the legates of their Patriarch. Gelasius of Cyzicus (c. 475) says so, too, in his history of the council.[1] As far then as we have any evidence as to who presided, it points to the Papal Legates. We know nothing about any definite act of confirmation by the Pope, but the Roman Church undoubtedly accepted the decrees of which she (except for the one moment of weakness of Liberius)[2] was always the chief defender.[3]
The Council of Ephesus (431) was summoned by the Emperors Theodosius II and Valentinian III. So it repeatedly declares in its acts, in the first session: "The synod gathered together by the oracle of the most God-beloved and Christ-loving sovereigns."[4] So little did these sovereigns conceive themselves as acting for the Pope that they sent him (St. Celestine I, 422–432) an invitation too.[5] But when the Fathers had met they acknowledged Celestine's primacy. He had already written to St. Cyril of Alexandria,[6] telling him to excommunicate Nestorius, if he did not repent,[7] now he sent as additional legates two bishops, Arcadius and Projectus, and a priest, Philip, telling them to be on Cyril's side in everything, as he was already authorized to act in the name of the Roman
- ↑ Mansi, ii. 806. M.P.G. lxxxv. 1179, seq. But Gelasius is no great authority.
- ↑ It is uncertain how Pope Liberius (352–366) fell. He was at first a steadfast defender of the Creed of Nicæa, but after a long banishment he seems to have somehow given way to the semi-Arians, and he was then allowed by the Emperor (Constantius) to come back to Rome. Perhaps he accepted an ambiguous formula (the third Sirmian form), Rufin says that he does not know whether he gave way at all (H.E. i. 27. M.P.L. xxi. 493). In any case there is no question of a definition ex cathedra, and all theologians agree that a Pope may be guilty of a private heretical opinion. B. Jungmann has discussed the whole case in his Dissertationes selectæ in historiam ecclesiasticam, ii. pp. 46, seq. See also Hefele: Conc.-Gesch. (ed. 2), i. pp. 685, 696.
- ↑ Funk: K.-G. Abhandl. 94–99.
- ↑ Hard. i. 1354.
- ↑ Theodos. II, Edict. and Epist. Mansi, iv. 1109, 1111, 1118.
- ↑ The acts of the council formally declare Cyril to be the Pope's Legate: "The Alexandrine Cyril, who also holds the place of Celestine, the most holy and most blessed Archbishop of the Church of the Romans … being present" (Mansi, iv. 1280). Philip is also called "priest and legate of the Apostolic See," and Arcadius and Projectus are "the most pious and Godbeloved bishops and legates" (ibid. 1281).
- ↑ Coel. ep. 16-19. Mansi, iv. 1292.
