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[[Image:StJohntheMerciful.jpg|right|frame|St. John the Merciful]]Our father among the saints '''John the Merciful''' was [[patriarch]] of Alexandria in the early 7th century, also known as '''John V of Alexandria'''. He gained his epithet from his unstinting generosity in distributing the vast wealth of the [[patriarchate]] of Alexandria to the poor and afflicted. The main source for his biography is a Life written by Leontius of Neapolis in Cyprus. John is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on [[November 12]]. ==Early life and consecration as patriarch==John was born in Amathus on Cyprus c. 550 to the patrician Epiphanius, a governor of the island. He married and had children, but was a widower when he was called to become patriarch of Alexandria on the recommendation of his friend, the city's imperial prefect Nicetas. The [[Council of Chalcedon|Chalcedonian]] [[see]] of Alexandria had been vacant since the death in 609 of Theodore during the capture of the city by Nicetas. In 611 John assumed the throne, becoming the fifth Chalcedonian bishop of Alexandria to bear that name.

John was remarkable for his almsgiving or mercy (''eleemosyne '' in Greek, hence his title "''Eleemon"''). To someone who was astounded at his generosity he recounted a vision he had seen in his youth in which Compassion appeared to him as a beautiful maiden and told him that she was the eldest daughter of God. The [[patriarchate]] of [[Alexandria]] had at its disposal immense wealth in both money and commercial enterprises, including shipping, and John put it all at the disposal of the poor. He was not only liberal with the resources of his see, but with his own goods. In one incident in his life he felt remorseful for accepting a richly-embroidered blanket as a gift and was unable to sleep until he sold it and gave the proceeds to the poor. He also made himself available to anyone who had a petition, grievance, or request. His generosity did draw censure at times. In one case one of his aides noticed that someone was abusing the distribution of goods in John's very presence, returning several times in different guises, but when he mentioned this John replied that it might be Christ in disguise. In another case he came to loggerheads with his friend Nicetas when the latter, concerned to contribute to Emperor [[Heraclius]]' war effort against the Persians, tried to appropriate some of the church's wealth to that end, an attempt which John firmly resisted and which ended in Nicetas' apology. His care was not limited to his own flock in Alexandria, but extended to the people of Palestine in their sufferings during the Persian invasion and sack of Jerusalem. John sent convoys of essential supplies to Palestine and welcomed many refugees to Alexandria. ==Spiritual activity and relations to Non-Chalcedonians==John took care of spiritual as well as bodily nourishment and in meals and other gatherings in the patriarchal palace would only converse on the Scriptures or other spiritual topics. He also patronized the learned wanderers St. [[Sophronius I of Jerusalem|Sophronius]], future [[patriarch of Jerusalem]], and [[John Moschus]], author of the ''[[Leimonarion]]'' (Spiritual Meadow).

His care was not limited to his own flock in [[Alexandria]]John has been considered an example of religious tolerance during the divisive Christological disputes of Late Antiquity, but extended to the people of Palestine evidence for this is mostly negative, as he is not presented in their sufferings during the Persian invasion and sack of [[Jerusalem]]his Life as using violence to impose Chalcedonian Orthodoxy. John sent convoys It is clear from his Life that he was a firm supporter of essential supplies to Palestine Chalcedonian doctrine and welcomed many refugees to [[Alexandria]].==Spiritual activity and relations to non-Chalcedonians==John took care that he used the theological ability of spiritual men such as well as bodily nourishment Sophronius and in meals John Moschus to defend and other gatherings in the patriarchal palace would only converse on the Scriptures or other spiritual topicspromote it. He also patronized As a result of his efforts the learned wanderers St. [[Sophronius]], future patriarch number of [[Jerusalem]]Chalcedonian churches in the city increased ten-fold during his reign, and [[John Moschus]], author of the Leimonarion (Spiritual Meadow)according to his Life.

John voiced opposition to [[Heraclius]]' early attempts at promoting [[monoenergism]] as a compromise solution to the schism over [[Chalcedon]], but did not participate in the major controversies that soon developed. He was forced to flee [[Alexandria]] by the Persian invasion of Egypt in 619. Returning to Cyprus, he died soon thereafter. A few years later much of John's work of reconciliation with the [[nonNon-Chalcedonians]] of Egypt was undone by the violent persecution instituted by Cyrus, who combined both imperial and ecclesiastical authority as dual prefect and patriarch of Alexandria. {{start box}}{{succession|before=Theodore I|title=[[List of Patriarchs of Alexandria|Patriarch of Alexandria]].|years=609-620|after=George I}}{{end box}}

*The Life by Leontius along with several interpolations from other sources can be found in Dawes and Baynes, ''Three Byzantine Saints'' (Crestwood , NY : 1977). *A good recent summary can be found in the new Synaxarion written by Hieromonk Macarius of [[SimonopetraMonastery (Athos)|Simonopetra]], Christopher Hookway (trans.) ''The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church: Volume 2: November, December'' (Ormylia Greece 1999) under the entry for November 12. *John's relations with non-Chalcedonians are treated briefly in [[John Meyendorff ]] ''Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D.'' (Crestwood NY 1989). Meyendorff's statement that John is venerated as a saint by the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches seems to be a confusion with John IV, Coptic Pope of Alexandria of the late 7th century, also surnamed the "Merciful" but presented as a staunch opponent of Chalcedonian Christology (see the ''Coptic Encyclopedia'').*The most recent scholarly study of [[Leontius of Neapolis]], the author of the main Life of John, is Vincent Deroche, ''Études sur Léontios de Néapolis,'' (Uppsala 1995).*Online, entries can be found on Wikipedia at [[Wikipedia:St. John the Merciful|St. John the Merciful]] and on the Catholic Encyclopedia under [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08486a.htm St. John the Almsgiver].

The image used in this article is from the ==External links==*[http://wwwocafs.iconogramsoca.org/ IconogramsFeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=103286 St John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria] web site of ([[OCA]])*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=288 John the Department Merciful, Patriarch of Internet Ministries of the Alexandria] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://www.goarchwestsrbdio.org/ Greek Orthodox Archdiocese prolog/my.html?month=November&day=12 St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria] (''[[Prologue of AmericaOhrid].]'')

[[Category:BishopsByzantine Saints]][[Category:7th-century saints]] [[ro:Ioan Milostivul]]