November
489-495 A.D. Euphemius—Constantinople’s 49th; Henotikon Edict; No Theological Discussion Except for Nicene
& 1st Constantinopolitan Creeds;
Ambiguous Language to Placate Monophysites; Exiled to Asia Minor; Died in Ancyra
Euphemius of Constantinople
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Euphemius
of Constantinople (died 515) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (490–496). Theophanes calls him Euthymius.[1][2] Prior to his appointment, Euphemius was a presbyter
of Constantinople, administrator of a hospital for the poor at Neapolis[disambiguation needed], unsuspected of any Eutychian leanings, and is described as learned and
very virtuous.[2]
The Acacian Schism
In 482, the Emperor Zeno had published a decree called the Henotikon, which forbade in the current theological
discussions any other criterion but those of the Councils of First Council
of Nicaea and First Council
of Constantinople (ignoring the decrees of Chalcedon), carefully avoided speaking of Christ's two
natures, and used ambiguous formulae that were meant to conciliate the Monophysites. Despite his efforts, the Henotikon really satisfied no one: Monophysites
disliked it as much as Catholics. However, Acacius at Constantinople, Peter Mongus Patriarch of
Alexandria, and Peter the Fuller Patriarch of
Antioch had all signed it. Pope Felix
III convened in 484 a Roman synod of sixty-seven bishops that condemned the emperor's
decree, deposed and excommunicated Acacius, Peter Mongus, and Peter Fuller.
Acacius retorted by striking the pope's name from his diptychs and persecuted
Catholics at Constantinople. When he died, Fravitta, his
successor, applied for recognition at Rome, but in vain, since he would not give
up communion with Peter Mongus.[1]
Euphemius immediately
recognized the Council of Chalcedon, restored the pope's name to his diptychs,
and broke with Peter Mongus, who died in October of the year of Euphemius's
accession (490).[2] By these acts, he showed his desire to heal the
rift with Rome.[1] Unfortunately, he still refused to erase the names
of his two predecessors (Acacius and Fravitta) from the diptychs, where they appeared
among the faithful departed.[2] Pope Felix insisted that heretics and favourers of heresy should not be prayed for
publicly; Euphemius repeated his attempts at reconciliation to Pope Gelasius I, but the problem of his predecessors remained;
Euphemius could not remove their names from the diptychs without causing
embarrassment or insult to those they had baptized and ordained.[1] Gelasius allowed that in other circumstances he
would have written to announce his election, but sourly observes that the
custom existed only between bishops who were united in communion, and was not
to be extended to those who, like Euphemius, preferred a strange alliance to
that with St. Peter. As a mark of condescension Gelasius granted the canonical
remedy to all who had been baptised and ordained by Acacius.[2]
Theodoric the
Great had become master of Italy, and in 493 sent Faustus and Irenaeus to the
emperor Anastasius I to ask for peace. During their sojourn at Constantinople the envoys
received complaints from the Greeks against the Roman church, which they
reported to the pope. Euphemius urged that the condemnation of Acacius by one
prelate only was invalid; to excommunicate a metropolitan of Constantinople a
general council was necessary.[3]
Patriarch and Emperor
Before the accession of the
Emperor Anastasius I, Euphemius had made him sign a profession of faith;[4] eventually
he fell foul of the emperor. As the Isaurian War was then under way, Euphemius was accused of
treason by revealing the emperor's plans to his enemies. A soldier, either by
Anastasius's own order or to gain his favour, drew his sword on Euphemius at
the door of the sacristy, but was struck down by an attendant. The emperor
further wanted back his written profession of faith, which Euphemius refused to
give up, so Anastasius assembled the bishops who were in the capital and
preferred charges against their patriarch, whom they obsequiously
excommunicated and deposed (496). The people loyally refused to surrender him,
but inevitably yielded to the emperor.[1][2]
Meanwhile Euphemius, fearing
for his life, sought sanctuary in the baptistery, and refused to go out until Macedonius II had promised on the word of the emperor that no
violence should be done to him when they conducted him to exile.Sinclair 1911 With a proper feeling of respect for the dignity of
his fallen predecessor, Macedonius made the attendant deacon take off the
newly-given pallium and clothed himself in the dress of a simple
presbyter, "not daring to wear" his insignia before their canonical
owner. After some conversation, Macedonius (who would follow Euphemius to the
very same place of exile under the same emperor) handed to him the proceeds of
a loan he had raised for his expenses. Euphemius was exiled to Asia Minor and
died in 515 at Ancyra. He was recognized to the end as lawful patriarch
by his peers in the East who included Elias of
Jerusalem Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Patriarch Flavian II of
Antioch.[1][2]
References
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Fortescue, Adrian (1909). "Euphemius of Constantinople". In Herbermann, Charles. Catholic Encyclopedia 5. Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Sinclair, W. M. (1911). "Euphemius, patriarch of Constantinople". In Wace, Henry; Piercy, William C. Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth
Century (third ed.).
London: John Murray.
|
Preceded by
Fravitta |
Patriarch
of Constantinople
489–495 |
Succeeded by
Macedonius II |
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