prisoner. Vigilius is reported to have said a word which shows a fine sense of the dignity of his See, of the difference between the mighty throne of Old Rome and its present feeble occupant: "Even if you imprison me, you cannot take the Apostle Peter prisoner." Then followed conferences with the Byzantine bishops. On April 11, 548, Vigilius published a Iudicatum in which, with a most careful insistence on the faith of Chalcedon, he condemned the Three Chapters. At once, as he might have foreseen, the Western bishops protested indignantly against this act. Dacius of Milan, Facundus of Hermiane and the Africans were most angry with what they considered the Pope's treasonable concession to the Byzantine court. From now we have the curious spectacle (unique in Church history) of the Pope and the Eastern bishops on one side, opposed to the West. Justinian than demanded the usual remedy for such quarrels, a general council. Vigilius agreed and meanwhile withdrew his Iudicatum. But most of the Western bishops refused to attend the council. Now Justinian by his own authority issued a new decree, again condemning the Chapters (551). The Pope was very indignant at this; Theodore Askidas, the original author of the whole quarrel (p. 202), began excommunicating people who would not accept the Emperor's edict, so Vigilius excommunicated him. The Emperor tried to seize the Pope, but he took sanctuary in a church and there withdrew his consent to the council, excommunicating all who took part in it. However, a council met on May 5, 553, at Constantinople. Only 165 bishops attended it. Mennas of Constantinople was just dead (August 552); his successor Eutychius (552-565, 577-582) presided, after great efforts had been made, in vain, to persuade the Pope to do so. Vigilius sent to the council a Constitutum, which was another attempt at compromise. In this he condemned sixty propositions taken from the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia, and forbade any other condemnation. The council refused to accept this, condemned the Three Chapters as the Emperor had done, authorized the formula, "One of the Trinity suffered," and incidentally declared Origen a heretic.[1]
- ↑ The question of the doubtful orthodoxy of Origen's works was another matter much agitated during Justinian's reign. For the acts of this Synod see Mansi, ix. 173-420; Hefele-Leclercq: op. cit. iii. (1) 68-132.
