Constantinople (641) while Pyrrhus, his predecessor, is still alive. Pyrrhus comes to fall at his feet and is received back into communion.[1] He makes Stephen of Dora Vicar of the holy See for the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.[2] St. Martin I (649–655) deposes Peter of Alexandria and Macedonius of Antioch for heresy, and appoints John of Philadelphia his Vicar Apostolic for Syria and Palestine: "In the name of the power we have received from God through St. Peter We order Our brother John to hold Our place in all ecclesiastical affairs of the East and to set up bishops, priests and deacons in all towns that are under the Sees of Antioch and Jerusalem."[3] In 717 the Emperor Leo III (the Isaurian, 717-741) as soon as he succeeds to the throne sends his profession of faith to Pope Gregory II (715–731).[4]
These cases may stand as examples of the Pope's jurisdiction in the East during the time before the schism. Many more of the same kind will be found quoted in text-books of dogmatic theology.[5]
3. The Popes and the General Councils.
The Roman Primacy over Eastern Christendom is also illustrated by the relations between Popes and œcumenical councils. Seven of these councils were held before the schism. Orthodox Christians then count seven, and only seven, synods as œcumenical; the twelve that we have held since are to them, of course, only local Latin councils, and heretical besides. And we specially do not agree about the eighth general council. It was held at the very time of the schism: we count as the œcumenical council the one held in 869 (Constantinople IV), which certainly most fully recognized the Pope's primacy; their eighth council is the one of 879,[6] to us only a "Pseudosynodus Photiana." We shall come back to these synods in the account
- ↑ Op. Maximi Conf. M.P.G. xci. 353.
- ↑ Mansi, x. 821, 900.
- ↑ Ibid. 805, seq.; 825–832.
- ↑ Ibid. xii. 959.
- ↑ Cf. Echos d'Orient, vi. pp. 30–42, 118–125, 249–257: Les appels au Pape dans l'Église grecque jusqu'à Photius.
- ↑ Although they always speak of the seven synods, the Church of the Seven Synods and so on, they often call the Council of 879 the eighth œcumenical synod, see p. 156.
