Patriarch
Saint Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople, ascended the throne after Saint Anatolius during the reign of Emperor Leo the Great. He was distinguished by his meekness, purity, and self-restraint. The Patriarch corrected the cleric Charisimus, who led a sinful life, and after his prayer to the holy martyr Eleutherius, Charisimus was found dead.
During Saint Gennadius' time, a church was built in honor of Saint John, the Forerunner of the Lord, and the Studion Monastery was founded. Saint Gennadius also took care to strictly observe the church order, requiring the presbyters to know the entire Psalter.
He convened a local council to eradicate the Eutychian heresy and to prohibit simony. Saint Gennadius guarded the Church for thirteen years and departed to the Lord during the reign of Leo the Great.
Shortly before his death, he drove away a demon that appeared to him, by the sign of the cross. Saint Gennadius prayed for the preservation of the Church, and after his death, he continues to offer prayers for her along with other saints.
