May 536-552 A.D. Menas—Constantinople’s 55th; Appointed by Emperor Justinian I; Deposed Twice but Restored; Highwater Mark of Rome’s Influence in Constantinople
May
536-552 A.D. Menas—Constantinople’s
55th; Appointed by Emperor
Justinian I; Deposed Twice but Restored;
Highwater Mark of Rome’s Influence in Constantinople
Bacchus,
Francis Joseph. “Mennas.” Catholic
Encyclopedia, Vol. 10. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Mennas. Accessed 25 Oct 2014.
Patriarch
of Constantinople from 536 to 552. Early in 536 Pope St. Agapetus came to
Constantinople on a political mission forced on him by the Gothic king,
Theodahad. Anthimus, Archbishop of Trebizond, had just been transferred to
Constantinople through the influence of the Empress Theodora, with whose
Monophysite leanings he was in sympathy. Agapetus promptly deposed Anthimus and
he consecrated Mennas patriarch. Anthimus was deposed partly because his
transfer from one see to another was uncanonical, and partly on account of his
doubtful orthodoxy. The question next arose whether he should be allowed to
return to his old see. Agapetus was preparing to deal with this question when
he died. Mennas proceeded with the affair at a synod held in Constantinople the
same year, 536, presiding over it the place of honour on his right hand being
assigned to five Italian bishops who represented the Apostolic See. The result
was that Anthimus, who failed to appear and vindicate his orthodoxy, was
excommunicated together with several of his adherents. In 543 the Emperor
Justinian acting with the approval, if not under the prompting of Mennas and
the Roman representative, Pelagius, issued his celebrated edict against the
teaching of Origen, at the same time directing Mennas to hold a local council
to consider the matter. No record of this synod had been preserved, but Hefele
demonstrates it to be more than probable that the celebrated Fifteen
Anathematisms of Origen, mistakenly ascribed to the Fifth Ecumenical Council,
were there promulgated. We now come to the part played by Mennas the initial
stage of the Three Chapters controversy (see CONSTANTINOPLE, COUNCILS OF). The
first from whom the emperor Justinian demanded subscription to the edict
anathematizing the Three Chapters was Mennas. He hesitated, but eventually gave
way on the understanding that his subscription should be returned to him if the
pope disapproved. Later on he compelled his suffragans to subscribe. Many of
them complained to the papal legate Stephen of the constraint put upon them.
Stephen broke off communion with Mennas. When Pope Vigilius arrived at
Constantinople in 547, he cut Mennas off from Church communion for four months.
Mennas retorted by striking the pope's name off the diptychs. When Vigilius
issued his "Judicatum", the two were reconciled. In 551 Mennas was
again excommunicated. When Vigilius and Justinian came to terms, Mennas once
more made his peace with the former, asking pardon for having communicated with
those whom the pope had excommunicated. He died in August, 552.
All that
is known about Mennas will be found in HEFELE, Councils, IV (Eng. tr.). The
most important of the originals sources are the Acta of the synod at
Constantinople in 536 HARDOUIN, II, Mansi, VIII, and FACUNDUS, Pro defensione
trium Capitulorum (P.L., LXVII, Gallandi, XI).
F.J.
BACCHUS
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