Hierarch
Saint (Hierarch) Callinicus I, Patriarch of Constantinople
† ок. 705 (патриарх в 693–705)
Also known as: Свт. Каллиник, патриарх Константинопольский, Каллиник Константинопольский, Kallinikos I
Patriarch of Constantinople (693–705) who refused to bless the demolition of a church of the Mother of God for an imperial palace; when Justinian II returned to power he had him mutilated and exiled to Rome, where he died.
St Callinicus was a priest and sacristan of the church of the Mother of God at Blachernae and in 693, after the death of Patriarch Paul, became Patriarch of Constantinople under Emperor Justinian II. When the emperor decided to pull down a church of the Mother of God that stood in the way of his new palace and demanded a prayer for its demolition, the patriarch replied that he had prayers only for the building of churches, not for their destruction.
In 695 Justinian was deposed, mutilated and exiled to Chersonesus, and Callinicus crowned the new emperor Leontius. Ten years later Justinian returned with an army, swore on the Cross, the Gospel and the Holy Mysteries to take no revenge, and then broke his oath. According to the Life, the patriarch was blinded, his nose and tongue were cut off, and he was sent to Rome to be walled up alive; after forty days he was found still breathing and died four days later (c. 705). Tradition says the Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to Pope John VI and told him to bury the patriarch in their church. Feast: 23 August (5 September).