Markos Eugenikos

Markos Eugenikos was a Byzantine scholar, philosopher, and theologian who became famous for his rejection of the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438–1439), which attempted to reconcile the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. He was born Manuel Eugenikos around 1392 in Constantinople, the son of an Orthodox deacon and a devout doctor's daughter. He received a classical and theological education under tutors who were opposed to the union with Rome, such as John Chortasmenos and Gemistus Pletho. He became a monk and a prolific hymnographer, as well as a follower of Gregory Palamas' mystical theology. He was appointed as the metropolitan of Ephesus around 1436 and represented the patriarchs of Antioch and Alexandria at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. He was the only Eastern bishop who refused to sign the agreement with the Roman Catholic Church on the issues of the Filioque clause, the papal primacy, and the purgatory. He considered Rome to be in heresy and schism, and he defended the Orthodox faith with eloquence and courage. He returned to Constantinople as a hero and a leader of the anti-unionist party. He continued to write against the union and to promote the Orthodox doctrine and spirituality. He died peacefully on June 23, 1444, after a two-week battle with intestinal illness. He was buried in the Mangana Monastery in Constantinople. He was canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1734 and is celebrated as a defender and pillar of Orthodoxy. His feast day is January 19.