Coptic interpretations of the Fourth Ecumenical Council - Saint Mina ...

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When the news reached the bishops of Rome, they exiled St. Acacius from Constantinople. He remained in exile until he departed in peace, all the while remaining firm in his Orthodox Faith. Source: Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium (Book of Saints) (http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/3_30.html#1) Acacius advised the Byzantine Emperor Zeno to issue the Henotikon edict in 482, in which Nestorius and Eutyches were condemned, the twelve chapters of Cyril of Alexandria accepted, and the Chalcedon Definition ignored. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Acacius_of_Constantmople) Zeno died in 491 A.D. His successor Anastasius I was sympathetic to the Non-Chalcedonians and their Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Then in 518 A.D. Anastasius I was succeeded by Justin I, who wasn't very sympathetic to Non-Chalcedonians. Justin I was succeeded by his nephew, Justinian I. Emperor Justinian I was never really committed to conciliating the non-Chalcedonians, unlike his wife the godly Empress Theodora (see below). Pope Timothy III of Alexandria, Empress Theodora, and Patriarch Anthimus I of Constantinople A Missed Opportunity for Reconciliation In the reign of Justinian the patronage accorded to Non-Chalcedonians by his wife the godly Empress Theodora raised hopes for reconciliation. Severus of Antioch went to Constantinople where he fraternized with the ascetical Patriarch Anthimus I of Constantinople (535-536 A.D.; commonly labelled by Chalcedonians as a Monophysite), who had already exchanged friendly letters with him and with the Non-Chalcedonian Coptic Pope Theodosius of Alexandria (535 to 566 A.D.). Theodosius was preceded by Timothy III (517 to 535 A.D.), the Coptic Pope associated with the great repentance and conversion of Empress Theodora while she was in Alexandria. (http://www.roman-emperors.org/dora.htm) The Rising Roman Papal Influence Patriarch Anthimus was deposed by Pope Agapetus I of Rome. His successor, Patriarch Mennas of Constantinople, was also excommunicated in 547 and again in 551 for taking positions counter to those held by the Pope of Rome. The patriarchy of Menas represents the greatest extent of Roman papal influence in Constantinople. Seventh Century Severus ibn al-Mukaffa', Bishop of al-Ashmunein in Upper Egypt, relates the Islamic conquest of Egypt (639-641 A.D.) in his detailed biography of the Coptic Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Benjamin I (622-661 A.D.) (http://www. tertullian.org/fathers/severus_hermopolis_hist_alex_patr_02_part2.htm# BENJAMINI). According to Severus of Al'Ashmunein and other sources, at that time 44
when Arab Muslims conquered Egypt, the local Coptic (Non-Chalcedonians) Christians were severely persecuted at the hands of the rival Melchite, Chalcedonian Patriarch of Alexandria, Cyrus (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04597c.htm), who was also Governor of Egypt. Cyrus is also famous for being one of the authors of monothelism, a seventh century heresy. The Orthodox Christology of St. Severus of Antioch By Subdeacon Peter Theodore Farrington Saint Severus, the exiled Patriarch of Antioch who took refuge in Egypt, is considered one of the key post-Chalcedon Theologians of the Oriental Orthodox Church. Subdeacon Peter Theodore Farrington (http://britishorthodox.org/ ), well-known for his writings and studies in the issue of Orthodox Unity, has contributed this article on the Orthodox Christology of St. Severus of Antioch. For more information on Orthodox Unity, please visit his site: http://orthodoxunity.org/. St Severus of Antioch is one of the great Fathers of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. In the decades after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD it was he, more than any other theologian, who expressed most forcefully and clearly the Orthodox Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. He grew up in the confused environment of the Church produced by Chalcedon and intermittently exacerbated by imperial persecution of those who rejected the decisions of that council. Yet despite his opposition to Chalcedon he always remained as tolerant and irenic as possible, being willing even to accept the phrase 'in two natures' as long as the union of Divinity and humanity in Christ was confessed. Yet the Eastern Orthodox have accused St Severus of being both a Nestorian and a Eutychian and the latter