Wikipedia

Sergius I of Constantinople

Sergius I(Greek:Σέργιος,Sergios;died 9 December 638) was theEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinoplefrom 610 to 638. He is most famous for promotingMonotheliteChristianity,especially through theEcthesis.[1]

Sergius I of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Installed610
Term ended638
Personal details
Died9 December 638
Constantinople
DenominationChalcedonian Christianity

Sergius was born of Syrian Jacobite heritage.[2]He first came to power asPatriarch of Constantinoplein 610. He was also a known supporter of EmperorHeraclius,crowning Heraclius as emperor himself in 610.[3]Sergius also provided support to Heraclius throughout his campaign against the Persians. Sergius also played a prominent role in the defense ofConstantinopleagainst the combinedAvar-Persian-Slavicforces during theirinvasion of Constantinoplein 626. Sergius' connections to both political and religious authorities gave him to his influence in both the religious and political communities to furtherMonoenergismas the primary formula ofChristwithin the church. This was met with much opposition, especially from that of theChalcedoniansupporters,Maximus the ConfessorandSophronius.In response to their resistance to accept the ideas ofMonoenergism,Sergius responded with theEcthesis,a formula which forbade discussing the idea that the Person of Christ had one or two energies in favour ofMonothelitismbeing the idea that the Person of Christ had two natures that were united by a single will. TheEcthesiswas signed by Heraclius in 638, the same year that Sergius died.[4]

TheEcthesiswould only be seen as an accepted doctrine for two years; the death ofPope Honorius Iresulted in a significant reduction inMonothelitismsupport. TheEcthesiswas condemned in 640 byPope John IV.[5]Additionally, both Sergius and Pope Honorius were condemned as heretics by the church in 680-681 by theThird Council of Constantinople.[6]

Early career

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Very little is known about Sergius before his election to the patriarchate of Constantinople. His parents wereSyrian Jacobitesand it is not known how or when he arrived in Constantinople. At the time of his election he was a deacon at theHagia Sophiaand feeder of the poor (πτωχοτρόφος) at the Phrixos harbour. While his birth date is unknown contemporaries remarked that he was young for his new position.[7]

Sergius was elected as patriarch of Constantinople on 18 April 610.[8][9]At that time emperorPhocaswas fighting a rebellion led by theExarch of Africa,Heraclius the Elder,and his sonHeraclius.In October 610 Heraclius took the capital and Phocas was executed. Sergius crowned the new emperor Heraclius and his wifeEudokiaand blessed their marriage on 5 October 610. Later he also baptized and crowned their childrenEudoxia Epiphania(born 7 July 611) andHeraclius Constantine(born 3 May 612).[10]

In 612 Sergius introduced new limitations on the number of clerics at the Hagia Sophia. Additional appointments would only be made if the candidate made or secured a significant financial donation that would cover all costs for his position (and possibly more). This new policy reduced the strain on state resources and was ratified by the Heraclius in May 612. It is unknown whether the initiative for this policy came from Sergius himself or from emperor.[11]

When the emperor's wife Eudokia died on 13 August 612, Heraclius decided to marry his nieceMartina.[12]Sergius tried to convince the emperor not to go ahead with amarriagethat was against the rules of the Church and would be unpopular. Heraclius acknowledged the problem, but decided to marry her anyway, writing to Sergius that the latter had done his duty "as patriarch and as a friend". It seems that Sergius did not resist any further and he blessed the marriage and crowned Martina as new empress. It is possible that given the precarious state of the empire—the byzantine army under Heraclius had just suffered a major defeat against the Persians atAntioch—Sergius chose to put unity and cooperation with the emperor above the church canon. A year later he baptized the couple's son Constantine. As such, Sergius developed a close relationship with the Emperor, a connection that would serve him later on.[13]

In 614, the Persian armyseizedJerusalem, damaging theChurch of the Holy Sepulchrein the process and capturing theTrue Cross,originally discovered by theEmpress Helena.The fall of Jerusalem and the loss of the True Cross came as a shock and led to a crusading mood among the empire's populace. Attempts at negotiating a peace failed.[14]

