Peter III of Callinicum facts for kids

Peter III of Callinicum (also known as Petrus Callinicus) was an important leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He served as the Patriarch of Antioch from 581 until he passed away in 591. The Syriac Orthodox Church remembers him as a saint. His special day is celebrated on 22 April.

Peter became patriarch during a difficult time. He faced a big split within the church that had started before him. He worked hard to bring different groups together. While he had some success, he also had a major disagreement with Pope Damian of Alexandria, another church leader. This disagreement caused a split between their churches that lasted for many years.

Biography

Peter's Early Life and Education

Peter was born around 550 in a place called Callinicum. His father, Paul, was a speaker. Peter received a good education. He learned Greek, Syriac, philosophy, and theology. He probably became a monk at a monastery near Callinicum.

The 570s were a challenging time for the non-Chalcedonian Christians in Syria. Their leader, Paul the Black, was removed from his position by Pope Damian of Alexandria and Bishop Jacob Baradaeus. This created a split: some people supported Paul, and others supported his removal.

Becoming a Church Leader

Paul's opponents wanted a new patriarch. Jacob Baradaeus asked Peter twice to take the role, but Peter said no. He didn't want to become patriarch while Paul was still alive. In 579, Pope Damian also asked Peter to become patriarch, but Peter refused again.

Finally, after other attempts to find a new leader failed, Peter agreed in 580 or 581. He became the Patriarch of Antioch at Damian's request. There are different stories about exactly when and where he was made patriarch. Some say it was in Alexandria, while others say it was at a monastery in Syria. After becoming patriarch, Peter sent a letter to Damian. He wanted to confirm their churches were connected and also spoke against a belief called tritheism. Damian fully supported Peter.

Leading the Church

After becoming patriarch, Peter felt bad about taking the role while Paul was still alive. He traveled to Alexandria and offered to resign. He hoped this would help reunite the church. However, Damian refused his offer. Paul may have died soon after, which helped end the church's split.

In 582, Peter met with some bishops who believed in tritheism. This was a different way of understanding God. Peter said they could only reunite if they stopped supporting tritheism. One of the bishops, Antoninus, agreed to give up tritheism. Later, other tritheist leaders also met with Peter. They agreed to his terms, but their group in Constantinople refused. Eventually, one leader named Elias left the tritheist group and joined Peter.

The Big Disagreement with Damian

Around 586, the good relationship between Peter and Pope Damian changed. They had a theological disagreement that led to a split between their churches. This split lasted until 616.

The reasons for their disagreement are told differently by different sources. Egyptian sources say Peter's letter to Damian caused the problem. They claim Peter said it was not necessary to talk about the Trinity, which sounded like a heresy. Syrian sources, however, say Damian wrote a book against tritheism. Peter praised the book but suggested Damian might have strayed from established teachings. Peter asked for clarification, but Damian got upset.

Peter tried to resolve the dispute. He invited Damian to meet several times. Damian eventually agreed to meet in Egypt, but Peter said he was prevented from entering Alexandria. He had to stay in a town called Paralos for four months. Peter felt he was treated badly and was eventually forced to leave Egypt without a meeting.

Later, a meeting was arranged in Arabia. A local leader named Jafna tried to help them resolve their issues. Two meetings were held in 587, but they were very chaotic. No agreement could be reached on how to settle their theological differences. Jafna eventually gave up. Peter continued to try and meet Damian, even following him to Egypt, but Damian avoided him.

Peter's Later Life and Works

Because he couldn't end the dispute with Damian, Peter wrote a book called Contra Damianum (meaning "Against Damian"). In this book, he explained his side of the disagreement. He defended himself against Damian's accusations. At the end of the book, Peter officially declared that his church was no longer in communion with Damian's. This marked the official split between the Syrian and Egyptian non-Chalcedonian churches.

Peter died naturally on 22 April 591. He was buried at the monastery of Gubo Baroyo.

Peter's Writings

Peter wrote an important prayer called an anaphora in Syriac. Copies of this prayer still exist today. He also wrote a poem about the crucifixion.

His most famous work is Contra Damianum. This book still exists in several copies. In it, Peter used quotes from many famous early Christian writers, known as Church Fathers. These included Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, and Cyril of Alexandria. He used these quotes to support his arguments against Damian.