Talk:References to the Antichrist in ecclesiastical writings

Gregory I

I have removed the entry "Pope Gregory I wrote in A.D. 597, “I say with confidence that whoever calls or desires to call himself ‘universal priest’ in self-exaltation of himself is a precursor of the Antichrist.”", and explain here why. Pope Gregory wrote this in a letter to the Emperor Maurice complaining bitterly about the title Ecumenical Bishop given to the Patriarch of Constantinople by a series of Eastern emperors.

I observe that this is cited by a number of contemporary fundamentalist commentators who hold the belief that the Pope is the Antichrist (sometimes they seem to think that the sentence was written by St Augustine, but the point is the same). They claim that it indicates that Gregory did not lay claim to universal jurisdiction. That takes it out of context. Actually both Pope and Patriarch laid claim at that time to universal jurisdiction (subject to appropriate and undefined respect being paid to other patriarchs such as that of Alexandria or Jerusalem): this letter was part of the battle between Rome and Constantinople.

Elsewhere Gregory is clear that he does lay claim to such jurisdiction, and especially over the Western churches. In Epistle 13.50, he speaks of "the Apostolic See, which is the head of all Churches", and in Epistle 5.154, he says: "I, albeit unworthy, have been set up in command of the Church." As successor of St. Peter, the pope claimed to have received from God a primacy over all Churches (Epistle 2.46; 3.30; 5.37; 7.37). His approval it was, he said, which gave force to the decrees of councils or synods (Epistle 9.156), and his authority could annul them (Epistles 5.39, 5.41, 5.44). To him appeals might be made even against other patriarchs, and by him bishops were judged and corrected if need were (Epistles 2.50; 3.52; 3.63; 9.26; 9.27). "As regards the Church of Constantinople," he writes in Epistle 9.12, "who can doubt that it is subject to the Apostolic See? Why, both our most religious lord the emperor, and our brother the Bishop of Constantinople continually acknowledge it." This position naturally made it impossible for him to permit the use of the title Ecumenical Bishop assumed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, John the Faster, at a synod held in 588. This was the occasion for the letter to Maurice; the latter must be understood in this context, and would clearly be misunderstood if included in this list. Deipnosophista (talk) 20:35, 26 October 2010 (UTC)