They Ruled East and West

So far in this series, we've seen a number of examples of early popes exercising authority over bishops and churches outside of Rome, and even outside of the West. As the documentary record improves, this becomes even clearer, and the popes in this installment, especially St. Innocent I, are striking for the extent to which they asserted their prerogative to govern the entire global Church. We also see evidence of the ancient discipline of clerical continence, the first instance of a person being executed for heresy, and the beginning of the Pelagian controversy.

Covered in this episode are popes #38-40: St. Siricius, St. Anastasius I, and St. Innocent I.

Links

Article version https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/they-ruled-east-and-west/

Pope St. Siricius's Decretal to Himerius https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/siricius_decretal_to_himerius.htm

Way of the Fathers on the Pelagian heresy https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/413-heresiespelagianism-and-seeds-calvinism/

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