The Beautiful Woman and the Bishops

Christopher West constantly tells a version of this story which does not match the actual historical account of the story. Here is the historical account.

Click Here to verify John the Stylite's original essay on PELAGIA (reproduced below)

The story of Pelagia is supposed to have happened between the years A.D. 449 and A.D. 451. It is as follows :

The Bishop of Antioch in Syria had occasion to summon a council of eight bishops, amongst whom was St Nonnus, with whom was the narrator of the story, the deacon Jacob. They were all lodged in a hospice attached to the church where the bones of St Julian were preserved.

One day whilst the eight bishops were seated before the church door, discussing various affairs, they asked St Nonnus to expound the Word of God. Whilst he was doing so, a rich courtesan passed before them, seated on a richly caparisoned horse, decked with pearls and precious stones, and accompanied by a host of servants. The air was scented by a profusion of aromatics, and the good bishops were astonished at the dazzling beauty of Pelagia, for such was the courtesan's name.

They, however, turned away their faces from the ostentatious sinner. Nonnus fell on his knees and shed abundance of tears. When Pelagia had passed he said to his brethren, " Do ye not admire the beauty of the courtesan?" They did not reply. He then told them that his admiration of her beauty would impel him to seek more earnestly from God for her conversion to a purer life. Having returned to his cell, accompanied by the deacon, he took himself severely to task for his failure to serve God with as much zeal as Pelagia had displayed in her service of the Devil. The day was Saturday, and on Sunday morning (Divine service having been celebrated during the night) Nonnus called Jacob, and told him that he had seen in a dream how he himself was standing near the horns of the altar, and how a black dove, squalid and dirty, flew above him. When the congregation had departed and he had left the church the dove flew near him. He stretched out his hands, and catching it, threw it into the bath of water on the floor of the church. There it was cleansed, the foul odour which had accompanied it disappeared, and it soared up to heaven.

Then St Nonnus with the seven other bishops and Jacob the deacon went to the largest church in Antioch. After the liturgy, the Archbishop sent the archdeacon to St Nonnus with a Gospel and the permission to teach. This Nonnus did, not in words of human wisdom, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; till the floor of the church became wet with the tears of the listeners, amongst whom was Pelagia, who was well known in the city, and who confessed her many sins in an audible voice. When the moment came for the celebration of the sacred mysteries she went out, but commanded two of her servants to remain as spectators, and to watch when Bishop Nonnus should come out, so that they might find out for her where he was lodging. She then wrote a letter to him, in which she professed her deep penitence, reminding him that the Saviour ate and drank with publicans and sinners. He replied that he could not receive a visit from her alone, as he was only a weak man, liable to temptation, but that he was willing to see her in the presence of his brother bishops. When Pelagia had received this letter she hastened to the church of St Julian, where St Xonnus received her with his colleagues. She threw herself on the ground and embraced his feet with tears, throwing dust on her head, and begging for the remission of her sins. [Emphasis added: Note that Christopher West argues St. Nonnus is NOT displaying virtue because he refuses to meet with her alone.]

All the bishops and presbyters who were present were moved to tears. Nonnus professed his willingness to baptize her, but said that by the canons of the Church she must have sponsors. Pelagia then with great vehemence and copious tears told him that God would require her soul at his hands if it were lost through his refusal to baptize her ; and that he would also be held to be a partaker of the guilt of her future sins, and begged him to admit her, as his divine Master would have done.

Nonnus then sent Jacob to the Archbishop, to ask his permission for Pelagia's baptism, and also that a deaconess should be sent to him. Jacob returned with a Roman lady, the Superior of the deaconesses, who with some difficulty persuaded Pelagia to rise. After due confession and preparation she was baptized, and received the holy sacrament from the hands of Nonnus. She stated that Pelagia was the name given to her by her parents, but that latterly, on account of her many ornaments, she had frequently been called Margarita.

Then the Devil appeared to Nonnus in the form of a black looking man, and showered imprecations upon him for the many thousands whom he had baptized, and had thus delivered from the power of evil; and most of all for abducting his most perfect hope, Pelagia. Receiving no encouragement, the enemy of all good next turned to Pelagia, and upbraided her with ingratitude, pouring out on her the most bitter reproaches. By the advice
of Nonnus she made the sign of the cross, and Satan forthwith fled.

Two days later, however, the Devil returned to Pelagia as she was quietly sleeping beside the Roman deaconess, and reminded her of the great wealth which he had procured for her. But she made the sign of the cross, exclaiming, "The Lord rebuke thee!" and awoke the deaconess. Whereupon Satan fled.

On the third day Pelagia gave freedom to all her slaves, and offered all her wealth, which she had won by an evil life, to the discretion of Bishop Nonnus, who bestowed it on the treasurer of the great church at Antioch, with the request that none of it should be allowed to enter the church itself, nor any dwelling of the clergy, nor might it be hoarded in any way, but that it should be at once distributed amongst orphans, widows, and the sick poor.

For seven days Pelagia fasted from food and drink, showing an example of temperance and of chastity. On the eighth day, which was Sunday, she was expected to put off the bridal robes of her baptism, and to put on a woman's ordinary dress. Towards nightfall, however, she went to Bishop Nonnus, and after receiving his blessing, begged him to give her some of his own garments. He accordingly bestowed on her his hair tunic and woollen mantle. During the night she went out in the dress of a man and was never again seen in the city. There was great consternation and grief about her disappearance, but Nonnus said that she had chosen the good part, like Mary, and a few days later the Archbishop dismissed the bishops, each one returning to his own town.

Three years later the deacon Jacob went on a pilgrimage to the Holy City, and Bishop Xonnus requested him to make enquiry about a eunuch named Pelagius, from whom he might receive much benefit. After he had performed his devotions at the sacred shrines, he succeeded in finding this person in a cell at the summit of the Mount of Olives, and saw in his face something like the features of Pelagia, defaced and withered by long fasting and many vigils. She recognised him; but he was quite unaware of her identity, until hearing of her death a short time afterwards he attended her funeral, and was present along with the bishop and many other holy men when they discovered that she had been a woman. She was buried with great honour, having in her last years enjoyed the reputation of being a saint, and Jacob was thankful that he had received her benediction.

It is interesting to find that while Gildemeister's text states that Jacob prayed and was blest by the sepulchre of our Lord, the Syro-Antiochene Palimpsest says that he prayed and was blest by our Lord in all the places which he visited (near Jerusalem).

Nonnus is mentioned by Theophanes, as being Bishop of Edessa, Chronographia, p. 79.