In 618 emperor Heraclius decided to move the capital of the empire from Constantinople toCarthage.At the time Constantinople was threatened both by theAvarsand the Persians. At the same time Constantinople was hit by a famine, caused by the loss ofEgyptwhich was the primary source of Constantinople's grain imports, followed by an outbreak of the plague. Believing that under these conditions Constantinople was no adequate base for a counteroffensive, Heraclius began to secretly move the empire's gold and financial reserves to Carthage. When the secret plan to move the capital was discovered, protests erupted in Constantinople and Sergius succeeded at convincing Heraclius to give up his plans and to swear an oath in the Hagia Sophia never to abandon Constantinople. It is likely that Sergius promised Heraclius financial aid from the church in return for his oath. Henceforth Sergius was credited with saving the capital, gaining him significant popularity amongst the populace of Constantinople.[15]

In 619 the 612 reforms of the clergy of the Hagia Sophia ran into "difficulties". This threatened the reduction of the strain on state finances that were the goal of the reform. Heraclius gave Sergius free rein in solving the problem.[16]

A counterattack was initiated against the Persians in 622 by Heraclius. Sergius provided the necessary wealth for the campaign to succeed through the funds of the church.[17]Sergius succeeded at this by reporting funds in the form of Church revenues and vessels. It is even said that the bronze ox from the Forum Tauri was melted down to help provide materials for coinage.[18]On the second day of Easter (5 April) 622, after a festive mass, Heraclius set out to attack the Persians. In his absence government rested with his son and co-emperor Heraclius Constantine. Since the latter was still a minor, Heraclius left him under the supervision and regency of Sergius and thePatrikiosBonus.While it is likely that the main executive power rested with Bonus, Sergius probably played a leading role in discussions.[19]

Siege of Constantinople

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Main article:Siege of Constantinople (626)

In June 626 Persian troops appeared beforeChalcedon,making camp in expectation of the Avar army. With Heraclius away on his campaign against Sassanid Persia, Sergius and Bonus seem to have considered sending the emperor's son Heraclius Constantine to his father for assistance. Ultimately they decided that the emperor and the co-emperor should not both be absent during the crisis and instead sent a message to the emperor. Heraclius, however, was unwilling to abandon his campaign and merely sent instructions for the defense of the city. On 29 June the Avar vanguard reachedAdrianople.An attempt at negotiations with the Avar Khagan failed and the main army reached Constantinople on 29 July.[20] By 622, Sergius' abilities were well recognized by Heraclius. As a result, Heraclius assigned Sergius the care of both his son Theotokos and Constantinople.[21]In 626 during the absence of the Emperor's campaign against Sassanid Persia, the Avars and Sassanid Persians, aided by large number of allied Slavs, laid siege to Constantinople. Along with the magister militum Bonus, he had been named regent and was in charge of the city's defense. He led a litany to the Hodegetria icon just before the final attack of theAvars,and right after completing it a huge storm crushed the invading fleet, saving Constantinople. It is reported that Sergius carried the Icon of the Mother of God around the city walls of Constantinople. The storm was credited as a miracle from theMother of God,though Sergius was credited with persuading her to the point of involvement.[22]It was rumoured that a previous hymn of theEastern Orthodox Churchwas composed in honour of this battle and of Sergius.[23]

Monothelitism

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Background

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With the victory over the Persians, rifts in the religious society began to emerge again betweenMonophysiteandChalcedonianbeliefs. BothHeracliusand Sergius planned to adopt a form of 'Monenergism'.[24]The hope was that their religious formula would be able to connect the different religious beliefs and provide a sense of unity within the empire.

Sergius promulgated the belief thatJesus Christhad two natures but one will, known asMonothelitism.It was hoped that the idea would appeal to bothChalcedoniansand to Monophysite followers in the empire as it fused basic principles taken from both realms of practice. Initially, Sergius had success, converting the Patriarchs Athanasius and Cyrus of Alexandria and Antioch respectively. It was not until 633 that Heraclius'sMonoenergismbegan to receive resistance from the Chaldeconians, primarily from the monksSophroniusandMaximus the Confessor.[25]In 633, Sophronius had left for Africa to dispute the doctrine that Cyrus has put upon the Egyptians. To this end, Sergius sent his archdeacon Peter to a synod in Cyprus in 634, hosted by ArchbishopArkadios IIand with additional representatives fromPope Honorius I.The anti-Monoenergist side in Jerusalem, championed by Maximus and Sophronius, sent to this synodAnastasius Apocrisiariuspupil of Maximus, George of Resh'aina pupil of Sophronius, and two of George's own pupils, and also eight bishops from Palestine. When the two sides were presented to the emperor, the emperor switched toMonothelitismand so with Sergius.[26]

