John Talaia was patriarch of Alexandria from 481 until 482. He was consecrated in 481, succeeding

Timothy III Salophakiolos Timothy III (died 481), called Salophakiolos ("wobble cap"), was the patriarch of Alexandria from 460 until 475 and again from 477 until his death. He was an adherent of the Council of Chalcedon and opponent of Monophysitism. As such, he is not reco ...

. He was a convinced adherent of the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bi ...

and refused to sign

Emperor Zeno Zeno (; grc-gre, Ζήνων, Zénōn; c. 425 – 9 April 491) was Eastern Roman emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which nevertheless succeeded to some extent in forei ...

's Henoticon (which glossed over the Council of Chalcedon). Because of this, the Emperor expelled him and recognized the Miaphysite claimant Peter Mongus as the legitimate patriarch on the condition that he would sign the Henoticon. Mongus complied and was recognized by the patriarchs of Antioch and Constantinople. John fled to Rome, where he was welcomed by

Pope Simplicius Pope Simplicius (died 2 or 10 March 483) was the bishop of Rome from 468 to his death. He combated the Eutychian heresy, ended the practice of consecrating bishops only in December, and sought to offset the effects of Germanic invasions. Electi ...

. This pope, or his successor Felix III, refused to recognize Mongus and defended Talaia's rights in two letters to Acacius of Constantinople. As Acacius maintained the Henoticon and communion with Mongus, the pope excommunicated the patriarchs in 484. This

Acacian schism The Acacian schism, between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches, lasted 35 years, from 484 to 519 AD. It resulted from a drift in the leaders of Eastern Christianity toward Miaphysitism and Emperor Zeno's unsuccessful attempt to reconcile ...

lasted until 519. John eventually relinquished his claim to the see of Alexandria and became bishop of Nola.

References

Sources

* * 5th-century Patriarchs of Alexandria {{EasternOrthodoxy-bishop-stub