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The present day Democrats are nothing new.
Around 448, the aged Byzantine monk Eutyches, who had been a zealous ally of St. Cyril of Alexandria at the Council of Ephesus, became rigid and inflexible on his views regarding the Incarnation. He argued that Christ's Divine nature so absorbed His human nature that His human nature ceased to be -- thus giving birth to the heresy of Monophysitism.
This heretical doctrine spread throughout the Eastern Church, and forced St. Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, to call a local synod to condemn it. However, Eutyches refused to submit to the synod, appealing his case to Pope Leo I. This is what he wrote:
I take refuge, therefore, with you, the defender of religion and abhorrer of such factions. ...I beseech you not to be prejudiced against me by their insidious designs about me, but to pronounce the sentence which shall seem to you right upon the Faith. -- Eutyches to Pope Leo, Ep 21.
Patriarch Flavian also appealed to Rome for a ruling, moving Pope Leo to produce his famous Tome, which totally condemned Monophysitism. And so, responding to Eutyches, St. Peter Chrysologus, Archbishop of Ravenna, writes:
We exhort you, honorable brother, that you obediently listen to what has been written by the blessed Pope of the city of Rome, since blessed Peter, who lives and presides in his own see, offers the truth of faith to those who seek. For we, in our zeal for peace and faith, cannot decide questions of faith apart from consent of the Bishop of Rome. -- Peter Chrysologus of Ravenna to Eutyches, Ep 25
However, Eutyches would not submit. Having the ear of the Eastern Emperor (who, being opposed to the dynasty that supported Nestorius, favored Eutyches' views), the heretical monk persuaded him to call another Council of Ephesus -- the so-called "Robber Council" of 449, in which the Roman teaching was rejected, and Monophysitism declared to be the orthodox doctrine of the Church. At this council, Patriarch Flavian was physically abused; and so writes to Pope Leo in appeal:
When I began to appeal to the throne of the Apostolic See of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and to the whole sacred synod, which is obedient to Your Holiness, at once a crowd of soldiers surrounded me and barred my way when I wished to take refuge at the holy altar. ...Therefore, I beseech Your Holiness not to permit these things to be treated with indifference...but to rise up first on behalf of the cause of our orthodox Faith, now destroyed by unlawful acts. ...Further to issue an authoritative instruction...so that a like faith may everywhere be preached by the assembly of an united synod of fathers, both Eastern and Western. Thus the laws of the fathers may prevail and all that has been done amiss be rendered null and void. Bring healing to this ghastly wound. -- Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople to Pope Leo, 449
At this same "Robber Council" of Ephesus, several other Eastern bishops were deposed from their sees for refusing to embrace Monophysitism. Among them, were Theodoret of Cyrus and Eusebius of Doryleum, both of whom appeal to Pope Leo, saying...
We hasten to your Apostolic See in order to receive from you a cure for the wounds of the Church. For every reason it is fitting for you to hold the first place, inasmuch as your see is adorned with many privileges. I have been condemned without trial. But I await the sentence of your Apostolic See. I beseech and implore Your Holiness to succor me in my appeal to your fair and righteous tribunal. Bid me hasten to you and prove to you that my teaching follows in the footsteps of the Apostles. -- Theodoret to Pope Leo, Ep 113
The Apostolic throne has been wont from the beginning to defend those who are suffering injustice. I entreat Your Blessedness, give me back the dignity of my episcopate and communion with yourself, by letters from you to my lowliness bestowing on me my rank and communion. -- Eusebius of Doryleum to Pope Leo
Thereafter, Pope Leo succeeded in getting both Emperors to call the Council of Chalcedon in 451. At this Council, attended by about 600 bishops (almost all of the Eastern Church), Pope Leo's Tome against Monophysitism and for the orthodox teaching of the two natures of Christ was embraced with the pronouncement:
"This is the faith of the fathers! This is the faith of the Apostles! So we all believe! thus the orthodox believe! Anathema to him who does not thus believe! Peter has spoken thus through Leo! . . . This is the true faith!'" (Acts of the Council, session 2 [A.D. 451]).
St. Leo the Great is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on February 18th. He was a great champion and defender of Orthodoxy. His Easter Sermon, though quite short, is a masterpiece of the Faith.
Sermon by Pope Leo the Great
(Sermo 2 de Nativ. Domini)
GOD is He whose nature is goodness, whose will is power, and whose work is mercy.
Wherefore, at the very beginning of the world, as soon as the devil's hatred had mortally poisoned mankind with the venom on his envy, this almighty and merciful God even then foretold those remedies which his mercy had foreordained for our healing.
At that time he bade the serpent know that there was to be a seed of the woman who yet should crush the prideful swelling of his pestilential head. This seed was none other than the Christ to come in the flesh, even God and Man in one Person, who should be born of the Virgin, and by his virgin-birth should condemn the seducer of man.
THE devil rejoiced that he had, by his artful cunning, so deceived man as to make him lose the gifts of God, and forfeit the privilege of eternal life. Yea, when the devil had thus brought man under the hard sentence of death, he found a certain solace for his own misery in the fact that he now had a comrade in his guilt. He thought also that God, in His just anger, would change His original design towards man, whom he had made in such honor.
But, dearly beloved, that unchangeable God, whose will cannot be balked of its loving-kindness, in the dispensation of his own secret counsel, had already provided a mysterious way for carrying out his original purpose of goodness. So it was that mankind, which had been led into sin by the wicked craft of the devil, was not suffered to perish, and frustrate that gracious purpose of God.
| Lk 17:11-19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11 | And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. | et factum est dum iret in Hierusalem transiebat per mediam Samariam et Galilaeam |
| 12 | And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off. | et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi qui steterunt a longe |
| 13 | And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. | et levaverunt vocem dicentes Iesu praeceptor miserere nostri |
| 14 | Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. | quos ut vidit dixit ite ostendite vos sacerdotibus et factum est dum irent mundati sunt |
| 15 | And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. | unus autem ex illis ut vidit quia mundatus est regressus est cum magna voce magnificans Deum |
| 16 | And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks. And this was a Samaritan. | et cecidit in faciem ante pedes eius gratias agens et hic erat Samaritanus |
| 17 | And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? | respondens autem Iesus dixit nonne decem mundati sunt et novem ubi sunt |
| 18 | There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. | non est inventus qui rediret et daret gloriam Deo nisi hic alienigena |
| 19 | And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole. | et ait illi surge vade quia fides tua te salvum fecit |
guess there's hope for the kerry faction.
it's good for me to recall this when I'm tempted to be discouraged that people just don't seem to heed righteousness.