St. Germanus of Constantinople

Patriarch of Constantinople from 715, who refused the emperor Leo III when he began the war on the icons in 726 and was deposed four years later rather than sign. His defence of the icons is cited by the Seventh Council. His treatise On the Divine Liturgy, explaining each part of the service as a moment in the life of Christ and the worship of heaven, was the standard Byzantine commentary on the Liturgy for centuries, and he wrote hymns the Church still sings on the feasts of the Theotokos. He died in retirement around 740. Feast: May 12.