Pope Theodosius I of Alexandria

Saint

Theodosius I of Alexandria
Saint; Theodosius I of Alexandria
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Papacy began	535
Papacy ended	22 June 566
Predecessor	Timothy III
Successor	Paul/Peter IV
Personal details
Born	Egypt
Died	22 June 566; Egypt
Buried	Saint Mark's Church
Denomination	Coptic Orthodox Christian
Residence	Saint Mark's Church
Sainthood
Feast day	22 June (28 Paoni in the Coptic calendar)

Pope Theodosius I of Alexandria (died June 22, 566) was the last Patriarch of Alexandria recognised by both the Coptic Orthodox Christians and the Chalcedonian Melchites.

After the death of Timothy III (IV), in 535, Gaianus took patriarchal post for three months until the emperor Justinian removed him and replaced him with Theodosius.

As successor to Pope Timothy III (IV), at the request of the Arab king Al-Harith ibn Jabalah al-Ghassani and Empress Theodora's efforts, Jacob Baradaeus ordained a universal bishop in 543/4 AD by Mor Theodosius. He was at first recognized by the Emperor Justinian I and the Eastern Orthodox Church. However, because of his Miaphysite theology, he was rejected by the Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria and exiled by the Emperor Justinian I in 536. In his place, Paul was elected Patriarch.

The community of Miaphysite exiles in Constantinople continued to support Theodosius.

As the Copts continued to recognise Theodosius, the lineage between the Coptic and Melchite split. This split endures until today.

Theodosius spent the last 28 years of his life exiled from Alexandria. He spent some time in Upper Egypt and after his death the Coptic Church elected Peter IV as his successor.

Theodosius’s writings include the ‘Tome to Theodora’ and the ‘Letter to the Armenians’; several of his letters are held in the British Library.

Theodosius is commemorated in the Coptic Synaxarion on the 28th day of Ba'unah (June 5), the day of his death.

References

Specific

↑ E. W. Brooks (1903), "The Dates of the Alexandrine Patriarchs Dioskoros II, Timothy IV, and Theodosius", Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 12(2): 494–497. doi:10.1515/byzs.1903.12.2.494
1 2 3 "Theodosius of Alexandria (d. 566)". Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
↑ "Mor Ya'qub Burdono (St. Jacob Baradaeus)". www.syriacchristianity.info. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
1 2 Coptic Church website, The Departure of St. Theodosius, 33rd Pope of Alexandria
↑ "History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria (Year 661)". Christian Classics and Ethereal Library. Retrieved 20 August 2026.

General

Dietmar W. Winkler: Theodosios von Alexandrien (535–566), Ökumenischer Patriarch der Miaphysiten, in: Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 121 (1999) 396–412.
Dietmar W. Winkler: Theodosios of Alexandria and some theological trends of his time (535–566), in: The Harp. A Review of Syriac and Oriental Ecumenical Studies 21 (2006) 73–89.
"Theodosius I (536)". Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
البابا ثاؤذوسيوس الأول [Pope Theodosius I] (in Arabic). Official website of St. Takla Haymanot's Church. Retrieved 2011-02-13.

Religious titles

Preceded by

Timothy III (IV)

Patriarch of Alexandria
535–536

Succeeded by

Paul I

Coptic Pope
535–567

Succeeded by

Peter IV

[EWB-1] E. W. Brooks (1903), "The Dates of the Alexandrine Patriarchs Dioskoros II, Timothy IV, and Theodosius", Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 12(2): 494–497. doi:10.1515/byzs.1903.12.2.494

[GED-2] 1 2 3 "Theodosius of Alexandria (d. 566)". Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage. Retrieved 20 August 2026.

[3] "Mor Ya'qub Burdono (St. Jacob Baradaeus)". www.syriacchristianity.info. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved 2018-03-14.

[Cop-4] 1 2 Coptic Church website, The Departure of St. Theodosius, 33rd Pope of Alexandria

[CCEL1-5] "History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria (Year 661)". Christian Classics and Ethereal Library. Retrieved 20 August 2026.

v t e Patriarchs of Alexandria
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodoulos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gaianus Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Nilus Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
Latin Catholic (1276–1954)	Atanasio (Athanasius) Egidio da Ferrara (Giles) ?Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne Juan (John) Guillaume de Chanac Arnaud Bernard du Pouget (Arnaldo Bernardi) uncanonical Jean de Cardaillac Pietro Amely di Brunac ? Johannes Walteri von Sinten uncanonical Simon of Cramaud Pietro Amely di Brunac Leonardo Dolfin Ugo Roberti Pietro Amaury di Lordat Lancelotus de Navarra Giovanni Contarini Pietro Vitalis di Mauléon Giovanni Vitelleschi Marco Condulmer Jean d'Harcourt Arnaldo Rogerii de Palas Pedro de Urrea Pedro González de Mendoza Diego Hurtado de Mendoza Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo Bernardino Carafa Cesare Riario Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora Ottaviano Maria Sforza Julius Gonzaga Cristoforo Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte Jacques Cortès Tommaso Alessandro Riario Enrico Caetani Giovanni Battista Albani Camillo Caetani Séraphin Olivier-Razali Alessandro di Sangro Honoratus Caetani Federico Borromeo Allesandro Crescenzi Aloysius Bevilacqua Petrus Draghi Bartoli Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia Carlo Ambrosio Mezzabarba Filippo Carlo Spada Girolamo Crispi Giuseppe Antonio Davanzati Lodovico Agnello Anastasi Francisco Mattei Augustus Foscolo Paolo Angelo Ballerini Domenico Marinangeli Paolo de Huyn Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto
Melkite Catholic (1724–present)	Cyril VI Tanas Athanasius IV Jawhar Maximos II Hakim Theodosius V Dahan Athanasius IV Jawhar Cyril VII Siaj Agapius II Matar Ignatius IV Sarrouf Athanasius V Matar Macarius IV Tawil Ignatius V Qattan Maximos III Mazloum Clement Bahouth Gregory II Youssef-Sayur Peter IV Geraigiry Cyril VIII Geha Demetrius I Qadi Cyril IX Moghabghab Maximos IV Sayegh Maximos V Hakim Gregory III Laham Youssef I Absi
Coptic Catholic (1824–present)	Maximos Jouwed Kyrillos Makarios Stéphanos I Sidarouss Stéphanos II Ghattas Antonios I Naguib Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons

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