Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the worldMcCabe, Joseph
History
Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world
McCabe, Joseph
Catholic Church -- History; Papacy -- History
In the early summer, the Emperors of East and West issued a joint
summons to the bishops of Christendom to assemble in Council at
Ephesus, and Leo's letters indicate a feverish activity. His chief work
was to write a long dogmatic letter[62] on the nature of Christ--a
very able theological essay--to be read by his Legates at the Council.
Dioscorus of Alexandria presided over this imposing assembly of 360
bishops and representative clergy, in the presence of two imperial
commissioners, the Papal Legates, and the patriarchs of Antioch and
Jerusalem, yet it has passed into Western ecclesiastical history
under the opprobrious title, given to it by Leo,[63] of "The Robbers'
Meeting." It is quite true that the sittings dissolved in brawls, and
monks and soldiers brandished their ominous weapons over the heads of
the bishops, but that was not unprecedented. The main fact was that
Dioscorus contemptuously refused to hear the Roman Legates, as Leo
says, and induced the Council to restore Eutyches and depose Flavian.
Deacon Hilary, one of the Legates, fled in terror of his life, and
unfolded these enormities to Leo, whose correspondence now became
intense and indignant.
For a few months, Leo made strenuous efforts to redeem the prestige
of his See. We know, since 1882, that Flavian in turn appealed to
Rome, but Leo needed no new incentive. He wrote repeatedly to the
pious Pulcheria, to Theodosius, to his "vicar" in Thessalonica, and
to the monks, priests, and people of Constantinople. He knew the
situation well. Alexandria had defied Constantinople, but the case of
Constantinople was weakened by the division of court-factions and the
monkish support of Eutyches. It seemed an admirable occasion for Rome
to adjudicate, and Leo pressed Theodosius and Pulcheria[64] to summon
an Ecumenical Council at Rome. In the thick of the struggle (February,
450), Valentinian III. visited Rome with the court, and Leo, with tears
in his eyes, besought the Empress Galla Placidia to work for the Roman
Council. Galla Placidia knew no more than the monks about theology, and
was more concerned about her wayward daughter Honoria, but she urged
Pulcheria to ensure the holding of the Council at Rome. Presently there
came from Constantinople the news that Theodosius was dead, Pulcheria
was mistress of the court, the eunuch-godfather had been executed, the
monk exiled, and the Archbishop Flavian restored to his See.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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