Sergius of Tella

Sergius of Tella(Syriac: ܣܪܓܝܤ ܕܬܠܐ‎, translit. Sargis d-Tela) was the Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 544 until his death in 546.

Biography

Sergius, like Jacob Baradaeus, was a native of Tella and in 527 they were summoned to Constantinople by the Empress Theodora and resided in the monasteries of the capital.^[1] In 541, Jacob was consecrated bishop of Edessa by Theodosius of Alexandria and in 543 he departed for the East, devoting himself to reviving the Syriac Orthodox Church.

In 544, Jacob consecrated Sergius, his old friend, as patriarch of Antioch, however they soon came into conflict over the philosophy of John Philoponus, known as Tritheism. Athanasius the monk, who was his student and friend, convinced Sergius of tritheism who was then condemned by Theodosius of Alexandria and Jacob Baradaeus. But, he died soon after in 546.

References