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== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


In 680, Honorius was [[anathema]]tized by the [[Third Council of Constantinople]] along with the Monothelites, for "having followed them in all things".<ref name="ce">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Pope Honorius I|last=Chapman|first= John|volume=7|access-date= 26 May 2015}}</ref>.“And in addition to these, we decide that  Honorius also, who was Pope of elder Rome, be with them cast out of the Holy Church of God, and be anathematized with them, because we have found by his letter to Sergius that he followed his opinion in all things, and confirmed his wicked dogmas"<ref>{{cite book |title=Mansi, XI, col. 556}}</ref>. Citing his correspondence with Sergius, the Council accused Honorius of having confirmed his impious doctrines.<ref name="Percival1900">{{cite book|last=Percival|first=Henry Robert|title=The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFpCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA343|access-date=14 September 2018|series=A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (second series)|volume=XIV|year=1900|publisher=James Parker & Co|page=343}}</ref>
In 680, Honorius was [[anathema]]tized by the [[Third Council of Constantinople]] along with the Monothelites, for "having followed them in all things".<ref name="ce">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Pope Honorius I|last=Chapman|first= John|volume=7|access-date= 26 May 2015}}</ref>.“And in addition to these, we decide that  Honorius also, who was Pope of elder Rome, be with them cast out of the Holy Church of God, and be anathematized with them, because we have found by his letter to Sergius that he followed his opinion in all things, and confirmed his wicked dogmas"<ref>{{cite book |title=Mansi, XI, col. 556}}</ref>. Citing his correspondence with Sergius, the Council accused Honorius of having confirmed his impious doctrines.<ref name="Percival1900">{{cite book|last=Percival|first=Henry Robert|title=The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFpCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA343|access-date=14 September 2018|series=A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (second series)|volume=XIV|year=1900|publisher=James Parker & Co|page=343}}</ref> The Roman legates, were present at the Council; it would be difficult to imagine that they could have been tricked or had misreported on such an important and delicate point as the condemnation of heresy of a Roman Pontiff.

⚫
[[Pope Leo II]]'s letter of confirmation of the Council affirmed<ref>{{cite book |last1=Desclée |title=Analecta romana |location=Rome |page=406-407}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WHY WAS POPE HONORIUS CONDEMNED FOR HERESY? {{!}} It Happened Today |url=https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/it-happened-today/10/27/ |website=Christian History Institute |access-date=7 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref> the Council's condemnation so as to criticise Honorius for teaching and committing heresy through his "imprudent economy of silence".<ref name="Bury, pg 252">Bury, pg 252</ref> Leo's letter states that Honorius is anathematised because he "did not purify this apostolic Church by the doctrine of the apostolic tradition, but rather he allowed the immaculate [Church] to be stained by profane treason."<ref name="ce"/> The condemnation of Honorius was confirmed by Leo II’s successors, as attests the Liber diurnus romanorum pontificum and from the seventh (789) and eighth (867-870 and 879-80) Ecumenical Councils of the Church<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hefele |first1=C.J. |title=Histoire des Conciles, vol III |date=1909 |location=Paris |page=520-521}}</ref>. Pope Hadrian later elaborated The anathema was later one of the main arguments against [[papal infallibility]] in the discussions surrounding the [[First Vatican Council]] of 1870.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}.


⚫
[[Pope Leo II]]'s letter of confirmation of the Council affirmed<ref>{{cite book |last1=Desclée |title=Analecta romana |location=Rome |page=406-407}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WHY WAS POPE HONORIUS CONDEMNED FOR HERESY? {{!}} It Happened Today |url=https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/it-happened-today/10/27/ |website=Christian History Institute |access-date=7 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref> the Council's condemnation so as to criticise Honorius for teaching and committing heresy through his "imprudent economy of silence".<ref name="Bury, pg 252">Bury, pg 252</ref> Leo's letter states: "We anathematize the inventors of the new error, that is, Theodore, Bishop of Pharan, Sergius, Pyrrhus, Paul, and Peter, betrayers rather than leaders of the Church of Constantinople, and also Honorius, who did not attempt to sanctify this Apostolic Church with the teaching of apostolic tradition, but by profane treachery permitted its purity to be polluted” <ref>{{cite book |title=Mansi, XI, col. 733 |access-date=7 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="ce"/> The condemnation of Honorius was confirmed by Leo II’s successors, as attests the Liber diurnus romanorum pontificum and from the seventh (789) and eighth (867-870 and 879-80) Ecumenical Councils of the Church<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hefele |first1=C.J. |title=Histoire des Conciles, vol III |date=1909 |location=Paris |page=520-521}}</ref>. Pope Hadrian later elaborated The anathema was later one of the main arguments against [[papal infallibility]] in the discussions surrounding the [[First Vatican Council]] of 1870.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 13:28, 7 September 2021

For other people with the same name, see Honorius (disambiguation).
Pope

Honorius I
Mosaic at Saint Agnes Outside the Walls
Papacy began27 October 625
Papacy ended12 October 638
PredecessorBoniface V
SuccessorSeverinus
Personal details
Born
Campania, Byzantine Empire
Died(638-10-12)12 October 638
Other popes named Honorius

Pope Honorius I (died 12 October 638) was the bishop of Rome from 27 October 625 to his death. He was active in spreading Christianity among Anglo-Saxons and attempted to convince the Celts to calculate Easter in the Roman fashion. He is chiefly remembered for his correspondence with Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople over the latter's monothelite teachings. Honorius was posthumously anathematized, initially for subscribing to monothelitism, and later only for failing to end it. The anathema against Honorius I became one of the central arguments against the doctrine of papal infallibility.

