Quote:Quote:
Your contention that Emperors took no interest in Church affair is untenable.
No, i said Emperors generally took no interest in religious affairs of the Church. They did take interest in political affairs of the Church.
Quote:Quote:
Constantine made the Empire Christian.
No he didn't
Quote:Quote:
The Council of Chalcedon was called by Emperor Marcian with the reluctant acqiescence of the Pope. Justinian created the second major schism by forcing the Miaphysites out of the Church. Emperors regularly elevated and deposed bishops. The Iconoclasm heresy was largely driven by several Emperors.
In other words, Eastern Emperors pretty much excluded every sect that didn't recognize authority of Emperor. That was my point.
Quote:Quote:
Can you give some examples of how Popes have opposed the unity of the Church and have advocated for a decentralized church. Asserting it does not make it so.
By insisting on their primacy (why else do you think they are called Popes ?) and exclusive authority as leaders of The Church, which lead them to crown a new Emperor in the west. THAT was a schism, all later events were formality.
Quote:Quote:
If you knew anything other than regurgitated Orthodox talking points you would be aware that it wasn't only Roman Popes who opposed CaesaroPapism but also Eastern Church leaders including amongst others St. John Chrysostom who happened to be the Patriarch of Constantinople, and St Anthanasius, Patriarch of Constantinople.
Exactly because I'm not using Orthodox talking points as a starting point of my discussion, allows me to absolutely be against interference of the Bishops in temporal affairs. Bishops, whenever they meddled into political affairs, almost as a rule always rely upon scheming, disruption and creating chaos and anarchy, because it is their nature to avoid direct and straightforward confrontation.
Quote:Quote:
I'm not sure what you mean by the Papacy defying the Byzantine emperor as a legitimate Roman. Please explain.
He crowned a German in the west as a Roman Emperor.
Quote:Quote:
The Popes weren't the only senior prelates to excommunicate emperors. The Patriarchs of Constantinople did too from time to time. For example Patriarch John II Cappadox removed the names of the Emperos Zeno and Anastasius I from the Diptychs for heresy, Patriarch Kallinikos I helped depose the Emperor Justinian II, and Polyeuctus excommunicated the Emperor Nikephoros II, and refused to crown his successor John I Tzimiskes.
Yes, but Patriarchs were frequently deposed, imprisoned and slain, in particular because Emperors ruled from Constantinople.
Pope defended himself in Rome for centuries.