Pope Heraclas of Alexandria

Saint Heraclas of Alexandria
Patriarch of Alexandria
Died	247
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Coptic Church
Canonized	Pre-congregation
Feast	14 July

Pope Heraclas of Alexandria served as the thirteenth Pope of Alexandria (head of the church that became the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Church of Alexandria) between 232 and 248. He is commemorated in the Coptic Synaxarion on the 8th day of Koiak.

He followed Origen as head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria.

He has been identified as the first Bishop of Alexandria to carry the appellation of "Pope" (in Greek, Papás, a term, originally a form of address meaning 'Father', that the church of Rome did not use until the sixth century). The first known record of this designation being assigned to Heraclas is in a letter written by the bishop of Rome, Dionysius, to Philemon:

τοῦτον ἐγὼ τὸν κανόνα καὶ τὸν τύπον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου πάπα ἡμῶν Ἡρακλᾶ παρέλαβον.^[1] [I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed pope, Heraclas.]

References

General

"Heraklas (232–248)". Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=content&cid=001003&id=50&lang=en. Retrieved 2011-02-08.

Specific

^ [1], Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica Book VII, chapter 7.4] (trans.)

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia article

Preceded by Demetrius	Pope of Alexandria 232–248	Succeeded by Dionysius

Patriarchs of Alexandria

Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark the Evangelist • Anianus • Avilius (a.k.a. Melius) • Kedron • Primus • Justus • Eumenes • Markianos • Celadion • Agrippinus • Julian • Demetrius • Heraclas • Dionysius • Maximus • Theonas • Peter I • Achillas • Alexander I • Athanasius I • Peter II • Timothy I • Theophilus I • Cyril I • Dioscorus I

Coptic Popes & 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 • Agatho • John III • Isaac • Simeon I • Alexander II • Cosmas I • Theodosius II (a.k.a. Theodoros) • Michael I • Mina I • John IV • Mark II • Jacob (a.k.a. James) • Simeon II • Joseph I • Michael II • Cosmas II • Shenouda I • Michael III • Gabriel I • Cosmas III • Macarius I • Theophilus II (a.k.a. Theophanes) • Mina II • Abraham • Philotheos • Zacharias • Shenouda II • Christodolos • 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 (current)

Greek Orthodox Patriarchs (451 – present)	Proterius • Timothy II • Timothy III • John I • Peter III • Athanasius II • John II • John III • Dioscorus II • Timothy IV • Theodosius I • Gainas • 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 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 • Sophronius IV • Photius • Meletius II • Nicholas V • Christopher II • Nicholas VI • Parthenius III • Peter VII • Theodore II (current)

Category • Commons

Persondata
Name	Heraclas of Alexandria
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	247
Place of death