Early life

Honorius was a rich aristocrat who came from Campania. His father was the consul Petronius. Nothing is known about Honorius I's career before he became pope on 27 October 625. He was consecrated only two days after the death of his predecessor, Boniface V. The vacancy was short probably because of the presence in Rome of Isaac the Armenian, who was empowered to confirm the election as the imperial exarch in Italy.[1]

Papacy

As pope, Honorius I looked up to Gregory I and employed monks rather than secular clergy as staff at the Lateran Palace. He initially supported Adaloald, the deposed Catholic king of the Lombards, but established cordial relations with Adoald's Arian rival Arioald. He did not succeed in resolving the schism of Venetia-Istria, but took steps to appease the archbishops of Ravenna, who were dissatisfied with their subordination to Rome. Honorius actively supported the difficult Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England and sent Birinus to convert the West Saxons, but less successful in convincing the Celts to abandon their system of computing the date of Easter. At the Sixth Council of Toledo, Honorius urged the Visigothic bishops to continue baptizing Jews, a policy instituted by Gregory I.[1]

Honorius became involved in early discussions regarding the doctrine of Monothelitism, which is the teaching that Christ has only one energy and one will, in contrast with the teaching that He has two energies and two wills, both human and divine.[2] Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople wrote an initial letter informing Honorius of the Monoenergism controversy, asking Honorius to endorse a position that Church unity should not be endangered by having any discussions or disputes over Christ’s possessing one energy or two. Sergius added that the doctrine of two energies could lead to the erroneous belief that Jesus has two conflicting wills.[3] Pope Honorius’ reply in 635 endorsed this view that all discussions over energies should cease, and agreed that Jesus does not have two conflicting wills, but one will, since Jesus did not assume the vitiated human nature tainted by Adam's fall, but human nature as it existed prior to Adam's fall.[4] This was also the belief both of the so-called monotheletes (condemned later for allegedly denying Christ any human volition at all, which they did not) and of the Sixth Ecumenical Council (680-81).

Honorius was apparently aware of the rise of Islam[5] and viewed this religion's tenets as closely resembling those of Arius.[6]

Legacy

In 680, Honorius was anathematized by the Third Council of Constantinople along with the Monothelites, for "having followed them in all things".[7].“And in addition to these, we decide that  Honorius also, who was Pope of elder Rome, be with them cast out of the Holy Church of God, and be anathematized with them, because we have found by his letter to Sergius that he followed his opinion in all things, and confirmed his wicked dogmas"[8]. Citing his correspondence with Sergius, the Council accused Honorius of having confirmed his impious doctrines.[9] The Roman legates, were present at the Council; it would be difficult to imagine that they could have been tricked or had misreported on such an important and delicate point as the condemnation of heresy of a Roman Pontiff.

Pope Leo II's letter of confirmation of the Council affirmed[10][11] the Council's condemnation so as to criticise Honorius for teaching and committing heresy through his "imprudent economy of silence".[12] Leo's letter states: "We anathematize the inventors of the new error, that is, Theodore, Bishop of Pharan, Sergius, Pyrrhus, Paul, and Peter, betrayers rather than leaders of the Church of Constantinople, and also Honorius, who did not attempt to sanctify this Apostolic Church with the teaching of apostolic tradition, but by profane treachery permitted its purity to be polluted” [13][7] The condemnation of Honorius was confirmed by Leo II’s successors, as attests the Liber diurnus romanorum pontificum and from the seventh (789) and eighth (867-870 and 879-80) Ecumenical Councils of the Church[14]. Pope Hadrian later elaborated The anathema was later one of the main arguments against papal infallibility in the discussions surrounding the First Vatican Council of 1870.[citation needed].

References

  1. ^ a b Attwater, Aubrey (1939). A Dictionary of Popes: From Peter to Pius XII. p. 67-68.
  2. ^ *Catholic Encyclopedia: Monothelitism and Monothelites
  3. ^ Hefele, pg 25
  4. ^ Hefele, pg 29-30
  5. ^ Muhammad Ata Ur-Rahim; Ahmad Thomson (2003). Jesus: Prophet of Islam. TTQ, INC. p. 148. ISBN 9781879402737.
  6. ^ Ata Ur-Rahim, Thomson 2003, p. 148., quote: "Pope Honorius was aware of the rising tide of Islam, whose tenets very much resembled those of Arius. The mutual killing of Christians by each other was still fresh in his memory, and perhaps he thought that what he had heard about Islam might be applied in healing the differences between the various Christian sects. In his letters he began to support the doctrine of 'one mind' within the doctrine of Trinity. He argued that if God had three independent minds, the result would be chaos. This logical and reasonable conclusion pointed to the belief in the existence of One God."
  7. ^ a b Chapman, John (1910). "Pope Honorius I" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ Mansi, XI, col. 556.
  9. ^ Percival, Henry Robert (1900). The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (second series). Vol. XIV. James Parker & Co. p. 343. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  10. ^ Desclée. Analecta romana. Rome. p. 406-407.
  11. ^ "WHY WAS POPE HONORIUS CONDEMNED FOR HERESY? | It Happened Today". Christian History Institute. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. ^ Bury, pg 252
  13. ^ Mansi, XI, col. 733. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  14. ^ Hefele, C.J. (1909). Histoire des Conciles, vol III. Paris. p. 520-521.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Bibliography

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Pope Honorius I.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Pope
625–638 		Succeeded by

Original text taken from a paper copy of the 9th edition Encyclopædia Britannica (1881) and the Catholic Encyclopedia

both taught

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