Eastern Orthodox councils have anathematised him together with St Dioscorus. The actual teachings of St Severus have become unjustly obscure, both among the Eastern Orthodox and even the Oriental Orthodox, who should value him more. Yet his manifest reliance and dependence on the teaching of St Cyril of Alexandria, and the clarity of his thought, should make him a useful exemplar of the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox. The Christological teachings of the Eastern Orthodox are widely known and published, but in this time of ecumenical dialogue it seems that most of the Oriental Orthodox Christology that Eastern Orthodox learn is derived from second-hand and erroneous accounts that twist and distort what Oriental Orthodox have always believed. The teachings of St Severus, answering many of the same objections as are heard today, are an antidote to such misinformation and promote the dialogue between the Churches. St Severus was born in Sozopolis in Pisidia in 465 AD. He came from a wealthy family and was sent to Alexandria to study. He continued his studies in Beirut where he came under the influence of a group of Christian students. He began to study the writings of Sts Gregory of Nazianzen and Basil and at some time in this period he was baptised. 45
Page 1 and 2: Coptic interpretations of the Fourt
Page 3 and 4: from the Virgin Theotokos the flesh
Page 5 and 6: and Eutyches, Alexandria did agains
Page 7 and 8: Agreed Official Statements on Chris
Page 9 and 10: Cyril's Twelve Chapters. Evidently
Page 11 and 12: the Emperor Marcianus intensified a
Page 13 and 14: and on several occasions seemed on
Page 15 and 16: is his fellow Christians he is tryi
Page 17 and 18: Yet despite all of these difficulti
Page 19 and 20: Pope Saint Dioscorus I of Alexandri
Page 21 and 22: When the judges started the order o
Page 23 and 24: Grillmeier rather confusingly state
Page 25 and 26: condemned to banishment with them,
Page 27 and 28: y the thought that the anti-Chalced
Page 29 and 30: Thus it came about that St Timothy
Page 31 and 32: consideration. With this in mind Ba
Page 33 and 34: that the doctrine of the real incar
Page 35 and 36: Unfortunately, Acacius of Constanti
Page 37 and 38: took flesh from the holy Virgin, an
Page 39 and 40: it seemed to him that the Tome and
Page 41 and 42: St Timothy has been unfairly treate
Page 43: union of the Divinity with the Huma
Page 47 and 48: enemies, he wrote some of his most
Page 49 and 50: Severus, be taken to stand for the
Page 51 and 52: mode of how they are, and they are
Page 53 and 54: anathema the fact of, or naming, na
Page 55 and 56: agreement of Nestorius with the tea
Page 57 and 58: Christ is known to be one from both
Page 59 and 60: is both human and Divine, it does n
Page 61 and 62: and humanity cease to exist in the
Page 63 and 64: “Our Lord Jesus Christ is, to be
Page 65 and 66: nature of flesh, we are not two, bu
Page 67 and 68: St Timothy reminds us that the huma
Page 69 and 70: A final passage from St Severus, si
Page 71 and 72: and agreed by the Holy Synod of the
Page 73 and 74: He does not seek for Himself a will
Page 75 and 76: APPENDICES A. WEB RESOURCES: 1. htt
Page 77 and 78: + ''Thus He who is consubstantial w
Page 79 and 80: Churches and to pursue further disc
Page 81 and 82: together, but that the one eternal
Page 83 and 84: + There was a suggestion for small
Page 85 and 86: 2. God's infinite love for mankind,
Page 87 and 88: Church. It is the teaching of the b
Page 89 and 90: two families constitutes: (a) a Con
Page 91 and 92: Church which imposed the anathemas
Page 93 and 94: A concrete form of methodology to b
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His Holiness Pope and Patriarch She
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Orthodox Co-president of the Joint
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comprising the joint text agreed up
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and energy. 4. Both families agree
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GENEVA, September 23 - 28, 1990 Ort
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(c) political, religious and social
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Edessa who insisted to divide the L
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circles, the imperial court and amo
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The delegates of Rome returned to t
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Euphemia [8] (a small chapel) inste
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