Mondays are for Church History
9/23/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter V. The Hierarchy and Polity of the Church." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1993-2106). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 48-67).
"§64. The Papacy from Leo I to Gregory I. A.D. 461-590." (pp. 2074-2081).
Schaff considers Leo and Gregory as "the two greatest bishops of Rome in the first six centuries" (Schaff 2014, p. 2074). He sees no important figure between the two, and Leo to have been more important than Gregory. While Leo acted as a monarch, Gregory acted as the primary patriarch.
Leo was succeeded by Hilary (461-468), then Simplicius (468-483), under whose papacy the Roman empire fell in 476. The rule of "barbarian and heretical (for they were Arian) kings" (Schaff 2014, p. 2074) was not a great challenge to the papacy as they allowed the bishops freedom in church governance.
Simplicius was succeeded by Felix (II or III) (483-492), who worked against the Monophysites and to assert papal power above imperial edict, a move continued by Gelasius I (492-496) (Schaff 2014, p. 2075). Anastasius II (496-498) tended to be conciliatory toward Constantinople, thus becoming a target of suspicion. After his death, Schaff describes a period of disorder and violence in the papal context. The Arian king was called upon to decide the context and elevate a bishop. The controversy included numerous councils. Schaff sees this as the start of a long lasting pattern of popes being elevated by emperors and councils (Schaff 2014, p. 2076)l The next pope mentioned by Schaff is Hormisdas (514-523), though in his time the defeat of the Monophysites is credited to emperor Justin (Schaff 2014, p. 2076). Ho4misdas was succeeded by John I (523-526), followed by Felix II/IV (Schaff 2014, p. 2077), appointed after a period of struggle. Next came Boniface II (530-532) and John II (532-535). At this time, Gothic power declined, to be replaced by Eastern imperial power. The power of Constantinople extended into the Roman papacy as well, influencing Agapetus (535-536), Silverius (536-538), and Vigilius (538-554). The empress pushed Vigilius to "nullify the decrees of the council of Chalcedon, and pronounce Anthimus and his friends orthodox" (Schaff 2014, p. 2078). Vigilius suffered the loss of his positive political connections and died while en route to Rome from Sicily (Schaff 2014, p. 2079). He was succeeded by Pelagius I (554-560), who was more accepted in the East than the West. In general, Schaff sees the papacy entering into a period of pragmatism, decay, and capitulation to imperial pressure, as the papacy was held by John III (560-573), Benedict I (574-578), and Pelagius II (578-590).
Gregory I (590-604) marks a change in the work of the papacy. Because of the radical change, he is normally seen as the first of the series of those after him, rather than the last of those before him (Schaff 2014, p. 2080). He used the title "Servant of the Servants of God" (Schaff 2014, p. 2081). This, along with the firm stance he took reflecting Leo I as his predecessor, had a strong effect on the authority of the papacy.
9/23/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter V. The Hierarchy and Polity of the Church." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1993-2106). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 48-67).
"§64. The Papacy from Leo I to Gregory I. A.D. 461-590." (pp. 2074-2081).
Schaff considers Leo and Gregory as "the two greatest bishops of Rome in the first six centuries" (Schaff 2014, p. 2074). He sees no important figure between the two, and Leo to have been more important than Gregory. While Leo acted as a monarch, Gregory acted as the primary patriarch.
Leo was succeeded by Hilary (461-468), then Simplicius (468-483), under whose papacy the Roman empire fell in 476. The rule of "barbarian and heretical (for they were Arian) kings" (Schaff 2014, p. 2074) was not a great challenge to the papacy as they allowed the bishops freedom in church governance.
Simplicius was succeeded by Felix (II or III) (483-492), who worked against the Monophysites and to assert papal power above imperial edict, a move continued by Gelasius I (492-496) (Schaff 2014, p. 2075). Anastasius II (496-498) tended to be conciliatory toward Constantinople, thus becoming a target of suspicion. After his death, Schaff describes a period of disorder and violence in the papal context. The Arian king was called upon to decide the context and elevate a bishop. The controversy included numerous councils. Schaff sees this as the start of a long lasting pattern of popes being elevated by emperors and councils (Schaff 2014, p. 2076)l The next pope mentioned by Schaff is Hormisdas (514-523), though in his time the defeat of the Monophysites is credited to emperor Justin (Schaff 2014, p. 2076). Ho4misdas was succeeded by John I (523-526), followed by Felix II/IV (Schaff 2014, p. 2077), appointed after a period of struggle. Next came Boniface II (530-532) and John II (532-535). At this time, Gothic power declined, to be replaced by Eastern imperial power. The power of Constantinople extended into the Roman papacy as well, influencing Agapetus (535-536), Silverius (536-538), and Vigilius (538-554). The empress pushed Vigilius to "nullify the decrees of the council of Chalcedon, and pronounce Anthimus and his friends orthodox" (Schaff 2014, p. 2078). Vigilius suffered the loss of his positive political connections and died while en route to Rome from Sicily (Schaff 2014, p. 2079). He was succeeded by Pelagius I (554-560), who was more accepted in the East than the West. In general, Schaff sees the papacy entering into a period of pragmatism, decay, and capitulation to imperial pressure, as the papacy was held by John III (560-573), Benedict I (574-578), and Pelagius II (578-590).
Gregory I (590-604) marks a change in the work of the papacy. Because of the radical change, he is normally seen as the first of the series of those after him, rather than the last of those before him (Schaff 2014, p. 2080). He used the title "Servant of the Servants of God" (Schaff 2014, p. 2081). This, along with the firm stance he took reflecting Leo I as his predecessor, had a strong effect on the authority of the papacy.
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