round an order to strike the Pope's name off their diptychs,[1] they quietly obeyed.
The position of the Patriarch of Antioch was just then more fortunate. In 968 the Roman armies had conquered back his city and so he was again free under a Christian Government, although most of his Patriarchate was gone. Both sides then try to win Peter of Antioch.[2] There are very few people in this history for whom one feels so much sympathy as with this Peter. He had all the prejudices of his race. He cannot bear Latins; he thinks we are barbarous, ignorant, gross in our habits, not fit to be compared with the pure Christians and refined "Romans" who enjoy the blessings of the Imperial State and the Greek tongue. And yet he dreads schism more than anything else in the world and he hopelessly tries to make excuses for us to Cerularius, and implores him to be patient with our unpleasant ways, and at any rate, whatever happens, not to make a schism.
Only two years before the schism, in 1052, he had, as usual, sent to announce his election to Pope Leo IX. He had, as usual, acknowledged the Roman Primacy.[3] Leo answered with a letter as courteous and friendly as any could be.[4] He makes the most graceful parallel between the two Petrine Churches: "Your Apostolic See has addressed our Apostolic See." He remembers that "it was in the great Antioch that Christians were first named." Touching an old grievance, he says that "Antioch must keep the third place," and that "we have heard that certain people are trying to diminish the ancient dignity of the Antiochene Church." That means, of course, the ambition of Constantinople, by which Antioch would sink to the fourth place. Unfortunately, the Pope's letter got lost on the way,
- ↑ Will, o.c. p. 178.
- ↑ Peter III of Antioch began his reign in 1052. The date of his death is unknown. Lequien: Oriens. Christ. ii. 754
- ↑ Will, o.c. p. 169. Leo's answer says: "We see that you do not wander from the decree of all the holy Feathers, according to whom the holy Roman Apostolic Church is the head of all Churches throughout the world, and that to her the greater and more difficult causes of all Churches must be referred." Peter's letter is no longer extant.
- ↑ Will, o.c. pp. 168–171.
