St. John Chrysostom and Our Lady the Virgin St. Mary

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

How do our Non-Chalcedonian Churches regard the "Golden-mouthed?" I have always honored him as agreat Saint, and never questioned him since he preceded Chalcedon. (I always take a more reserved approach to the post Chalcedonian Fathers, for obvious reasons.) Anyway, I was just reading some unsettling things regarding St. John Chrysostom's view of Our Lady the Virgin St. Mariyam. While he defended her perpetual virginity and accentuated her role in the Incarnation, he also seems to accuse her of vanity, pride, and other sinful defects. This shocked me a bit, and so I wanted to ask some of you learned OO scholars to provide me with an accurate view of John Chrysostom and his teaching on St. Mary.

(I repsectfully ask that only Non-Chalcedonians reply.)


Thank you.


Selam

[Salpy]

St. John Chrysostom is definitely a saint in the Oriental Orthodox Churches.  This year in the Armenian Church, his feast day will be on Saturday, Oct. 30.

I've heard about his comments on the Mother of God, but as an example of how Church Fathers are not infallible.   

[deusveritasest]

Gebre,

I do not believe that the sinlessness of Saint Mary is a dogma of the Church that the Fathers should be expected to have held. To hold that she had personal sin (as it is more commonly accepted that she did have ancestral sin) is, perhaps, an acceptable theologumenon, though in my opinion an erroneous one. As such, it doesn't particularly disturb me if Saint John Chrysostom held the opinion that Saint Mary was a sinner.

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

Thanks Salpy and Deusveritasest!



Selam

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