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Thursday, November 12
Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite
Sinaxarion

Confessor

Emilian the Confessor

Bishop of Cyzicus

Bishop of Cyzicus, a confessor of the veneration of icons in the time of iconoclasm.

Feast
January 8old style January 21
Era
unknown
Place
Cyzicus
Order
Confessors

Life

Holy Emilian the Confessor, bishop of Cyzicus, lived in the ninth century, in the time of the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820). With other bishops he was summoned to the palace by the emperor, who insistently demanded that the bishops renounce the veneration of the holy icons.

Saint Emilian was the first to answer the emperor firmly that the question of the veneration of icons can be discussed and decided only in the Church, by spiritual men, not in the imperial palace. In the year 815 he was sent into exile for the Orthodox faith and died there as a confessor.

The Synaxarion commemorates him on 21 January and on 21 August (new style).

Commemorated the same day January 8