In his draft opening statement concerning Pope Honorius for his October 13, 2000 debate against James White (copy in my possession), Robert Sungenis wrote that:
Pope Gregory VII, who reigned from 1073-1085, and who subscribed to the
Liber Diurnus that condemned Honorius, said: "The Holy Roman Church
through blessed Peter, has been understood by the holy Fathers from the
earliest origins of the faith as mother of all the churches, and so shall she
ever be considered to the end, in which it is clear that no heretic ever
presided nor we trust will any ever be put in charge, for the Lord Jesus said,
‘I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith may not fail." (Migne, PL
148, 573).
The following is
the entirety of the letter written in 1080:
GREGORIUS episcopus, servus
servorum Dei, G….. dilecto in Christo fratri Synnadensi archiepiscopo, salutem
et apostolicam benedictionem. Summae sedis specula, cui, Deo auctore, licet in-
digni, praesidemus, ac universalis Ecclesiæ sollici- tudo, quam ipsius
disponente providentia gerimus, compellit nos sicut de illorum qui se a Christi
cor- pore separant perditione vehementer dolere, ita quoque de eorum qui recta
sentiunt et unitatem fidei servare noscuntur salutari consensu, ineffabili
laetitia congratulari. Proinde quoniam vestram, sci- licet Armenorum, Ecclesiam
a rectitudine fidei, quam ab apostolis et sanctis Patribus traditam universalis
Ecclesia tenet, in quasdam pravas exorbitasse sen- tentias nobis relatum est,
profecto nimium paterni affectus compassione doluimus. Quorundam siqui- dem
relatione didicimus in celebrandis sacrificiorum salutiferis sacramentis aquam
vino penitus apud vos non admisci, cum nemo Christianus, qui sacra no- vit
Evangelia, dubitet e latere Domini aquam cum sanguine emanasse. Audivimus etiam
quod contra morem sanctæ Ecclesiæ vestræ non ex balsamo san- Image 2 (bottom;
continues) clum chrisma, sed ex butyro, coniciat, et quod Dio- scorum
Alexandrinum hæresiarcham, ob perfidii- suæ duritiam in concilio Chalcedonensi
depositum atque damnatum, veneretur et approbet. Hæc au- tem licet præsentium
portitor tuus legatus ita esse coram nobis negaverit, tamen ex fraternitate tua
scire firmius cupientes, volumus ut per hunc eum- dem Joannem presbyterum, et
de istis rebus quæ sentias, et de cæteris si ubi hesitas, ad nos procu- res cum
sigillo tuo rescribere, ac deinceps dilectio- rius tuas litteras ad apostolicam
sedem frequenter di- rigere. Volumus etiam charitatem tuam literis suis
significare utrum vestra recipiat quod Ecclesia uni- versalis amplectitur,
scilem scilicet quatuor concili- orum, quæ a sanctis Patribus comprobata, a Ro-
manis pontificibus Silvestro, Leone aliisque aposto- lica sunt auctoritate
firmata. Inter quos nihilomi- nus beatissimus Gregorius papa doctor egregius ma-
joribus Ecclesiæ [forte: ecclesiis (Hoard. sic et in cod. Mutin.)] Alexandrinæ,
Antiochenæ, aliis- que, in epistola sua (libro 1, epist. 24) sese eam tene- re
his verbis testatus est: Quia corde creditur ad justitiam, ore autem confessio
fit ad salutem (Rom. x), sicut sancti Evangelii quatuor libros, sic quatuor
concilia suscipere et venerari me fateor, Nicænum scil- cet, in quo perversum
Arii dogma destruitur; Co- nstantinopolitanum quoque, in quo Eunomii et Ma-
cedonii error convincitur; Ephesinum etiam pri- mum, in quo Nestorii impietas
judicatur; Chalce- donense vero, in quo Eutychiis Dioscorique pravitas
reprobatur, tota devotione complector, integerrima approbatione custodio; quia
in his velut in qua- drato lapide sanctæ fidei structura consurgit, et e-
juslibet vitæ atque actionis norma constituit. Quis- quis eorum soliditatem non
tenet, etiamsi lapis es cernitur, tamen extra calcificium jacet. Quintum quoque
concilium pariter veneror, in quo epistola quae hic dicitur erroris plena
reprobatur, Theodoretus personam Mediatoris Dei et hominum in duabus
substantiis separans ad impietatis perfidiam cecidisse convincitur, scripta
quoque Theodoreti, per quae beati Cyrilli fides reprehenditur, ausu dementiæ
prolata refutantur. Cunctas vero quas præfata veneranda concilia personas
respuunt, respuo quas venerantur amplector; quis, dum universali sunt consensu constituta,
se et non illa destruit, quisquis præsumit aut solvere quos ligant, aut
religare quos solvunt. Quisquis ergo aliud sapit, anathema sit. Illis itaque
sanctissimi viri præcipuique doctoris verbis diligenter declaratis, prudentiam
tuam charitatis affectu commoncendam censimus, ut causulam quam in illa laude
subjungitis: “Sanctus Deus, sanctus fortis, sanctus immortalis,” istam
subjecit: “Qui crucifixus es, [forte: es. — H.] pro nobis,” quoniam nulla