It was also at this point around 633 that Sergius sought to stress the importance of Monothelitism to Pope Honorius. Sergius' letter to Honorius informed the Pope of the significance of the union achieved in Alexandria and for an agreement in how Christ's will should be viewed.[27]Honorius ultimately agreed with the Sergius' belief, impressed at Sergius' ability to gain theological agreement in the eastern Churches, and confessed to Christ having only one will but two natures as well in his reply to Sergius. Honorius retracts from this position to a degree in a following letter to Sergius, believed to be a result of the Synodical Letter from Sophronius to Honorius.[28]

TheEcthesis

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Sergius sought to create a formula that would be able to fully please both theChalcedoniansand theMonophysites.[29]The eventually forbade discussion on whether Christ had one or two energies within him and instead insisted that the Lord had two different natures incarnated within a single will and body.[30]Sergious would lead to call this statement theEcthesis,or Exposition. These beliefs were in similar accordance to the beliefs of Hominus. This furthered Sergius' formula in realms of both Chalcedonian and Monophysite practice.[31]It can be argued that Hominus did not quite understand the point of Sergius' formula, but it is accepted that he supported it regardless.[32]Still, theEcthesiswas not well received by all Chalcedonians;Sophroniusviewed it poorly, to the point that he published a decree against it.[33]Emperor Heraclius too was hesitant to sign off on Sergious' work. While Sergius had finished theEcthesisin 636, it was not signed into approval by Heraclius until 638, the same year as Sergius' death.

TheEcthesisof 638 AD was issued by Emperor Heraclius with the agreement of Sergius. This document definedMonothelitismas the official imperial form ofChristianity,and it would remain very controversial in the next years after its implementation.

Effects of theEcthesis

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The initial effects of theEcthesiswere strongly felt throughout religious society. Sergius' successor, Pyrrhus, who Sergius had handpicked to take over, declared his confidence inMonothelitismbelief as the official imperial doctrine. Furthermore, the majority of the subsequent Eastern successors were ofMonophysitefaith, furthering the spread ofMonothelitismdoctrine.Chalcedonianbelief had been severely reduced and the remainder of its practice was in a critical state. This would all change the following year in a very contrasting way.[34]

Death and denunciation

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Sergius died in December of 638, only months after Heraclius had instated theEcthesis.

Despite the strong initial spread to Monothelitism belief, 640 brought an abrupt end to this. A series of events happened in short order following 638. First, the new pope,Severinus,showed strong resistance to accepting Monothelitism belief. His successor,Pope John IV,was an even stronger opponent of the practice.[35]Finally, following the death of Heraclius in 641, both the subsequent EmperorsConstantine IIIandConstans IIwere of orthodox practice and appeared to have removed theEcthesisas the official imperial doctrine, by request ofPope John IV.[36]This effectively crushed the remaining foundation ofMonothelitismdoctrine as Orthodox teachings appeared to quickly restore back throughout the Empire.

By 680, all Monothelite support had faded and Orthodox belief was in full order again. The resulting Roman Easter synod of 680 concluded that Christ had two wills and that all who had opposed this belief were to be condemned as heretics. Monothelitism was finally declared aheresyat theThird Council of Constantinople(the Sixth Ecumenical Council), AD 680–681, and both Patriarch Sergius and Pope Honorius were declared to be heretics. Honorius remains the only condemned pope to this day.[37]As quoted from the council:

"…Honorius some time Pope of Old Rome, as well as the letter of the latter to the same Sergius, we find that these documents are quite foreign to the apostolic dogmas, to the declarations of the holy Councils, and to all the accepted Fathers, and that they follow the false teachings of the heretics…"[38]

The Council lasted a total of eighteen sessions in declaring theheresyof Sergius, the first being in November 680 and the last being in September 681.[39]

