The True History of the Photian Schism and the Pseudo-Ecumenical Council of 879-80

I was not at all familiar with this contentious controversy of the Greek schismatics with Rome over the eighth ecumenical council. Sister Maria Philomena, director of the Saint Augustine Institute here at SBC, has filled me in on the issue and sent me several articles on the subject. I have been gratefully educated. For those of you anxious to learn more of Church History the following study is a must read.

Scripture and Catholic Tradition, by Pertinacious Papist:

Papal Primacy and the Photian Schism of 879-880

Perry Robinson responds to my post, “Eastern Orthodoxy’s Witness to the Primacy of Rome in the Acacian Schism of 484-519” (on my Scripture and Catholic Tradition blog) as follows:

This is rather laughable. Producing proof texts is not an argument. Moreover, what needs to show is that such terms as “Apostolic See” “Chief” etc. exclude the Orthodox interpretation of those passages and single out the Catholic interpretation. But of course this would require an understanding and demonstration of Orthodox ecclesiology. Since this has not been done the citations hardly count as a demonstration. Orthodox ecclesiology is quite comfortable with the facts of history as they are and seeing Rome at the time when it held to the true faith, more out of ignorance than knowledge, as chief bishop hardly counts against the Orthodox position. It certainly doesn’t count against the Orthodox position to note that the bishop of Rome called his brother bishops to account when they fell under the pressue of the empire and they returned the favor on occasion.

When someone responds with an ad hominem or otherwise dismissive remark as our friend Robinson does above, one suspects that a nerve has been touched somewhere. It goes without saying that producing proof texts is not an argument, but this sidesteps the issue of what I was in fact doing: offering data, evidence–evidence from Church history (Eastern as well as Western) of the abundant witness to Papal primacy and supremacy in the centuries substantially ante-dating the Great Schism of 1054, and even the Photian Schism of 879-880, which was its first harbinger and bellwether. Sometimes arguments really shouldn’t be necessary, as when data may suffice for argument. Hence, the “Q.E.D.” remark at the end of my January 19 post. Full article is here.