Orientalium, præter vestram, sed nec sancta Romana habet Ecclesia, vos talis
scandali occasionem pravique intellectus suspicionem vitalos superaddere de
cætero militans. Si enim vas electionis, beatissimus Paulus de sumendis cibis
melius sibi esse non manducare neque bibere quam ut frater scandalizetur asseruit
(I Cor. viii), considerare debetis quam grave et periculosum sit, ubi saniori
intellectu vitari potest, fratribus de fide scandalum generare. Quapropter
fraternitas tua Ecclesiæ cujus sibi cura concessa est tenendum putet, et credat
sufficere quod catholica in orbem terrarum diffusa Ecclesia, Spiritu sancto
illustrante edocta, sentire cognoscitur et tenore declaratur. De reliquo, quia
cognovimus Ecclesiam vestram azyma sacrificare, et ob hoc a Graecis tantum
imperitis quasi de hæresi reprehendi, volumus vos de temeraria garrulitate
illorum multum tacitari, sed nec ab instituto desistere, scientes eorum
precaritatem non modo vobis hanc velut calumniam vere, verum etiam de simili
causa, graviori vero injuria, hucusque contra sanctam Romanam Ecclesiam
insurgere, quae per beatum Petrum, quasi quodam privilegio, ab ipsis fidei
primordiis a sanctis Patribus omnium mater Ecclesiarum adstruxit, et ita in finem
semper habebitur: in qua nullus unquam haereticus praefuisse dignoscitur, nec
unquam [---?]ciendum, praesertim Domino promittente, con[sid]erandum. Ait enim Dominus Jesus: Ego pro te rogavi,
ut non deficiat fides tua (Luc. xxii). Et illi qui[rum] [v]um fermentatum
commendantes, reprehensionibus in nos levissima verba contumaciter joculari non
desinunt. Nos vero azymum nostrum inexpugnabili secundum Dominum ratione
defendentes, ipsorum fermentum nec vituperamus nec reprobamus, sed detegendam
et contemnendam Graecorum temeritatem nunc ista sufficiant. lectioni vero tuae
iterum inculcando mandamus ut de suprascriptis, et de aliis quae ad idem
pertinere censentur, qualiter teneas per memoriam presbyterum, aut per alium
idoneum nuntium tuas ad nos litteras mittere studeas. Insuper etiam, licet
solertiam tuam bene doctam credamus, ex debito tamen caritatis affectu paucis
monemus, quasi districte examinis diem semper prae oculis habens, commisse
sibi sollicitudinis sarcinam cogitet; et, quantum illam sine dilatione
celeriter approximare considerat, tanto te reddenda pecuniae ratione propensus
suis vigilare non negligat quo severus Co[m]perator, idemque rigidus Arbiter
non de male infuso talento quid de depen[c]to parvis inveniat, sed de
multiplicato lucro arridens vos ad fructum beatae retributionis percipiendum
invitet. Omnipotens Deus, cuius est quidquid recte sapimus, sentimus et
credimus, ipse mentem tuae fraternitatis uberius illuminando perdant
intellectus tramitem dirigat, et te in concordi fidelium unitate conservans
ub(i) gubernet atque custodiat ut et subjectos tibi populos efficaciter de
divina scientia possit instruere, et cum ipsis sempiterna gloriam ingredi, pro
eis vero valvas praemia summa percipere. (Gregory VII, “Book Eight of
the Register,” First Epistle, 1080 A.D., in PL 148:571-74)
English
translation:
Gregory, bishop, servant of the
servants of God, G… to the beloved in Christ brother, archbishop of Synna
[Synnadensis], greetings and the apostolic blessing.
The watchtower of the supreme see
— to which, by God the Author, though unworthy, we are allowed to preside — and
the solicitude of the universal Church, which we exercise by the providence of
Him who disposes all things, compels us, just as to grieve vehemently over
those who separate themselves from the body of Christ and are lost, so also to
congratulate with ineffable joy those who hold right belief and are known to
preserve the unity of the faithful by salutary consent. Therefore, since it has
been reported to us that your church, namely that of the Armenians, has in some
matters strayed into perverse and excessive opinions from the straightness of
the faith which the universal Church holds as handed down by the apostles and
the holy Fathers, we have indeed grieved exceedingly with the compassion of
paternal affection. For by the report of some we have learned that, in
celebrating the saving sacraments of sacrifice, you do not at all mingle water
with wine among you, whereas no Christian who knows the holy Gospels doubts
that from the side of the Lord water with blood flowed forth. We have also
heard that, contrary to the custom of your holy Church, you anoint not with
balm but with butter, and that you venerate and approve the Alexandrian
heresiarch Dioscorus — because of the hardness of his perfidy, deposed and
condemned in the council of Chalcedon.
