and contemplation blend, healer of human illness.
You are the temple of the Spirit, o Father who are dead and yet still alive"

Svitlen (Hymn of Light) for Matins of St. Gregory Palamas

St Mark the Archbishop of Ephesus
Ephesus (1457)
Troparion in tone 4

By your profession of faith, O all-praised Mark
The church has found you to be a zealot for truth.
You fought for the teaching of the fathers;
You cleared away the towering darkness.
Intercede with Christ to grant forgiveness to us who honor you!

Kontakion in tone 3
Clothed with invincible armor, O blessed one,
You opposed the western fallacy,
Serving as the mouthpiece of the paraclete.
Therefore we cry to you:
Rejoice, Mark, the boast of the Orthodox!

Amin! Better no union than a false one, and even Latin historians now agree that the Union of Florence was a coercive and political document, not a true communion in the Holy Spirit. When the unity of the Churches is achieved, it will not be due to the machinations of princes, secular or temporal, but from a universal witness to the truth.

By the way, Francisco, most of the stuff you wrote about both Palamas and John Cantecuzenus was dated and excessively polemical. I can recommend more recent scholarship (Catholic, Orthodox and secular), if you are interested.