Pope Hormisdas

Hormisdas
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Birth name	Hormisdas
Papacy began	July 20, 514
Papacy ended	523
Predecessor	Symmachus
Successor	John I
Born	??? Frosinone, Campagna di Roma, Italy
Died	523 Rome

Pope Saint Hormisdas was pope from July 20, 514 to 523. He is best known for ending the Acacian schism between Rome and Constantinople, reuniting the Greek and Latin churches after several decades of bitter division.

Born to a wealthy family, Hormisidas had married and fathered children before becoming a deacon of the Roman church. In that capacity he was a prominent supporter of his predecessor, Pope Symmachus, who had faced the challenge of a rival pope and charges of moral and financial impropriety.

After reconciling the remaining supporters of the former antipope Laurentius, Hormisidas turned his attention to relations between Rome and the East. Most of what we know of his papacy relates to the Acacian schism, which that had existed since 484. The schism was the result of Acacius of Constantinople's attempt to reconcile Monophysites with the main body of the church, a policy accepted by Constantinople but sternly reject by Rome. After years of unsuccessful negotiations and intrigues, the church of Constantinople was reunited with Rome in 519 by means of the confession of faith that is called the Formula of Hormisdas.

Recognized as a saint in both the Catholic and Orthodox church, but not by the Coptic Orthodox Church, is the patron saint of grooms and stable-boys.

Before becoming pope

Pope Symmachus, whom Hormisdas had supported during the Laurentian schism

Hormisdas belonged to a wealthy and prominent family the Campagna di Roma, the low-lying area surrounding Rome in today's Lazio region of central Italy. He was married before being ordained ecclesiastical orders, and his son also became pope, under the name of Silverius (536-537). Under Pope Symmachus (498-514) Hormisdas held the office of deacon of the Roman church. He was one of the most visible and loyal clerical attendants of Symmachus during the schism of Laurentius, who was recognized for several years as pope by King Theodoric the Great.

Hormisidas was notary—appointed to draw up official documents—at the synod held at Saint Peter's in 502, during a period when his pope, Symmachus, was under indictment for fornication and financial corruption. Around this time, his fellow aristocrat, Bishop Ennodius of Pavia (Magnus Felix Ennodius) expressed the conviction that Deacon Hormisidas, known for his piety, wealth, and distinguished birth, would one day become pope himself. Symmachus eventually emerged as the sole pope, occupying himself with such issues as the Acacian schism, which had also been a factor in the anti-papacy of Laurentius. Underlying this split between Rome and Constantinople was the eastern Roman empire's policy of reconciliation with Monophysitism on the basis of the imperially endorsed theological document known as the Henotikon, which held that churchmen should avoid debates over the question of whether Christ had one "nature" (essentially divine) or two (divine and human).

Papacy

The day after the funeral of Symmachus (July 20, 514) Hormisdas was elected and consecrated as pope. Although some of the clergy and senators had never acquiesced to the removal of Laurentius, there is no mention of divisions or disturbances at Hormisidas' election. One of the new pope's first cares, nevertheless, was to remove the last vestiges of the Laurentian schism in Rome. He thus received back into the church those adherents who had not already been reconciled and were willing to be re-united under him as their bishop.

The Acacian schism

From the beginning of his pontificate, the affairs of the East occupied Hormisdas' special attention. Acacian schism, named after Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, arose from Rome's absolute rejection of the Henotikon of Emperor Zeno, which Acacius supported. This document attempted to allow those of the Monophysite confession to be reconciled with those (orthodox) Christians who insisted on the affirming that Christ had "two natures," by banning debate over the issue.

Emperor Anastasius I (491-518), Zeno's successor, maintained the Henotikon, which from Rome's point of view constituted an unacceptable repudiation of the Council of Chalcedon. Anastasius took measures against those who refused to sign the Henotikon, and thus three pro-Caldedonian patriarchs, Macedonius of Constantinople, Elias of Jerusalem, and Flavianus of Antioch had been driven from their sees.

In the midst of this confusion, a number of eastern bishops who faced Monophysite rivals in their cities had appealed to Rome during the pontificate of Symmachus, in order that their positions might be strengthened and the progress of Monophysitism checked. Symmachus had required them to join in his excommunication of Patriarch Acacius, but the Orientals were not ready for this step. Part of their reticence had to do with the papacy's own refusal to recognize Constantinople as "New Rome," which, after all, had been proclaimed by the same Council of Chalcedon.

