The Greek Schism [pp. 758-774]

Tke Crcek Sciiisrn. 77'
lion. They showed them that tl~e fa- ror, and of the other patriarchs." The
thers of the Greek, as well as those pope, "with the approbation of the
of the Latin church, had always sacred universal Council of Florence,"
taught this doctrine. There was a defines, first, the dogma of the etergreat deal of finessing on the part of nal procession of the Holy Ghost
the Greeks; they examined their own from Father and Son, as from one
copies of the fathers, and found that principle, and by one spiration; sethey had been correctly quoted by condly, "th~ the explanatory words,
the other side; and, at last, confessed and from 1/ic Son, were lawfiilly and
that they had been wrong in accusing reasonahiy added to the symbol, for
the Western Church of error. The the sake of declaring the truth, and
disciplinary question was argued with by reason of imminent necessity;"
a great deal of vigor. The Greeks, thirdly, that both leavened and unof course, alleged the celebrated ca- leavened bread is Iawftil matter
non of the Council of Ephesus, pro- for the eud~arist, and that priests
hibiting any addition to the symbol. must follow the rite of their own
The Latin answer may be sun~med church-those of the western, that of
up thus: This canon prohibits any il~e western; those of il~e eastern, that
addition by private authority. But of the eastern; fourthly, the question
filioqile was added by the authority of the different states of souls after
of the head of the church. Again, death was settled according to the
the canon prohibits any addition con- received doctrine whid~ is now protrary to the doctrine of the symbol; fessed in the Catholic Church. We
but this addition is an explanation give the fifth section entire: "That
and a complement of the doctrine of the holy apostolic see and the Roman
Nice, and the very words (and foni pontiff doth hold primacy over the
1/ic Son) have been taken from or- whole earth, and that he is the sucthodox fathers. Lastly, the addition cessor of the blessed Peter, prince of
was not made lightly or without cause; the apostles, and true vicar of Christ,
but a real necessity existed for it. and head of the whole church, and
Finally, all the Greeks, but Mark of is the father and teacher of all ChrisEphesus, returned this answer: "We tians; and that to him, in the peflon
consent that you recite the addi of the blessed Peter, hath been detion to the symbol, and that it has Ivered, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the
been taken from the holy fathers; and full power of feeding, ruling, and gowe approve it, and are united with verning the universal church, as is
you; and we say that the Holy Ghost contained in the acts of cecumenical
proceeds from the Father and the coundils and. in the s~cred canons."
Son, as from one principle and cause." Lastly, the decree reorganizing the
This point being satisfactorily set- canonical order of patriarchs assigns
tied, the other mooted questions were the second place, after the Roman
soon adjusted, and on July 6th, 1439, ponti~ to the patriarch of Constantithe act of union was read in solemn nople, the third to the patriarch of
session, in Latin by Cardinal Julian, Alexandria, the fourth to the patriarch
and in Greek by Bessarion, Ard~bi- of Antioch. A few more questions
shop of Nice, who had been the lead- of minor importance were then proers on either side in the discusson. posed to the Gre~ks, to most of which
It is in the name of" Eugenius, bishop, they gave satisfactory replies, and soon
servant of the servants of God, wid~ afterward the emperor and his prelates
the consent of the most serene empe- returned home by way of Venice.