Saint Tryphon, Patriarch of Constantinople

Life

In the reign of Emperor Romanos, who ruled Byzantium at the beginning of the tenth century, the emperor's son Theophylact was sixteen years old when Patriarch Stephen died. The emperor wished to elevate his son to the patriarchate, for he had dedicated him to the spiritual vocation from his earliest years, but on account of his minority was ashamed to do so. The patriarchal throne was occupied by Tryphon, a simple but pure and pious elder. And Tryphon remained on the throne for three years. When the emperor's son reached his twentieth year, the emperor resolved by all means to remove Tryphon and install his own son as patriarch. The man of God Tryphon was unwilling to withdraw from the throne voluntarily for no other reason than that he considered it a great scandal for so young a man to be elevated to so responsible and weighty a position as the patriarchate. Then through the intrigue of a certain wicked bishop, the signature of the guileless Tryphon was obtained on a blank sheet of paper, and afterward above that signature a supposed letter of resignation from the patriarch was written at the imperial court, which the emperor made public. A great disturbance arose in the Church on account of this, for the people and the clergy stood by Tryphon, the man of God. Then the emperor forcibly removed the old patriarch and sent him to a monastery; and elevated his son Theophylact to the patriarchate. Saint Tryphon lived in the monastery as an ascetic for two years and five months, and departed to the Lord in the year 933.