Papal apocrisiarius
Encyclopedia
The apocrisiarius
or apocrisiary was the legate
from the Pope
to the Patriarch of Constantinople
, circa 452-743, equivalent to the modern nunciature.
word apokrisis, "response". The Latin language name for the office would have been responsalis, from the word responsum. The term was also used by other ecclesiastical envoys
, either between bishops or between a bishop and a royal court, although this specific office was one of the first and most notable examples.
were also managed at the court of the Exarchate of Ravenna
—where the pope had another permanent apocrisiarius—and the Archbishop of Ravenna. The later had a special role as responsalis at the papal court during the papacy of Gregory I
. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
, "in view of the great importance attaching to the relations between the popes and the imperial court of Constantinople, especially after the fall of the Western Empire (476), and during the great dogmatic controversies in the Greek Church, these papal representatives at Constantinople took on gradually the character of permanent legates and were accounted the most important and responsible among the papal envoys."
Most were former members of the diaconate, as they were the most educated and potentially skilled in diplomatic negotiations. The apocrisiarius held "considerable influence as a conduit for both public and covert communications" between Pope and Byzantine emperor. During the Byzantine Papacy
, seven apocrisiarii went on to be selected as pope
. According to one commentator, "to be sent as apocrisiarius to Constantinople was to graduate for the papacy." When in Constantinople
, the apocrisiarius resided in the Placidia Palace
, as early as the end of the Acacian schism
in 519.
, Gregory III
, Zacharias, and Stephen II
are known to have sent non-permanent apocrisiaries to Constantinople.
The office ceased having any religious role in the 8th century, although it continued to be regularly occupied well into the 10th century. Circa 900, the office began being referred to as syncellus
. A permanent envoy may have been re-established after the reconciliation of 886. A syncellus, unlike an apocrisiarius, was a representative to the emperor, not the patriarch. These ambassadors continued into the 11th century, even after the East-West Schism
.
(d. 814) we find apocrisiarii at the court of the Frankish kings, but they are only royal arch-chaplains decorated with the title of the ancient papal envoys."
Apocrisiarius
An apocrisiarius, the Latinized form of apokrisiarios , sometimes Anglicized as apocrisiary, was a high diplomatic representative during Late Antiquity and the early medieval period. The corresponding Latin term was responsalis...
or apocrisiary was the legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
to the Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
, circa 452-743, equivalent to the modern nunciature.
Nomenclature
The term of the office comes from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word apokrisis, "response". The Latin language name for the office would have been responsalis, from the word responsum. The term was also used by other ecclesiastical envoys
Apocrisiarius
An apocrisiarius, the Latinized form of apokrisiarios , sometimes Anglicized as apocrisiary, was a high diplomatic representative during Late Antiquity and the early medieval period. The corresponding Latin term was responsalis...
, either between bishops or between a bishop and a royal court, although this specific office was one of the first and most notable examples.
History and functions
In part, the role of the apocrisiarius was to represent the interests of the Roman church at the imperial court in Constantinople. Relations between the Pope and the Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
were also managed at the court of the Exarchate of Ravenna
Exarchate of Ravenna
The Exarchate of Ravenna or of Italy was a centre of Byzantine power in Italy, from the end of the 6th century to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the Lombards.-Introduction:...
—where the pope had another permanent apocrisiarius—and the Archbishop of Ravenna. The later had a special role as responsalis at the papal court during the papacy of Gregory I
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, "in view of the great importance attaching to the relations between the popes and the imperial court of Constantinople, especially after the fall of the Western Empire (476), and during the great dogmatic controversies in the Greek Church, these papal representatives at Constantinople took on gradually the character of permanent legates and were accounted the most important and responsible among the papal envoys."
