Alexander of Alexandria
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| Saint Alexander of Alexandria | |
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 Icon of St. Alexander of Alexandria |
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| Born | unknown |
| Died | April 17, 326 |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church,Roman Catholic Church, Coptic Church |
| Feast | April 17 |
 Saints Portal |
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St. Alexander of Alexandria, Pope of Alexandria, date of birth uncertain; died April 17, 326.
He is prominent because his appointment to the patriarchal see excluded Arius. Arius had begun to teach Arianism in 300 when Peter, by whom he was excommunicated, was Patriarch. He was reinstated by Achillas, the successor of Peter and then began to scheme to be made Patriarch. When Achillas died Alexander was elected, and Arius was irked because he had been passed over. Alexander tolerated him in the beginning, but came to dislike Arius. Finally Arius' teachings were condemned in a council he called in Alexandria in 318, and later on in the Council of Nicaea in 325, which Alexander attended and whose Acts Alexander is credited with having drawn up.
During his priesthood he passed through the bloody persecutions of Galerius, Maximinus, and others. Alexander is described by the Roman Catholic church as "a man held in the highest honor by the people and clergy, magnificent, liberal, eloquent, just, a lover of God and man, devoted to the poor, good and sweet to all, so mortified that he never broke his fast while the sun was in the heavens."
His feast is kept on April 17.
| Preceded by Achillas |
Patriarch of Alexandria 313—328 |
Succeeded by Athanasius I |
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
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