Epiphanios 3 was deacon of the Church of Katana (in Sicily); in 787 he attended the Second Council of Nikaia (the Seventh Ecumenical Council) as representative of the archbishop of Sardinia, Thomas 8; he was probably present at all eight sessions of the Council, from 24 September to 23 November: Mansi XII 994-XIII 486. In the list of those present at the first session he is styled Ἐπιφανίου διακόνου τῆς ἐκκλησίας Κατάνης καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐπέχοντος Θωμᾶ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Σαρδινίας: Mansi XII 994. In the list of those present at the seventh session he is styled Ἐπιφανίου διακόνου καὶ τοποτηρητοῦ Σαρδινίας: Mansi XIII 365. Elsewhere he is styled Ἐπιφάνιος ὁ εὐλαβέστατος διάκονος τῆς ἐκκλησίας Κατάνης καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐπέχων (or ὁ τοποτηρητής) Θωμᾶ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Σαρδινίας, or similar: Mansi XII 1022, 1031, 1075, 1090, 1118, 1150, XIII 69, 136, 168, 381, 442. He spoke in the discussion at the first session on the readmission of heretics: Mansi XII 1022, 1031. He accompanied Theodoros 70, bishop of Katana, to Rome, on orders from the emperor, and was able to confirm the genuineness of the letters brought from pope Hadrian I (Hadrianos 1) (cf. also Petros 27 and Petros 28): Mansi XII 1075. At the second session he supported the traditional veneration of icons as described in statements from pope Hadrian I (Hadrianos 1) and condemned iconoclasts: Mansi XII 1090. At the third session he again spoke in a debate on the readmission of heretics: Mansi XII 1118. Later at this session he accepted as orthodox the statements of the faith contained in the letter of the patriarch Tarasios (Tarasios 1) to the eastern patriarchs and in their reply, declaring the contents to be sweet as honey and soothing to the soul; he also condemned the former iconoclast council and the attempt to describe it as the seventh ecumenical council and anathematised those who supported it: Mansi XII 1150. At the fourth session he remarked that illustrative examples are normally chosen from what is familiar, as St Athanasios had illustrated icon veneration by making a comparison with the respect shown to imperial icons: Mansi XIII 69. Later he subscribed the statements read out from the Fathers in support of icon veneration: Mansi XIII 136. At the fifth session he read out passages from a spurious account of the journeys of the Holy Apostles: Mansi XIII 168-172. At the seventh session he subscribed the statement of the faith adopted by the Council: Mansi XIII 381. At the eighth session he delivered a sermon to the Council in praise of its achievements: Mansi XIII 442ff.

(Publishable link for this person: )