Most were former members of the diaconate, as they were the most educated and potentially skilled in diplomatic negotiations. The apocrisiarius held "considerable influence as a conduit for both public and covert communications" between Pope and Byzantine emperor. During the Byzantine Papacy
Byzantine Papacy
The Byzantine Papacy was a period of Byzantine domination of the papacy from 537 to 752, when popes required the approval of the Byzantine Emperor for episcopal consecration, and many popes were chosen from the apocrisiarii or the inhabitants of Byzantine Greece, Byzantine Syria, or Byzantine Sicily...
, seven apocrisiarii went on to be selected as pope
Papal selection before 1059
There was no fixed process for papal selection before 1059. Popes, the bishops of Rome and the leaders of the Catholic Church, were often appointed by their predecessors or secular rulers...
. According to one commentator, "to be sent as apocrisiarius to Constantinople was to graduate for the papacy." When in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, the apocrisiarius resided in the Placidia Palace
Placidia Palace
The Placidia Palace was the official residence of the papal apocrisiarius , and the intermittent home of the Pope himself when in residence at Constantinople...
, as early as the end of the Acacian schism
Acacian schism
The Acacian schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches lasted thirty-five years, from 484-519. It resulted from a drift in the leaders of Eastern Christianity toward Monophysitism, and Emperor Zeno's unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the parties with the Henotikon.-Chronology:In the...
in 519.
End of the office
The popes continued to have a permanent apocrisiary in Constantinople until the time of the Byzantine Iconoclasm edict of 726. Thereafter, popes Gregory IIPope Gregory II
Pope Saint Gregory II was pope from May 19, 715 to his death on February 11, 731, succeeding Pope Constantine. Having, it is said, bought off the Lombards for thirty pounds of gold, Charles Martel having refused his call for aid, he used the tranquillity thus obtained for vigorous missionary...
, Gregory III
Pope Gregory III
Pope Saint Gregory III was pope from 731 to 741. A Syrian by birth, he succeeded Gregory II in March 731. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by the iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine Empire, in which he vainly invoked the intervention of Charles Martel.Elected by...
, Zacharias, and Stephen II
Pope Stephen II
Pope Stephen II was Pope from 752 to 757, succeeding Pope Zachary following the death of Pope-elect Stephen. Stephen II marks the historical delineation between the Byzantine Papacy and the Frankish Papacy.-Allegiance to Constantinople:...
are known to have sent non-permanent apocrisiaries to Constantinople.
The office ceased having any religious role in the 8th century, although it continued to be regularly occupied well into the 10th century. Circa 900, the office began being referred to as syncellus
Syncellus
Syncellus may refer to:* an office in an Orthodox Church roughly equivalent to that of an episcopal vicar in the Roman Catholic Church.People named Syncellus:* George Syncellus...
. A permanent envoy may have been re-established after the reconciliation of 886. A syncellus, unlike an apocrisiarius, was a representative to the emperor, not the patriarch. These ambassadors continued into the 11th century, even after the East-West Schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
.
Later use of the title
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "from the reign of CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
(d. 814) we find apocrisiarii at the court of the Frankish kings, but they are only royal arch-chaplains decorated with the title of the ancient papal envoys."
