Timothy I of Alexandria

Saint Timothy I was the twenty-⁠second bishop of Alexandria, primate of the Church of Alexandria from 380 or 381 until his repose around 384 or 385. He was a disciple of Saint Athanasius the Great, brother of Pope Peter II of Alexandria and a participant in the Second Ecumenical Council. He is commemorated on 13 February.

Life

Very little is known of his life. From his youth he knew Saint Athanasius, whose influence is thought to have left deep marks on his thinking. He sold his possessions for the benefit of the Church and the poor, whence the name Timothy the Destitute. He was the brother of Peter II, whom he succeeded, chosen unanimously. The date his reign began is disputed but seems to lie between 378 and 381. He remained patriarch for about five years, until 385, when Theophilus succeeded him.

He was a tireless fighter against Arianism and was distinguished by works of mercy. He built many churches in Alexandria and brought many Arians to the Orthodox faith.

The Second Ecumenical Council

He took part in the Council of Constantinople of 381, called by the emperor Theodosius. According to some, he arrived after the council had begun, under the leadership of Gregory of Nazianzus and Meletius of Antioch. When Meletius died and Gregory withdrew, Timothy is said to have led part of the proceedings. The Fathers of this council preached the oneness of being of the Holy Trinity and defended the right teaching on the Holy Spirit, against those who counted him a creature. The council placed the see of Alexandria third, after Rome and Constantinople, a ruling that Timothy and the bishop of Rome did not accept.

Writings

For his learning, many bishops turned to him with perplexing questions. His eighteen answers on communion and moral purity gained canonical force through the second canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. A letter of his to Diodore of Tarsus survives. The Lives of the Honoured Monks, a collection of lives of venerable saints, is also attributed to him. In an Armenian translation of the fifth century there survive a life of Saint Athanasius the Great written by him and two homilies on the Mother of God.

His memory is kept on 13 February.