Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (San Saba) – an uncompromising Palestinian proponent of Rome
Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (San Saba) – an uncompromising Palestinian proponent of Rome
St. Sabbas Adoring the Madonna and Child, Church of San Saba
St. Sabbas, fragment of a fresco, Church of San Saba
Façade of the Church of San Saba
Church of San Saba, interior
Church of San Saba, top of the apse – frescoes depicting Christ Triumphant Flanked by St. Sabbas (on the right) and St. Andrew
Church of San Saba, apse frescoes – Christ wit St. Andrew and St. Sabbas (on the right)
Relic of a difficult to identify bone in the reredos of the Church of San Saba
Church of San Saba, figures of monks of St. Sabbas, IX century, near the church
As his biographer, or more appropriately hagiographer Cyril of Scythopolis wrote, Sabbas was a declared loner and a man of few words. When he turned 30, for five days a week he would leave his monastery, in order to pursue penance, asceticism and labor. After this time had passed, he brought back fifty baskets woven from palm leaves. His charisma grew with each passing year, so that in some time he attracted approximately one hundered disciples and established a few monasteries. In time he became an archimandrite, meaning a superior and a guardian of all convents and hermits concentrated around Jerusalem.
As his biographer, or more appropriately hagiographer Cyril of Scythopolis wrote, Sabbas was a declared loner and a man of few words. When he turned 30, for five days a week he would leave his monastery, in order to pursue penance, asceticism and labor. After this time had passed, he brought back fifty baskets woven from palm leaves. His charisma grew with each passing year, so that in some time he attracted approximately one hundered disciples and established a few monasteries. In time he became an archimandrite, meaning a superior and a guardian of all convents and hermits concentrated around Jerusalem.
He was born near Caesarea in Cappadocia in the year 439. As an eight year old he joined the nearby monastery while ten years later he found himself in the group of the ascetic and hermit Euthymius the Great near Jerusalem. During a growing conflict in the womb of the Christian world he was part of the legations to Constantinople where he always fervently defended the position of the bishop of Rome, Leo Iand the agreements of the Council of Chalcedon of the year 451. Similarly to Leo, Sabbas was a declared enemy of Monophysitism, which at that time began dividing Christians. The patriarch of Constantinople looking for a compromise, was not listened to, while the individual Churches breaking with the agreements of Chalcedon turned away both from Constantinople as well as from Rome. The conflict became more and more severe while the situation of the monks gathered around Sabbas who declared support of the theses of Chalcedon became more and more difficult.
The influx of Muslims put new challenges in front of the monasteries established by Sabbas in Palestine. He himself, did not live long enough to see it, he died at an elderly age in the year 532 and was buried in a monastery which was given his name – Mar Sabbas. During the time of Arab expansion this place was attacked numerous times. The monk Antioch writes that in 614, 44 monks died during the conflagration and their bodies were laid to rest in one of the chapels. Ultimately the monks from the Mar Sabbas monastery fled from the Muslims in 645 and settled in Rome on Small Aventine Hill. The cult of Sabbas in the Eternal City dates back to that time.
The earthly remains of Sabbas were in the meantime transported to Constantinople. In the year 1204 they were stolen as valuable loot by the Venetians who apart from plundering the emperor’s valuables, the theft of basalt columns and steeds, also acquired all the relics placed in the city, and not only those of Sabbas. In the year 1965, after numerous requests from the monks of Mar Sabbas (meaning the Holy Lavra of St. Sabbas, since that is the official name of this Orthodox building), Pope Paul VI decided to return the remains of the saint to this monastery.
Church of San Saba – a place filled with the spirit of the Middle Ages
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