Armenia and Ethiopia were the first states in the world to officially proclaim Christianity as the state religion, dated to 333 AD, though which was first is debated. The branches of Oriental Orthodoxy had formally taken form and the transition accorded along an established trade route through Egypt as closely associated to the Coptic Church of which the Ethiopian Church remained an administrative part until 1959. Oriental Orthodox Christianity became the established church of the Ethiopian Axumite Kingdom under king Ezana in the 4th century when priesthood and the sacraments were brought for the first time through a Syrian Greek named Frumentius, known by the local population in Ethiopia as Abba Selama, Kesaté Birhan ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"). As a youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the Eritrean coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the Royal court, where they rose to positions of influence and baptised the Emperor Ezana. Ezana sent Frumentius to Alexandria to ask the Patriarch, St. Athanasius, to appoint a bishop for Ethiopia. Athanasius appointed Frumentius, who returned to Ethiopia as Bishop with the name of Abune Selma.
Miaphysitism vs Dyophysitism — The Nature of ChristThe Oriental Orthodox belief, has been traditionally, in the one perfectly unified Nature of Christ. That is, a complete union of the Divine and Human Natures into one singular nature which is self-evident. Opposed to the two Natures of Christ maintained by the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Chalcedonies Christians have considered Miaphysitism in general to be amenable to an orthodox interpretation, but they have nevertheless perceived the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox to be a form of Monophysitism (single nature doctrine). On the contrary Dyophysitism that clearly distinguishes between person and nature, states that Christ is one person in two natures, and emphasises that the natures are without confusion, change, division, or separation.
The conflict between these two belief systems stems from the prior practices in Nestorianism firstly which stressed the distinction between the divine and the human in Christ to such an extent that it appears that two persons are/were living in the same body. Nestorianism was condemned at the Council of Ephesus. Alternatively Eutychianism stressed the unity of Christ's nature to such an extent that Christ's divinity consumed his humanity as the ocean consumes a drop of vinegar. Such was also condemned at the Council of Chalcedon.
Byzantine emperor Zeno in 482 made an unsuccessful attempt with his policy 'Henoticon' to reconcile the differences between the supporters of the Council of Chalcedon and the council's opponents on this matter, causing the Acacian schism which lasted thirty-five years from 484 to 519. The Schism had commenced when Pope Felix III of the years 483 to his death in 492, decreed both Zeno and Acacias the Patriarch of Constantinople remember the need to defend the faith without compromise, just as they all had always done so. At the time John Talaria, the Patriarch of Alexandria, was consigned to the Council of Chalcedon and refused to sign Emperor Zeno's Henoticon (which glossed over the Council of Chalcedon). Zeno thus expelled John and gave rulership to the Miaphysite Peter Mongus on the condition that he would sign Zeno's Henoticon, the Christological document he had prepared to reconcile the Miaphysities with the Dyophysities. Peter Mongus complied and was recognized by the Patriarchs of Antioch and Constantinople.
When John, so exiled, arrived in Rome and reported on what was happening in the East, Pope Felix III summoned the Patriarch of Constantinople to Rome to be held accountable. The legates who delivered the Popes notice to Acacias were imprisoned in Constantinople upon arrival and forced to receive Communion from Acacius as part of a Liturgy in which they heard Peter Mongus and other Miaphysites named in the diptychs.
Pope Felix, having heard of this insult from the monks in Constantinople, held a synod in 484 in which he denounced his legates and deposed and excommunicated Acacias. Acacius replied in turn by striking Pope Felix's name from his diptychs. Only the Acoemeti in Constantinople stayed loyal to Rome. Acacias soon died in 489, and his successor, Flavitas (or Fravitas, 489–90), tried to reconcile himself with Rome, but refused to give up communion with Miaphysites and to omit Acacius's name in his diptychs. Zeno also died soon thereafter in 491, and his successor Anastasia's I (491–518), began by keeping the policy of the Henotikon, though himself a convinced Miaphysite.
Written by Jason Steven Jowett. Sourced from historical fact. This blog may not be reproduced in whole without the author's express permission. Copyright © 2024. greatbrittania.blogspot.com