References

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  1. ^Vauchez, 2012
  2. ^Louthe 2005, p.7-8
  3. ^Alexander 1977, 218-222
  4. ^Ekonomou 2007, 90-93
  5. ^Hussey, 1986
  6. ^Ullman 1972, 60, 63
  7. ^Dieten 1972, 1
  8. ^Ekonomou 2007, 92-95
  9. ^Dieten 1972, 1
  10. ^Dieten 1972, 1-2
  11. ^Dieten 1972, 3-5
  12. ^Ekonomou 2007, 92-95
  13. ^Dieten 1972, 5-6
  14. ^Dieten 1972, 6-8
  15. ^Dieten 1972, 8-10
  16. ^Dieten 1972, 10
  17. ^Runciman 1977, 54-57
  18. ^Alexander 1977,218-219
  19. ^Dieten 1972, 11-12
  20. ^Dieten 1972, 13-14
  21. ^Ekonomou 2007, 93-95
  22. ^Ekonomou 2007, 84
  23. ^Louthe 2005, p.7-8
  24. ^Louthe 2005, 8-10
  25. ^Louthe 2005, 8-10
  26. ^Brock 1973
  27. ^Louthe 2005, 8-10
  28. ^Allen, Bronwen Neil 2002, 3
  29. ^Rose 1857, 12
  30. ^Hussey, 1986
  31. ^Ekonomou 2007, 97-98
  32. ^Runciman, 56-58
  33. ^Rose 1857, 9-12
  34. ^Ekonomou 2007, 97-99
  35. ^Louthe 2005, 13-16
  36. ^Hussey, 1986
  37. ^Hussey, 1986
  38. ^L. and C., Concilia, Tom 680
  39. ^Hussey, 1986

Sources

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  • Alexander, Suzanne Spain. "Heraclius, Byzantine Imperial Ideology, and the David Plates." Speculum. 52.2 (1977): 218–222. Print.
  • Allen, Pauline;Bronwen, Neil (2003).Maximus the Confessor and his Companions.Oxford Early Christian Texts. Oxford University Press.ISBN9780198299912.
  • Brock, Sebastian P., "An Early Syriac Life of Maximus the Confessor", Analecta Bollandiana 91 (1973): 299–346. Web.
  • Dieten, Jan Louis van (1972).Geschichte der Patriarchen von Sergios I. bis Johannes VI. (610-715)[History of the Patriarchs from Sergios I. to John VI. (610-715)] (in German). Amsterdam: Verlag Adolf M. Hakkert.ISBN90-256-0604-0.
  • Ekonomou, Andrew J. (2007).Byzantine Rome and the Greek Popes: Eastern Influences on Rome and the Papacy from Gregory the Great to Zacharias, A.D. 590-752.Le xing ton Books.ISBN9780739119778.
  • Hovorun, Cyril (2008).Will, Action and Freedom: Christological Controversies in the Seventh Century.Leiden-Boston: BRILL.ISBN978-9004166660.
  • Hussey, J.M. The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire. 1. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1986. eBook.
  • L. and C., Concilia, Tom. "The Sentence Against the Monothelites. Session XIII.." NPNF2-14. The Seven Ecumenical Councils 680. col. 943.Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Web. 16 Oct 2013.http:// ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.
  • Louth, Andrew. Maximus the Confessor. 1. London: Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. 7-16. eBook.
  • Meyendorff, John(1989).Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D.The Church in history. Vol. 2. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.ISBN978-0-88-141056-3.
  • Rose, Hugh James. A New General Biographical Dictionary, Volume 12. 12. London: Bell & Co Cambridge, 1857. 8. Web.
  • Runciman, Steven. The Byzantine Theocracy: The Weil Lectures, Cincinnati. Cambridge, Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1977. 54–61. Print.
  • Ullmann, Walter. A Short History of the Papacy in the Middle Ages. 2. New Fetter Lane, London: Methuem & Co. LTD, 1972. Print.
  • Vauchez, André. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. 2012. Cambridge, Britain: James Clarke & Co, 2002. Print.http:// oxfordreference /view/10.1093/acref/9780227679319.001.0001/acref9780227679319-e-2620?rskey=egvat3&result=1.
Titles of Chalcedonian Christianity
Preceded by Patriarch of Constantinople
610–638 		Succeeded by
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