Although these things your envoy
who now stands before us has denied to be so in our presence, nevertheless,
desiring more firmly to learn from you in fraternal regard, we wish that by
this same John the presbyter — and concerning those matters which you hold, and
concerning other points where you hesitate — you would see that he write back
to us with your seal, and henceforth more frequently direct your letters to the
apostolic see. We also wish to indicate by his letters your charity, whether
your church receives that which the universal Church embraces, namely the four
councils, which, being approved by the holy Fathers, were established by
apostolic authority and strengthened by Roman pontiffs — Sylvester, Leo and
others.
Among these, moreover, the most
blessed Pope Gregory, an outstanding teacher of the greater churches [reading
in some manuscripts: ecclesiis], in his letter (book 1, epistle 24) has
declared that he holds them in these words: “For with the heart is believed
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom.
10); just as I confess four books of the holy Gospel, so I confess that I
receive and venerate four councils: namely Nicaea, in which the perverse dogma
of Arius is destroyed; Constantinople also, in which the errors of Eunomius and
Macedonius are refuted; Ephesus first, in which the impiety of Nestorius is judged;
and Chalcedon, in which the depravity of Eutyches and Dioscorus is condemned —
all of which I embrace with full devotion and keep with the most entire
approval; for in these, as in a squared stone, the edifice of the holy faith
arises, and they constitute the rule of every life and action. Whoever does not
hold the solidity of these — even if a stone is perceived as such, yet lies
outside the squared stone. I likewise revere the fifth council, in which the
letter that is cited here is rightly condemned as full of error; Theodoret is
shown to have fallen into the perfidy of impiety by distinguishing the person
of the Mediator, God and man, into two substances, and the writings of
Theodoret, by which the faith of the blessed Cyril is reproached, are refuted
as the product of a mad presumption. But I embrace and receive all those
persons whom the aforesaid venerable councils reject; for that which has been
established by universal consent cannot be destroyed by any one who presumes
either to loosen what they bind or to bind again what they have loosed.
Therefore whoever thinks otherwise let him be anathema. Since the words of that
most holy and foremost teacher have been diligently explained, we judge that
your prudence should be admonished with the affection of charity; and with
regard to the clause which you append in that praise — “Holy God, holy strong,
holy immortal” — he added this: “Who wast crucified, [perhaps: art — H.] for
us,” for neither any of the Oriental churches except your own, nor indeed the
holy Roman Church, has placed you in such a scandalous occasion and thereby
added to the perverted suspicion of the intellect. If, indeed, the apostle
Paul, a vessel of election, said concerning foods that it is better for him not
to eat or to drink than to scandalize a brother (1 Cor. 8), you ought to
consider how serious and dangerous it is — where it can be avoided by sounder
understanding — to give occasion for scandal among brothers in matters of the
faith. Wherefore your fraternity should deem it fitting to hold to that which
has been entrusted to the care of the Church, and should believe that it
suffices what the catholic Church, diffused through the world and taught by the
Holy Spirit, is known to think and is declared by its authority. As to the rest
— because we have learned that your church offers unleavened bread in
sacrifice, and because for this the Greeks, being ignorant, reproach you as if
for heresy — we wish you to be very silent in the face of their rash loquacity,
yet not to depart from your custom, being aware of the weakness of those men
and not to take this as merely a slander against you.
Truly — and indeed for a similar
reason, and more grievous injury — they have so far risen up against the holy
Roman Church, which through blessed Peter, as though by a certain privilege,
from the very beginnings of the faith the holy Fathers of all constructed as
the mother of Churches; and thus it will always be held to the end. In which no
heretic has ever been found to preside, nor ever [is it to be] reproved,
especially since the Lord gives his promise. For the Lord Jesus says: “I have
prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22). And those who commend
their ferment (i.e. their corrupt leaven) and with the slightest words of
reproach persist in jesting at us with contumely, do not cease. But we,
defending our unleavened (pure) state with invincible reasoning according to
the Lord, neither revile nor wholly reject their leaven; let what I have said
now suffice to expose and to hold in contempt the temerity of the Greeks. Moreover,
in order to instruct you again concerning your reading, we order that
concerning the matters set down above, and concerning other things which are
thought to pertain to the same, you should take care to hold by memory a
presbyter, or through some suitable messenger to be eager to send your letters
to us. Besides this, although we believe your diligence to be well learned,
nevertheless from a debt of charity we admonish you briefly, as if strictly
charging that you always keep the day of examination before your eyes, and
think that you have committed to yourself the burden of solicitude; and,
insofar as you determine to bring that (business) quickly to completion without
delay, be so inclined with regard to the return of money owed that you do not
neglect to watch, lest the severe Comptroller and the same rigid Judge, finding
that something is lacking from badly applied talent, not in small things
discover fault, but smiling upon multiplied gain, invite you to receive the
fruit of blessed reward. May Almighty God — whose it is whatever we rightly
judge, feel and believe — himself more abundantly, by enlightening the way of
intellects, direct the mind of your brotherly affection, and preserve and
govern you in the concord of the unity of the faithful, so that you may
effectively instruct the peoples subject to you in divine knowledge, and with
them enter simply into everlasting glory; but for them may you receive the
highest sum of rewards.