List of apocrisiarii
| Apocrisiarius | Term of office | Appointing pope | Emperor | Patriarch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julianus, Bishop of Cos | Circa 450–457 | Pope Leo I Pope Leo I Pope Leo I was pope from September 29, 440 to his death.He was an Italian aristocrat, and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452, persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy... (440–461) |
Marcian Marcian Marcian was Byzantine Emperor from 450 to 457. Marcian's rule marked a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the Emperor protected from external menaces and reformed economically and financially... (450–457) |
First apocrisiarius; circa the Monophysitism Monophysitism Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity... dispute |
|
| Vigilius | ?-536 | Pope Agapetus I Pope Agapetus I Pope Saint Agapetus I reigned as pope from May 13, 535, to April 22, 536. He is not to be confused with another Saint Agapetus, an Early Christian martyr with the feast day of August 6th.-Family:... (535–536) |
Justinian I Justinian I Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of... (527–565) |
Menas (536–552) | Future Pope Vigilius Pope Vigilius Pope Vigilius reigned as pope from 537 to 555, is considered the first pope of the Byzantine Papacy.-Early life:He belonged to a aristocratic Roman family; his father Johannes is identified as a consul in the Liber pontificalis, having received that title from the emperor... |
| Pelagius | 536-? | Pope Agapetus I (535-536) | Future Pope Pelagius I Pope Pelagius I Pope Pelagius I was Pope from 556 to March 4, 561. He was the second pope of the Byzantine Papacy, like his predecessor a former apocrisiarius to Constantinople.-Early life:He came from a Roman noble family... |
||
| Stephen | ? | Pope Vigilius Pope Vigilius Pope Vigilius reigned as pope from 537 to 555, is considered the first pope of the Byzantine Papacy.-Early life:He belonged to a aristocratic Roman family; his father Johannes is identified as a consul in the Liber pontificalis, having received that title from the emperor... (537-555) |
Menas (536-552) | Exommunicated Menas | |
| Deacon Gregory | 579–585 | Pope Pelagius II Pope Pelagius II Pope Pelagius II was Pope from 579 to 590.He was a native of Rome, but probably of Ostrogothic descent, as his father's name was Winigild.Pelagius appealed for help from Emperor Maurice against the Lombards, but the Byzantines were of little help, forcing Pelagius to "buy" a truce and turn to the... (579–590) |
Tiberius II Constantine Tiberius II Constantine Tiberius II Constantine was Byzantine Emperor from 574 to 582.During his reign, Tiberius II Constantine gave away 7,200 pounds of gold each year for four years.... (578–582) Maurice Maurice (emperor) Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians... (582–602) |
Eutychius Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople Eutychius , considered a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 552 to 565, and from 577 to 582. His feast is kept by the Byzantine Church on 6 April, and he is mentioned in the Catholic Church's "Corpus Iuris"... (577–582) John IV Nesteutes Patriarch John IV of Constantinople John IV , also known as John Nesteutes or John the Faster, was the 33rd bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople . He was the first to assume the title Ecumenical Patriarch... (582–595) |
Future Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death... |
| Archdeacon Laurence | 585-ante September 591 | Pope Pelagius II (579-590) | |||
| Deacon Honoratus | ? | Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death... (590–604) |
|||
| Sabinianus | c. July 593–ante November 597 | Pope Gregory I (590–604) | Maurice (582–602) | Cyriacus II (596–606) | Future Pope Sabinian Pope Sabinian Pope Sabinian was pope from 604 to 606. He was born at Blera near Viterbo. Pope during the Byzantine Papacy, he was fourth former apocrisiarius to Constantinople elected pope.-Apokrisiariat :... |
| Anatolius | c. June 597-post February 601/ante January 602 | ||||
| Boniface | post July 603-post November 603 | ||||
| Deacon Cataadioce | 603–606 | Pope Gregory I (590–604) | Phocas Phocas Phocas was Byzantine Emperor from 602 to 610. He usurped the throne from the Emperor Maurice, and was himself overthrown by Heraclius after losing a civil war.-Origins:... (602–610) |
Cyriacus II (596–606) | Future Pope Boniface III Pope Boniface III Pope Boniface III was Pope from February 19 to November 12, 607. Despite his relatively short time as Pope he made a significant contribution to the organization of the Catholic Church.-Early life:... |
| Theodore | Future Pope Theodore I Pope Theodore I Pope Theodore I , who was pope from November 24, 642, to May 14, 649, is considered a Greek, but was born in Jerusalem. He was made a cardinal deacon, and a full cardinal by Pope John IV.... |
||||
| Martin | Future Pope Martin I Pope Martin I Pope Martin I, born near Todi, Umbria in the place now named after him , was pope from 649 to 653, succeeding Pope Theodore I in July 5, 649. The only pope during the Byzantine Papacy whose election was not approved by a iussio from Constantinople, Martin I was abducted by Constans II and died in... |