Saint Theodore
Celebrated 19th September
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Saint Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury (668-690) . He was a Greek from Tarsus, the home of Saint Paul. He was a highly-educated monk living in Rome who was quickly advanced through all the clerical ranks and consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury at the age of sixty-five.
Saint Theodore arrived in Kent in 669, when he was almost seventy. In spite of his age, he was quite energetic, travelling throughout England founding churches and consecrating bishops to fill those Sees which were left vacant by an outbreak of plague. He also created new Sees and established a school in Canterbury where Greek was taught.
In Northumbria, Saint Theodore settled a dispute involving episcopal succession. Saint Wilfrid had been elected Bishop of Lindisfarne, and he travelled to Gaul to be consecrated by a Roman bishop, because he would not accept consecration from a Celtic bishop. In the meantime, Saint Chad, or Ceadda (March 2), had been elected and uncanonically consecrated because Wilfrid remained in Gaul for three years. Although Saint Theodore deposed Saint Chad, he recognized his worthiness to be a bishop. He regularized the consecration, then sent Saint Chad to be Bishop of Mercia. Saint Wilfred was restored to his See.
Saint Theodore summoned a council of the entire English Church at Hertford in 672. Not only was this the first church council in England, it was the first assembly of any kind attended by representatives from all over the country.
He died in 690 .
Celebrated 19th September
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
Saint Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury (668-690) . He was a Greek from Tarsus, the home of Saint Paul. He was a highly-educated monk living in Rome who was quickly advanced through all the clerical ranks and consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury at the age of sixty-five.
Saint Theodore arrived in Kent in 669, when he was almost seventy. In spite of his age, he was quite energetic, travelling throughout England founding churches and consecrating bishops to fill those Sees which were left vacant by an outbreak of plague. He also created new Sees and established a school in Canterbury where Greek was taught.
In Northumbria, Saint Theodore settled a dispute involving episcopal succession. Saint Wilfrid had been elected Bishop of Lindisfarne, and he travelled to Gaul to be consecrated by a Roman bishop, because he would not accept consecration from a Celtic bishop. In the meantime, Saint Chad, or Ceadda (March 2), had been elected and uncanonically consecrated because Wilfrid remained in Gaul for three years. Although Saint Theodore deposed Saint Chad, he recognized his worthiness to be a bishop. He regularized the consecration, then sent Saint Chad to be Bishop of Mercia. Saint Wilfred was restored to his See.
Saint Theodore summoned a council of the entire English Church at Hertford in 672. Not only was this the first church council in England, it was the first assembly of any kind attended by representatives from all over the country.
He died in 690 .