Attempts at reunion

The Roman position was by no means without its supporters, in the secular world of the East. Taking advantage of popular discontent aroused against Anastasius by his toleration of Monophysitism, a commander in the army named Vitalian led a revolt against him. Vitalian demanded, among other things, that the Council of Chalcedon should be recognized and the unity with Rome reestablished. He gained numerous adherents and defeated the emperor's nephew, Hypatius, in a battle outside of Constantinople. Anastasius was thus obliged to negotiate with him. One of the terms of Vitalian's submission was that the emperor must take an oath to convene a church synod at Heraclea in Thrace, invite the pope to attend it, and submit to his arbitration.

Left with little choice in the matter, Anastasius wrote to Hormisdas on Deccember 28, 514, inviting him to the synod on July 1 of the following year. This letter first to be submitted first to Vitalian, whose representative accompanied the bearer to Rome. A second, less courteous communication, was dated January 12. The second letter reached Rome before the first one, and on April 4, Hormisdas answered it, expressing his delight at the prospect of peace, but at the same time oiubtedkt defending the memory of his papal predecessors. The bearers of the emperor's first letter arrived on May 14. The pope guardedly carried on negotiations, convened a synod at Rome, and then wrote a letter to the emperor, dated July 8, in which he announced plans for the departure of an embassy for Constantinople. Meanwhile the 200 bishops who had assembled on July 1 at Heraclea, left without accomplishing anything.

The pope's embassy to the imperial court brought with them a letter dated August 1 515, which is still preserved. So also are the minute instructions given the legates with regard to the position they were to take. These indicated that if the emperor agreed to the pope's proposals, then Hormisdas was ready, if necessary, to appear in person at a council. The pope further sent his formula of a confession of faith for the Eastern bishops to sign.

The Formula Hormisdae

This confession of faith is known as the Formula Hormisdae. It stresses the absolute primacy of the pope, as Saint Peter's representative, in church matters:

"...The words of Our Lord Jesus Christ: 'Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church' cannot be disregarded; these things which were spoken are demonstrated by the results, for the Catholic religion has been preserved ever immaculate in the Apostolic See."

Following this the confession condemns both Nestorianism and Monophysitism, pointedly including Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople.

For Anastasius, to agree to such a formula would constitute a complete surrender to Rome. The embassy thus brought about no real results. Anastasius, without breaking off the negotiations, gave the envoys an evasive letter for Hormisdas. A new revolt of Vitalian was suppressed, and an imperial embassy which came to Rome adopted a less than accommodating posture. One of their aims seems to have been to garner support for Constantinople's position in the Roman Senate, some of whose leaders had been amenable to cooperation during the Laurentian schism. The senate and King Theodoric, however, remained steadfast in their support of the pope.

Meanwhile, an additional number of eastern bishops had entered into relations with Rome, and several of them had also conferred with the papal legates in Constantinople on the question of the reunion. They now agreed to condemn of Acacius and signed the confession of faith of Hormisdas.

However, a second papal embassy to Constantinople had no better success. They pope's delegates secretly circulated the pope's letters calling the people of Constantinople to reunite with the Roman Church. When the emperor heard of this, he had the ambassadors brought out of the city by a private gate to the seashore, put on shipboard, and sent back to Italy. Then Anastasius, who for the present had nothing to fear from Vitalian, wrote an insolent letter to Hormisdas dated July 11, 517, breaking off the negotiations. He redoubled his efforts to enforce the Henotikon in the East and persecuted the advocates of union with Rome.

Reuinon succeeds

Ultimately, it would be not be diplomacy that finally paved the way for reunion to be achieved. On July 9 518, Anastasius died very suddenly in the midst of a terrible storm. Shortly before that date, Timotheus, the patriarch of Constantinople who supported the policy of Acacius, had also passed away. Fortunately for the pope, Emperor Justin I (518-527), who succeeded Anastasius, was not only an orthodox Christian, but one who strongly rejected Monophysitism.

