Flavian of Antioch and the Quarrel with the West over Paulinus

At Antioch the great Meletius had been succeeded by Flavian, who together with Diodorus had gone through great struggles for the salvation of the sheep. Paulinus had indeed wanted to receive the bishopric, but the clergy opposed him. They held that it was not right for Meletius, at his death, to be succeeded by someone who did not share his views. The care of the flock, they said, ought to go to the man who stood out for his many labors and had faced many dangers for the sheep’s sake. So a lasting hostility arose among the Romans and the Egyptians against the East, and the ill feeling did not die even when Paulinus died. After him Evagrius took over his see, and hostility was still shown to the great Flavian. This was in spite of the fact that Evagrius’s promotion broke the law of the church, for he had been promoted by Paulinus alone, against many canons. A dying bishop is not allowed to ordain another to take his place; all the bishops of a province are required to be called together; and again, no ordination of a bishop is allowed to take place without three bishops. Nevertheless they refused to take notice of any of these laws. They entered into communion with Evagrius and filled the emperor’s ears with complaints against Flavian. Being pressed again and again, the emperor summoned him to Constantinople and ordered him to go on to Rome.

Flavian, however, answered that it was now winter, and promised to obey the order in the spring. Then he went home. But the bishops of Rome pressed the emperor still harder: not only the admirable Damasus, but also Siricius his successor, and Anastasius, the successor of Siricius. They argued that while he put down those who rose against his own authority, he was letting bold rebels against the laws of Christ keep the authority they had seized. Then he sent for Flavian again and tried to force him to make the journey to Rome. At this Flavian, in his great wisdom, spoke very boldly: “Sir, if there are some who accuse me of being unsound in the faith, or of a way of life unworthy of the priesthood, I will accept my accusers themselves as judges and submit to whatever sentence they give. But if they are contending over a see and its primacy, I will not argue the point. I will not oppose those who want to take them. I will give way and resign my bishopric. So, sir, give the episcopal throne of Antioch to whomever you wish.” The emperor admired his courage and wisdom, and told him to go home again and care for the church entrusted to him.

After a considerable time the emperor came to Rome, and once again met the charges brought by the bishops, who complained that he was making no attempt to put down the usurped rule of Flavian. The emperor told them to explain what kind of usurpation it was, saying that he himself was Flavian and had become his protector. The bishops replied that they could not argue with the emperor. He then urged them from now on to unite the churches in harmony, to end the quarrel, and to put out the fires of a useless dispute. Paulinus, he pointed out, had long since departed this life. Evagrius had been promoted irregularly. The eastern churches accepted Flavian as their bishop. Not only the East but all Asia, Pontus and Thrace were united in communion with him, and all Illyricum recognized his authority over the eastern bishops. Yielding to this advice, the western bishops promised to bring their hostility to an end and to receive the envoys who would be sent to them. When Flavian was told of this decision, he sent to Rome some worthy bishops, with presbyters and deacons of Antioch, and gave the chief authority among them to Acacius, bishop of Beroea, who was famous throughout the world. When Acacius and his party arrived at Rome, they brought the long quarrel to an end, and after a war of seventeen years they gave peace to the churches. When the Egyptians were told of the reconciliation, they too gave up their opposition and gladly accepted the agreement that had been made. [a] By that time Anastasius had been succeeded in the primacy of the Roman church by Innocent, a man of good judgment and quick wit. Theophilus, whom I have mentioned before, held the see of Alexandria. [b]