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Bishop of Alexandria from 188
to 231. Julius Africanus, who visited Alexandria in the time of Demetrius,
places his accession as eleventh bishop after St. Mark in the tenth year
of Commodus (tenth of Severus, Eus. His. Eccl., VI, ii, is a slip). A
legendary history of him is given in the Coptic "Synaxaria", in an
Abyssinian poem cited by the Bollandists, and in the "Chronicon Orientale"
of Abraham Ecchellensis the Maronite. Three of their statements, however,
may have some truth: one that he died at the age of 105 (born, therefore,
in 126); another, found also in the Melchite Patriarch Eutychius [Sa'id
Ibn Batrik, (d. about 940), Migne, P.G., CXI, 999], that he wrote about
the calculation of Easter to Victor of Rome, Maximus (i.e. Maximinus) of
Antioch and Gabius or Agapius (?) of Jerusalem (cf. Eus., H.E., V, xxv).
Eutychius relates that from Mark to Demetrius there was but one see in
Egypt, that Demetrius was the first to establish three other bishoprics,
and that his successor Heraclas made twenty more.
At all events Demetrius is the first Alexandrian bishop of whom anything
is known. St. Jerome has it that he sent Pantaenus on a mission to India,
but it is likely that Clement had succeeded Pantaenus as the head of the
famous Catechetical School before the accession of Demetrius. When Clement
retired (c. 203-4), Demetrius appointed the young Origen, who was in his
eighteenth year, in Clement's place. Demetrius encouraged Origen when
blamed for his too literal execution of an allegorical counsel of our
Lord, and is said to have shown him great favor. He sent Origen to the
governor of Arabia, who had requested his presence in letters to the
prefect of Egypt as well as to the bishop. In 215-16 Origen was obliged to
take refuge in Caesarea from the cruelty of Caracalla. There he preached
at the request of the bishops present. Demetrius wrote to him complaining
that this was unheard of presumption in a layman. Alexander of Jerusalem
and Theoctistus of Caesarea wrote to defend the invitation they had given,
mentioning precedents; but Demetrius recalled Origen. In 230 Demetrius
gave Origen a recommendation to take with him on his journey to Athens.
But Origen was ordained priest at Caesarea without leave, and Demetrius
with a synod of some bishops and a few priests condemned him to
banishment, then from another synod sent a formal condemnation of him to
all the churches. It is impossible to doubt that heresy, and not merely
unauthorized ordination, must have been alleged by Demetrius for such a
course. Rome accepted the decision, but Palestine, Phoenicia, Arabia,
Achaia rejected it, and Origen retired to Caesarea, whence he sent forth
letters in his own defense, and attacked Demetrius. The latter placed at
the head of the Catechetical School the first pupil of Origen, Heraclas,
who had long been his assistant. But the bishop died very soon, and
Heraclas succeeding him, Origen returned to Alexandria.
source:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04706b.htm
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