ALEXANDER, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA, ST.

Patriarchate, 312 to April 328, during which the controversy over arianism erupted; b. c. 250; d. Alexandria, April 18, 328. He served prominently under bishops Peter and Achillas and was probably rector of the famous school of Alexandria. In 312 he was elected to succeed Achillas: philostorgius affirmed that arius supported the candidacy of Alexander; Epiphanius of Constantia blamed Arius's frustrated ambition for the subsequent enmity. Alexander gave Arius charge of the important parish of Baucalis. He first encountered opposition from Meletius of Lycopolis, whose rigoristic attitude toward the lapsed had led him into schism against the former bishop, Peter. Alexander had difficulty also with the priest Kolluthus, who had usurped the power to ordain priests and deacons.

In about 318 he received complaints concerning the teachings of Arius, who denied the true divinity of Christ. Alexander first called a conference of the local clergy, and Arius was asked to explain his views. When discussion and persuasion failed to convince him of his errors, Alexander convened a synod of all Egyptian bishops, which condemned and excommunicated Arius. There followed a period of feverish activity on both sides. Arius went to Palestine and Bithynia, where he received support from both Bishop eusebius of caesarea and Bishop eusebius of nicomedia, who wrote to many fellow bishops in Arius's favor. To counteract this propaganda, Alexander circulated numerous letters to expose the erroneous doctrine of Arius and to defend his own course of action. In these he showed himself an adherent of moderate Origenism and insisted especially on the natural, eternal generation of the Son and on His perfect likeness to the Father.

After conquering the East in 324, Constantine I intervened in the conflict and sent hosius of cÓrdoba, his ecclesiastical adviser, to Egypt with a letter for Alexander and Arius, exhorting them to make peace. On Hosius's arrival, Alexander informed him of the true issue at stake and gained a powerful ally. Another Egyptian synod was called; when it failed to bring Arius to submission both prelates suggested holding a general council. At Nicaea I (325), Alexander was among the leaders of the orthodox party and may have had a hand in the inclusion of the term homoousios in the nicene creed.

After the Council, Alexander met with continued opposition from the Meletians, although they had been treated leniently by the decisions of Nicaea. He designated athanasius as his successor. Alexander is venerated as a saint in the Coptic Church. Epiphanius mentions a collection of 70 letters of Alexander, but only two, dealing with the Arian crisis, have survived. A sermon on the soul and body, and one on the Passion of Christ, and fragments of others are also preserved in Coptic and Syriac translations.

Feast: Feb. 26.

Bibliography: h. g. opitz, ed., Athanasius' Werke, v. 3.1 (Berlin 1934) 6–11; 19–29, works. x. le bachelet, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique 1.1:764–766. r. janin, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912) 2:182–183. j. n. d. kelly, Early Christian Doctrines (2d ed. New York 1960) 224–225. j. quasten, Patrologie (Westminster, MD 1950) 3:13–19. v. c. de clercq, Ossius of Cordova (Washington 1954) 189–206. j. r. palanque et al., The Church in the Christian Roman Empire, tr. e. c. messenger, 2 v. in 1 (New York 1953) 1:73–109.

[v. c. de clercq]