Origen Between Enemies and Friends
Those who condemned him, and those who defended him:
The first to oppose Origen was Pope Saint Demetrius (the 12th Patriarch), who issued a decree of excommunication against him.
Likewise, Pope Saint Theophilus, the twenty-third among the patriarchal fathers.
Both of these popes are saints whom we mention in the Synaxis during the Divine Liturgy. Among the most famous who opposed Origen in the fourth and fifth centuries was:
Saint Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus. He wrote a lengthy chapter in a book on (Heresies) against Origen.
Likewise, Saint Jerome (Hieronymus) in the latter part of his life.
Methodius, Bishop of Olympia, also wrote three works against Origen.
Saint Augustine also spoke about the errors of Origen.
But Origen was treated with respect by other saints such as John Chrysostom, Basil, Gregory, and Pope Dionysius of Alexandria.
Thus, because of Origen, saints disagreed with saints, such as the disagreement of Saint Chrysostom with Pope Theophilus of Alexandria.
As for the accusations directed against him, they are:
1- That souls were created before their bodies and were imprisoned in them because of sins they had committed.
2- That the soul of Christ was created and united with the Divinity before the Incarnation.
3- That the demons and the wicked would be saved.
4- That the true bodies would not rise on the Day of Resurrection, but other bodies would rise instead of them.
5- That souls are reincarnated.
6- That many worlds had been created before this world, and other worlds would be created after it.
The majority of these errors were found in his book On First Principles (De Principiis).
His defenders say that these are errors of the scribes who copied his writings, and that he did not believe these ideas; rather, he has ideas opposing them in other writings.
Apart from the writings, he was also accused of:
(a) That he castrated himself. This is established.
(b) That he accepted priesthood from another bishop against his own bishop, while staying with his disciple, Saint Gregory, Bishop of Neocaesarea. This actually happened.
It is known that those who defended Origen did not issue a resolution that annulled his excommunication.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III — in El-Keraza Magazine — Ninth Year (Issue Thirty-Five), 1-9-1978
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