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| St. Plutarch, Archbishop of Cyprus (Feast Day - June 5) |
By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas
Saint Plutarch was the Archbishop of Constantia in Cyprus and lived at the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th century. He is included among the Orthodox Archbishops of Cyprus, since Constantia was then the "Metropolis" of the Great Island (Megalonisos). He is number thirteen in the list of Archbishops, and is listed among the Saints of Cyprus. He is not mentioned in the Synaxaria, but is mentioned in the "Chronicle" of the medieval chronicler Leontios Machairas, as well as in the chronicles handed down by Strambaldi and Florio Bustron.
Saint Plutarch occupied the see of Constantia from 590 to 625/6 A.D. and he is also known from the epigraphic evidences that have survived, those related to the construction of parts of the aqueduct of Constantia, which mention him as a builder. Specifically, he is mentioned as the builder of three arches of the aqueduct in 620, and other arches of an unspecified number in 621, and fifteen arches in 625. This fact, among others, shows that the Saint was interested not only in the spiritual needs of his rational flock, but also for the material ones, since, after all, man is a psychosomatic being.
The activity of Saint Plutarch, like that of his other predecessors and successors around the various constructions of building works of public utility, is, as has been noted by historians, "an expression of the secular function of the Church in Cyprus, during the Early Byzantine years, in collaboration with the imperial power or, even, representing the imperial power in the island." That is, Saint Plutarch, like other Archbishops of Cyprus before and after him, are shown to be involved in the construction of works and in general in activities beyond strictly ecclesiastical ones. And this, along with other things, demonstrates the authority of each Archbishop of Cyprus, as well as the confidence of the Emperors of the Christian Roman Empire in them.
Saint Plutarch sacrificially loved his flock and was loved by them in return. His end was peaceful.
His life and conduct give us the occasion to emphasize the following.
First, there are saints who are known to the general public, there are other saints who are less known, just as there are saints who are completely unknown to people, but are known to God, since "the Lord knows those who are His." However, all the saints, known and unknown, are intercessors, helpers and protectors of all those who call upon them, because, as Basil the Great emphasizes, the saints are "benevolent participants in caring for us, fellow laborers in prayer, most powerful intercessors, stars of the universe, flowers of the churches," because "the dirt did not cover them, but heaven received them. The gates of Paradise were opened to them." That is why they are always next to those who call on them and "give everyone what they need, according to the situation in which they are in." That is, "to the sad they give comfort and cheerfulness, to another they give a solution to difficulties and to another the strength to preserve what is good for them."
The presence of many unknown saints is sometimes felt and evident by the fragrance that their sacred relics give off. On the Holy Mountain, several pilgrims confess that when they were walking without concern, and perhaps praying, they smelled an indescribable fragrance, completely different from that which the flowers give off, and they understood, from the spiritual joy and gladness they felt, that it came from relics of unknown holy monks, who lived and practiced asceticism there, but for reasons that only God knows, remain unknown. However, God sometimes allows their presence to be felt with the fragrance of their sacred relics, for the blessing and spiritual strengthening of the faithful. In a published text of a pilgrim, we read: "We were going up with my brother the monk Panteleimon to the Cells of Kerasia. At a bend in the road, we felt an intense heavenly fragrance. We stopped for a while, we could not go forward even for ten minutes at a time without a thin breeze of this fragrance from above, as if it came down from Mount Athos. But how can anyone understand where this divine aroma was coming from? After that we passed by that place many times, but another time we felt nothing and we want to believe that that blessed part of the Holy Mountain, from the sea to the top of Mount Athos, is full of sacred relics of holy fathers."
The saints who are unknown to many seem to be more than the known saints. However, all the saints, known and unknown, love people and intercede for them to God. In particular, helpers and protectors always come to those who invoke them and ask for their help. After Pentecost Sunday, the immediately following Sunday, the Church decided to honor all the saints, known and unknown. And this happened because the saints are the fruit of Pentecost, but among other things, the possibility is given to those believers who do not know if their name corresponds to a saint to celebrate their name day on All Saints Sunday as well.
Second, the pastors of the Church, in imitation of Christ the "Good Shepherd", are interested in the whole person, as a psychosomatic being, and they also take care of the material needs of their rational flock. However, the main work of the pastors of the Church, according to her teaching, as expressed by Saint Gregory the Theologian, is to "provide the soul with wings, to rescue it from the world and give it to God, and to watch over that which is in His image, if it abides, to take it by the hand, if it is in danger, to restore it, if ruined, to make Christ to dwell in the heart by the Spirit: and, in short, to deify, and bestow heavenly blessedness upon, one who belongs to the heavenly host." This means that the main work of the pastors of the Church is to lead people to theosis, that is, to their union and communion with God and to make them citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. And this can be realized through repentance, asceticism, the sacramental life and prayer. And when man finds God, that "precious pearl", then everything else comes by itself, according to the words of Christ Himself, who said: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these will be added to you."
Let us invoke the intercessions of the Theotokos and all the Saints, and strive to imitate, as far as possible, their godly life.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.