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1 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 AlexandriaThe Patriarch of Alexandria is the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has held the title of Pope, and did so before it was bestowed upon the Pope of Rome. Bestowing the title on Rome's patriarch did not strip it from Alexandria's., and Peter the FullerPeter (surnamed Fullo, "the Fuller"), was intruding Patriarch of Antioch ( 471 488), and Monophysite. he received his surname from his former trade as a fuller of cloth. Tillemont Empereurs tome vi. 404) considers that Peter was originally a member of the Patriarch of AntiochIn the history of Christianity, Patriarch of Antioch was the title carried by the Bishop of Antioch one of the few dioceses that preserve historical names of its bishops form the apostolic beginnings. External link Antioch, Church of. Full history See als had all signed it. Pope Felix III convened in 484Events December 28 Alaric II succeeds Euric as king of the Visigoths. Gunthamund becomes king of the Vandals. Pope Felix III excommunicates Peter Mongus, patriarch of Alexandria, and Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople, causing a schism between eastern a a Roman synodA synod (also known as a council is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration. An ecumenical council is so named because it is a synod of the whole church (or, more accurately, of what tho 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.

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). By these acts, he showed his desire to heal the rift with Rome. 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. Pope Felix insisted that hereticsHeresy according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church and favorers 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 wihtout causing embarrassment or insult to those they had baptized and ordained. 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 baptized and ordained by Acacius.