To Eulogius and Anastasius, on the Title of Universal Bishop

Gregory to Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria, and Anastasius, bishop of Antioch. The excellent preacher says, “As long as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry” (Romans 11, verse 13), and again in another place, “We became like little children among you” (First Thessalonians 2, verse 7). In this he undoubtedly gives an example to us who come after him: that we should keep humility in our minds and yet keep the dignity of our order in honor, so that our humility is not timid and our high position is not proud. Now eight years ago, in the time of my predecessor of holy memory Pelagius, our brother and fellow bishop John, in the city of Constantinople, taking occasion from another matter, held a synod in which he tried to call himself Universal Bishop. As soon as my predecessor knew of it, he sent letters annulling the acts of that synod by the authority of the holy apostle Peter, and I have taken care to send copies of those letters to your holiness. He also forbade the deacon who attended the most pious lords on our behalf, for the business of the church, to celebrate the solemnities of mass with our fellow priest. I too, being of the same mind as he was, have sent similar letters to our fellow priest, and I have thought it right to send copies of them to your blessedness. My particular purpose is this: that we may first press with moderate force on the mind of our brother in this matter, in which, by a new act of pride, the very heart of the universal church is thrown into turmoil. But if he altogether refuses to be bent from the stiffness of his self-exaltation, then, with the help of Almighty God, we may consider more particularly what ought to be done. [a]

For, as your venerable Holiness knows, this title of universality was offered by the holy Synod of Chalcedon to the pontiff of the Apostolic See, which by the providence of God I serve. But none of my predecessors ever consented to use so profane a title, since plainly, if one patriarch is called Universal, the name of patriarch is diminished for the rest. But far be it, far be it from a Christian mind that anyone should wish to seize for himself something by which he might seem to lessen the honor of his brothers in the least degree. Since, then, we are unwilling to accept this honor when it is offered to us, think how disgraceful it is for anyone to have wished to usurp it for himself by force. [c] So let your holiness never call anyone Universal in your letters, lest you take away from the honor due to yourself by offering to another what is not due. And let no dark suspicion trouble your mind about our most serene lords, for he fears Almighty God and will in no way consent to do anything against the commands of the gospel or against the most sacred canons. [d]

As for me, though long stretches of land and sea separate me from you, I am still wholly joined to you in heart. And I trust that it is the same in every way with your blessedness toward me, since when you love me in return you are not far from me. So we give thanks all the more for that grain of mustard seed (Matthew 13, verses 31 and 32), because from what looked like a small and despised seed it has spread everywhere, its branches rising from the same root and stretching out, so that all the birds of heaven may make their nests in them. And thanks be for that leaven which, in about six gallons of flour, has leavened the whole mass of the human race into unity (Matthew 13, verse 33); and for the little stone which, cut out of the mountain without hands, has filled the whole face of the earth (Daniel 2, verse 35). It spreads itself everywhere for this purpose: that from the human race brought into unity the body of the whole church might be made complete, and so the distinction between the several members might serve the good of the whole, joined together as one. So we are not far from you either, since in him who is everywhere we are one. Let us then give thanks to him who, having abolished hostilities, has brought it about that in his flesh there is in the whole world one flock and one sheepfold under himself, the one shepherd. And let us always remember how the preacher of truth warns us, saying, “Be careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4, verse 3), and, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see God” (Hebrews 12, verse 14). And to other disciples he also says, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, have peace with all people” (Romans 12, verse 18). For he sees that the good cannot have peace with the bad, and that is why, as you know, he put first, “If it is possible.” [f] But because peace cannot be made except on both sides, when the bad run from it, the good ought to keep it in their inmost hearts. That is why it is so admirably said, “so far as it depends on you,” meaning that peace should remain in us even when it is driven out of the hearts of evil people. And we truly keep such peace when we treat the faults of the proud with love and at the same time with unbending justice, when we love them and hate their vices. For man is the work of God, but vice is the work of man. Let us then distinguish between what God has made and what man has made, and neither hate the man because of his error nor love the error because of the man.

Let us then, with united minds, attack the evil of pride in this man, so that the man himself may first be freed from his enemy, that is, from his error. Our almighty Redeemer will supply strength to love and justice; he will supply to us, though we are placed far from one another, the unity of his Spirit. He it is by whose workmanship the church has been built, as it were after the pattern of the ark, with the four quarters of the world for its sides, fastened together with the joining of planks that do not decay and with the pitch of love, so that no contrary winds disturb it, and no swelling wave that comes from outside. But just as, with his grace steering us, we ought to see to it that no wave striking us from outside throws us into confusion, so we ought to pray with all our hearts, dearest brothers, that the right hand of his providence may draw off the bilge water that collects within us. For indeed our adversary the devil, who in his rage against the humble “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (First Peter 5, verse 8), is no longer, as we see, prowling around the sheepfolds. He is fixing his teeth so firmly in certain vital members of the church that, unless by the Lord’s favor the watchful company of shepherds runs with one mind to the rescue, no one can doubt that he will soon tear apart the whole sheepfold, which God forbid. Consider, dearest brothers, who it is that follows close at hand, whose approach is heralded by such perverse beginnings breaking out even among priests. For it is because he is near of whom it is written, “He is king over all the sons of pride” (Job 41, verse 25), that our brother and fellow bishop John, and I am forced to say it, not without bitter grief, despising the Lord’s commands, the apostles’ precepts and the rules of the fathers, tries through self-exaltation to be his forerunner in name. [g]

May Almighty God make known to your blessedness how bitterly I groan and am tormented when I consider this: that he who once seemed to me a most modest man, he who was loved by all, he who seemed to be taken up with almsgiving, prayers and fasting, has grown so boastful, out of the ashes he sat in and out of the humility he preached, that he tries to claim everything for himself, and through the self-exaltation of a pompous title aims to subject to himself all the members of Christ, which hold together under one Head only, that is, under Christ. Nor is it surprising that the same tempter, who knows that pride is the beginning of all sin and who used it before anything else long ago against the first man, should now also set it before some men at the end of their virtues. So he lays it as a snare for those who, by the good aims of their life, seemed in some measure to be escaping his most cruel hands, setting it at the very finish of good work and, as it were, at the very completion of perfection. [h] That is why we ought to pray earnestly and beg Almighty God with constant petitions to turn this error away from that man’s soul, and to remove this plague of pride and confusion from the unity and humility of the church. And with the Lord’s favor we ought to join together and take every measure in our power, so that the living members in the body of Christ may not die by the poison of one word. For if this word is allowed to be used freely, the honor of all patriarchs is denied; and while he who is called Universal perhaps perishes in his error, no bishop will be found to have remained in a state of truth.

It is for you, then, firmly and without prejudice, to keep the churches as you received them, and to give no countenance to this attempt at a devilish usurpation. Stand firm; stand secure. Never presume to issue or to receive letters that carry the falsehood of the name Universal. Tell all the bishops under your care to keep clear of the defilement of this self-exaltation, so that the universal church may acknowledge you as patriarchs not only in good works but also in the authority of truth. But if trouble should perhaps follow, we ought to hold on with one mind, and show even by dying that, where harm is done to all, we love nothing of our own in particular. Let us say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1, verse 21). Let us hear what the first of all pastors says: “If you suffer anything for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed” (First Peter 3, verse 14). For believe me, the dignity we have received for preaching the truth we will more safely give up for that same truth than keep, should necessity require it. Finally, pray for me, as befits your most dear blessedness, so that I may show in deeds what I am so bold as to say to you. [i]