The Departure of St . Andronicus, 37th Pope of Alexandria

Also on this day, of the year 617 A .D ., the holy father Abba Andronicus, 37th Pope ofAlexandria, departed . This father was from a rich family of great influence and his cousin was thechief of the imperial court at Alexandria . He was very well educated and he studied the holyscriptures and excelled in their interpretation . Because of his knowledge, his righteousness and hischarity toward the poor, he was ordained a deacon . By consensus he was chosen to be patriarch,although he never lived in any monastery . He remained in Alexandria all the days of his papacy,not intimidated by the authority of the Melkites .172Shortly after the ordination of Abba Andronics, the Persians invaded the East and crossed theriver Euphrates . They seized Halab, Antioch in Syria, Jerusalem, and many other cities . Theykilled and imprisoned many Christians . They captured Egypt and went to the City of Alexandria,around which there were six hundred inhabited monasteries . They killed all the inhabitants,plundered their possessions, and destroyed the monasteries . When the people of Alexandria heardwhat they had done, because of their fear, they opened the gates of the city for them .The Persian King saw in a night dream someone saying to him, "I have delivered to you the city .Do not destroy it . But kill its heroes for they are hypocrites ." He arrested the Governor of thecity, and tied him up in chains . He ordered the elders of the city to bring forth the men, from 18 to50 years old to come forward to give everyone twenty denari, and to enlist them as soldiers forthe city . Eighty thousand men came forward and he killed them all by the sword .Afterward, the Persian King went with his army to Upper Egypt . He passed by the city of Nikios .He heard that there were some seven hundred monks living in cells and caves around it . He sentmen to kill them . He continued to kill and destroy until Emperor Heraclius conquered him anddrove him out of Egypt .As for Pope Andronicus, he lived a virtuous life . He remained on the throne of St . Mark for 6years, then departed in peace .His prayers be with us . Amen .