The new patriarch, John II, known to history as John of Cappadocia, was now faced with the question of whether he should anathematize Monophysitism and recognize the Chalcedonian formula, thus opening the way to reunion between the Greek and Latin churches, or continue to support the Henotikon in order to avoid conflict with the still substantial Monophysite movement in the East. A popular outcry at the Cathedral of Constantinople in the presence of the new emperor motivated the patriarch to declare himself in favor of the Chalcedonian formula and to call a synod to formalize reunion.

The synod, held at Constantinople, confirmed this direction, and an imperial envoy departed for Rome to entreat the pope on behalf of the emperor. Hormisdas appointed a delegation with the same instructions and confession of faith which were given the legates of 515. The embassy was received in Constantinople with great splendor.

Under the new imperial policy, the negotiations could not have gone better for the pope. All of demands of the pontiff were conceded. The name of the now condemned Patriarch Acacius, as well as the names of the Emperors Anastasius and Zeno, were stricken from the church diptychs (honor roles) and Patriarch John II of Constantinople formally accepted the formula of Hormisdas. On March 28, 519, in the Cathedral of Constantinople in presence of a great throng of people, the reunion of the Greek Church with Rome was ratified in the most solemn manner. The majority—though certainly not all—of the eastern bishops approved and signed the formula of Hormisdas. At Antioch an orthodox patriarch was chosen to replace Patriarch Severus, who had become the main target of anti-Monophysite sentiment.

Other issues

In the midst of all this activity for the establishment of peace, a new quarrel broke out, which turned upon the formula: "One of the Trinity was crucified." This strongly anti-Monophysite formula was promulgated at Constantinople in 519 by John Maxentius and numerous Scythian monks. However, others felt it went too far by seeming to divide God the Son from the Father and the Holy Spirit. Both the patriarch's and the pope's legates opposed the demand that this formula should be embodied as an official church dogma. The monks then proceeded to Rome where they stirred up controversy. They also addressed the African bishops then residing in Sardinia. In 521, Hormisdas officially pronounced that the formula in question, although not false, was dangerous because it was easily subject to a false interpretation. He affirmed that the Council of Chalcedon needed no amendment.

Apparently at the instigation of the above-mentioned monks, an African bishop named Possessor appealed to the pope for information regarding the Roman church's attitude toward the Bishop Faustus of Riez, whose writings appeared to the Africans to smack of Pelagianism. In his reply, Hormisdas severely rebuked the quarrelsome spirit of these monks. He refused to forbid the reading of the works of Faustus, but decided that what was good in them should be preserved and what was contrary to the doctrine of the Church should be rejected.

In the spirit of reunion, Hormisdas directed that a Latin translation of the canons of the Greek Church be prepared by Dionysius Exiguus. He sent letters to several bishops in Spain and Gaul on ecclesiastical matters and gave directions regarding church administration. His relations with King Theodoric remained amicable. The "Liber Pontificalis" enumerates valuable gifts presented to Saint Peter's Basilica by this king, as well as by the Emperor Justin, during Hormisidas' reign.

Shortly before his death the pope received tidings that Thrasamund, the Vandal King of Northern Africa had died (523), and that the severe persecution of Catholics in that region had consequently ceased. Hormisdas was buried at Saint Peter's.

Legacy

Pope Hormisdas

Pope Hormisdas presided over one of the Catholic Church's greatest victories: the submission of the East to end the Acacian schism. This triumph great increased the papacy's international prestige and strongly bolstered its claim to by the ultimate authority on question of orthodoxy versus heresy.

However, the Monophysite controversy did not end here. Many eastern churches continued to reject what they considered to be the "diaphysitism" of the Chalcedonian formula. These survive today as Miaphysite churches of the Oriental Orthodox communion. These include the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Indian Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

Moreover, the ending of the Acacian schism by no means brought to a close the conflicts between Rome and Constantinople, or Rome and the East in general. Several more controversies and schism would arise over the next five centuries, culminating in the Great Schism of 1054, which has lasted to this day.

That said, Pope Hormisdas must certainly be recognized as one of histories most successful popes, even if it was the death of the eastern emperor, more than Hormisdas' own efforts, which resulted in Rome's triumph. Another legacy which Hormisdas left to his church was his son, who would soon become Pope NAME OF POPE.

Roman Catholic Popes
Preceded by: Symmachus	Bishop of Rome 514–523	Succeeded by: John I

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