By Bishop Gregory of Mesaoria
Today our Church commemorates Saints Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople, Reginos, Bishop of Skopelos and Marcellus, Bishop of Solea of Cyprus.
Saint Tarasios came from an aristocratic family in Constantinople, received a wealth of education, and leveled up to the honorary rank of the consul. He distinguished for his Orthodox morale and virtue and he wished to wholeheartedly dedicate himself to God.
In a short time, he was ordained a deacon, a presbyter and a bishop. In 784 AD, he succeeded Archbishop Paul on the throne of Constantinople. The period of his hierarchy coincided with the spread of iconoclasm, which had caused much suffering to the Church. Tarasios fought against this delusion with all the power of his soul and pioneered the convening of the 7th Ecumenical Council, in whose work he presided.
His constant struggle for the dominance of Orthodoxy gave rise to a variety of persecutions by secular rulers and iconoclastic emperors. He died in the year 806 AD, during the Vespers service, leaving an example of a virtuous and fighting bishop who throughout his life gave the good example of the Orthodox spirit and at the same time struggled for maintaining the unity of the Church.
Source: Church of Cyprus