Fifth Century

Papacy, Barbarians, Schism

            As the emperor's power declined, the Bishop of Rome's increased. Pope St. Leo I the Great (440-461) negotiated and saved Rome from Attila the Hun (452). He asserted Papal authority over other bishops, claiming that the bishop of Rome is the successor to the Apostle Peter. His work, holiness and the doctrine on the Petrine supremacy justifies the application to him of the title of the “first pope”, guiding his fellow bishops as "equals in the episcopacy and infirmities." The papacy as an institution had finally come together in a formal way. Pope St. Leo I was the first to formally establish himself as the pope in this institutional framework. Still, St. Peter is to be regarded as the first pope. The popes who followed him before, after, and including Pope St. Leo I form an unbroken line of leaders of the Roman Catholic Church.

            St. Patrick, sold as a slave at age 16, evangelized Ireland.

            At the Fourth General Council held at Chalcedon (451), the Chalcedon creed was formulated which describes Jesus Christ as fully human and fully divine, with the two natures existing together without confusion.

            Rome was plundered by Genseric in 455. The Western Empire ended in 476.

            Barbarians: Frankish King Clovis (496) converted to Christianity and was baptized. He conquered half of France and paved the way for Charlemagne's "Holy Roman Empire."

            A schism between Rome and Constantinople developed between 484 and 519. Patriarchs in Constantinople (who could not claim apostolic succession) spoke Greek and challenged the authority of the popes in Rome, who spoke Latin. Misunderstanding, language barriers, and regional pride eventually split the two groups.      

    The Church calendar with the Christian year was established.

    With upheavals and the disintegration of secular society, the church hierarchy became more established and influential.    

Saints

Saint Patrick: 385-461, Apostle of Ireland. Contrary to popular belief St. Patrick was not Irish but was of Romano-British origin. St. Patrick is accredited with converting a majority of Ireland to Christianity in his life time. He founded the metropolitan see of Armagh and authored Confessio. He is the Patron Saint of Ireland and Nigeria.
            Pope Saint Leo I, The Great: St. Leo the Great was probably born in Rome. He was elevated to pope in 440 A.D. St. Leo defended the Church against the heresies of Pelagianism and Manichaeism. His Tome on the two natures of Christ (Human and Divine) was adopted by the council of Chalcedon. St. Leo wrote many prayers that are found in Sacramentary. He was given the title "the Great" after defending Rome from the marauding Huns and Vandals. St. Leo died in 461 A.D.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria: Saint Cyril was born in 370 and led a monastic life. He defended Mary as, Mother of God, at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. St. Cyril of Alexandria was Orthodox in his thinking and wrote many documents explaining and defending the Catholic Faith.

Saint Genevieve: 422-512, Patron of Paris. She persuaded the people of Paris to pray and fast to stop the invasion by Attila. A loaf of bread is her symbol because of her generosity towards those in need.

St. Peter Chrysologus: 406-450, made a Doctor of the Church, largely as a result of his simple, practical, and clear sermons which have come down to us, nearly all dealing with Gospel subjects.

Heresies

            Pelagians: Pelagius, a "saintly" man according to St. Augustine, claimed that children are born without original sin, as pure as Adam was before he fell; men neither die because Adam fell, nor rise again in consequence of Christ’s resurrection; un-baptized as well as baptized infants are saved; the Mosaic Law is as good a guide to heaven as the Gospel. Condemned at the Council of Ephesus, 431.

            Semipelagians: Believe that some are predestined to heaven; others, to hell. The beginning faith depends on man’s free-will, while faith itself and its increase depend absolutely upon God; nature has a certain claim to grace; final perseverance is not a special gift of grace but depends upon man’s own strength; some children die before baptism, and others after on account of the foreknowledge God possesses of the good or evil they would have done if they had lived. as Abbot. The errors of the Semipelagians were condemned in the year 432 by Pope Celestine I; in 529 by Pope Felix IV, in the Synod of Orange and the Synod of Valence, both of which Councils were confirmed by Pope Boniface II.

            Nestorians: Nestorius, a good monk, taught that there were two separate persons in Christ, one divine and the other human; and claimed that Mary was the mother of the human person only, not of the divine, not the Mother of God. Condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431. The problem with Nestorianism is that it threatens the atonement.  If Jesus is two persons, then which one died on the cross?  If it was the "human person" then the atonement is not of divine quality and thereby insufficient to cleanse us of our sins.

            Predestinarians: Lucile, a priest, taught that God absolutely and positively predestined some to eternal death and others to eternal life, in such a manner that the latter have not to do anything in order to secure salvation; that Christ did not die for the non-elect, since they are destined for hell. Condemned in 475 in the Council of Lyons.   
            Monophysites: Eutyches, an abbot of 300 monks, proclaimed the Jesus had only one nature: divine, He is God but not man. Condemned excommunicated in the 6th century and in the Council of Constantinople in the year 680. Monophysitism is an error concerning the nature of Christ that asserts Jesus had only one nature, not two as is taught in the correct doctrine of the hypostatic union.  Monophysitism was confined mainly to the Eastern church and had little influence in the West.  In 451, the Council of Chalcedon attempted to establish a common ground between the monophysitists and the orthodox, but it did not work and divisions arose in the Eastern church which eventually excommunicated the monophysitists in the 6th century.  The denial of the human nature of Christ is a denial of the true incarnation of the Word as a man.  Without a true incarnation there can be no atonement of sin for mankind since it was not then a true man who died for our sins.  It was condemned as heresy at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680-681.