Controversy between St. Gregory the Dvoeslov and the Patriarchs of Constantinople around the title "Ecumenical"

Contents Abstract Canonical, biblical and historical arguments Dogmatic arguments Ecclesiastical-political and political arguments Pastoral and ascetic arguments Sources Literature Key words: title “Ecumenical”, history of the Universal Church, history of Byzantium, papacy, Pope Gregory the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople, theology, ecclesiology, primacy in the Church, primacy. For citation: Migalnikov A.V. Controversy between St. Gregory Dvoeslov and the Patriarchs of Constantinople around the title “Ecumenical” // Sretenskoye Slovo. Moscow: Publishing house of the Sretensky Theological Academy, 2022. No. 3. P. 46–59. DOI: 10.55398/27826066_2022_3_4 One of the central themes in the controversy between the Roman and Constantinople departments at the turn of the 6th–7th centuries. is the protest of Pope Pelagius II (579–590), and later of his successor Gregory the Great (590–604), against the title “Ecumenical” (οἰκουμένικος) of the patriarchs of Constantinople. This plot is considered in almost all studies devoted to Pope Gregory and the history of the papacy of late Antiquity. However, the nature of the historical source allowed for a more detailed analysis 1 compared to that previously presented in many of the works we reviewed. This source, the main and at the moment the only one that sheds light on the content and course of the dispute, is the 17 letters of St. Gregory the Great. In the period from 595 to 603, they were sent by the pope to various persons, among whom were the Patriarchs of Constantinople John IV the Fast and Cyriacus II, Eulogius of Alexandria, Anastasius of Antioch, Emperor Mauritius and Empress Constantina, the metropolitans of Eastern Illyricum, as well as the apocrisiary of the pope in Constantinople, Deacon Sabinian. Letters from Pope Pelagius II, as well as papal opponents, unfortunately, have not survived, but Gregory’s own correspondence in many cases allows us to reconstruct the true meaning of what was lost. 599–603 - nevertheless, until the end of his pontificate, Saint Gregory tries to find opportunities to counter the claims of Constantinople. When he learned that eight archbishops of Illyricum were invited to the council planned to be held in New Rome in 599, the pope admonished them “so that there (in Constantinople - A.M.) from any of you, no persuasion, no cajoling, no rewards and no threats, will obtain consent [with the title]" [Ibid.: IX. 157, 716.52–54]. In November 602, the military leader Phocas, as a result of a coup, seized the imperial throne, brutally killing Mauritius, his sons, and later his wife Constantine. However, already in May of the following year, Pope Gregory greeted the new emperor: “Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth rejoice (Ps. 95:11) and the people of the entire state, who until now [were] terribly saddened, will rejoice at your deeds” [Ibid.: XIII. 32, 1033.2–18]. Perhaps, by showing Foka his loyalty, Pope Gregory hoped for his assistance in church affairs. Soon he sends another message to Patriarch Kyriaku calling on him to renounce his title. In any case, the specificity of its translation can be considered a prerequisite for the negative view of the popes on the title: although twice in his letters Pope Gregory uses the transliteration ycomenicon [Ibid.: V. 45, 337.10; IX.157, 714.13], most often the term οἰκουμενικός was translated into Latin by the word universalis (“universal”, “universal”). And in some letters, the pope clearly interchanges the words universalis and universus (“all”, “common”, “universal”), actually identifying them. He writes to Patriarch Anastasius of Antioch: “If one bishop is called universal (uniuersalis), then the whole Church (uniuersa ecclesia) will perish when one universal (uniuersus) falls” [Ibid.: VII. 24, 479.38–41]. In addition, the pope often also interchanges the concepts of “patriarch” and “bishop”. Here we can compare the words spoken by Eulogius of Alexandria and Anastasius of Antioch: “If one patriarch is called ecumenical, then the title of patriarch is taken away from the others” [Ibid.: V. 41, 321.26–31], with the letter to the Illyrian metropolitans: “If one, as he himself believes, is ecumenical, then it turns out that you are not bishops” [Ibid.: IX.157, 715.42–43]. The name “ecumenical” contradicts the task of Patriarch John as a shepherd to teach people humility. The Pope calls the title "proud and foolish", "unheard of and wicked", a means of "bragging" and "appearing more noble." Taking a title is a “disgusting and impious arrogance.” The letter to the patriarch contains 25 Old Testament and New Testament quotes, which are intended to remind the patriarch of humility (Is. 66:2; Matt. 5:3; 11:29; 20:27), the opposition to God of pride (Prov. 16:5; Luke 14, 11; James 4:6), the need to remove flatterers from oneself (Luke 9:60; Ps.69:4, 140, 5) and about the nearness of the last Judgment (1 John 2:18). Saint Gregory repeatedly compares the behavior of Patriarch John with the biblical descriptions of the Antichrist and Satan, although it is worth noting that in his letters to Patriarch Kyriakos Gregory no longer makes such comparisons. The last remark is just one example of why St. Gregory’s position regarding the title, even with all the internal validity of his theses, can hardly be called integral and consistent. Based on the letters examined, it is difficult to draw a final conclusion about the motives that motivated Pope Gregory: whether it was fear for the fate of the entire Church or for the position of the Roman throne. And yet, despite the terminological inaccuracy and some inconsistency, it should be noted that in general Pope Gregory, from the beginning to the end of his pontificate, maintained a negative attitude towards the title “Ecumenical”, and his letters are valuable patristic evidence that there can be no other universal authority in the Church other than the authority of Jesus Christ as its Head. · Acta Conciliorum Oecimenicorum // Ed. E. Schwartz. T. 2. Vol. I. Pars II. Berolini; Lipsiae, 1933. · S. Gregorii Magni Registrum epistularum. Vol. 1./Ed. Norberg D. Turholti: Brepols, 1982. XII, 513 p. (Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina. 140). · Gratsiansky M.V. The Fourth Ecumenical Council and the problem of the primacy of the Roman bishop // Bulletin of Volgograd State University. Episode 4: History. Regional studies. International relations. 2019. T. 24. No. 6. pp. 255–271.