[Loch-Ruadh] Today in History April 3 (kinda long)

Sluggy! slugmusk at linuxlegend.com
Wed Apr 3 12:36:13 PST 2002


Jane Sitton wrote:

> 419 [Etalius] ends his reign as Catholic Pope
>
> And what, begins his reign as Mormon Pope?  Anabaptist Pope?  Buddhist Pope?


As Earl Etalius, or perhaps Duke Etalius.... :)

I'm certain there are many Catholic faithful who will know better than
I, but I got curious and searched on the subject of "pope" to find what
title a pope might take if retired and discovered a few things previous
unknown to me (not that that would be particularly amazing).

First, very early, the title "pope" used to designate simple priests in
the East. The Western church reserved it more for Bishops. Then in about
the 4th, it came to be the title for the Roman Pontif. Only since about
the 9th century has "pope" meant "The Pope".

Second (and this makes sense), asside from stories like the one detailed
below, Popes do not seem to retire. They hold the office until death,
when another pope is elected.

Most curiously and most topical, according to the online version of "The
Catholic Encyclopedia" at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm for
the year listed above, Pope St. Boniface I was official. It seems that
upon the death of his predecessor, Pope Zosimus, the church entered into
the 5th of the schisms, resulting from a double election. On December
27, 418 "a faction of deacons seized the Lateran basilica and elected as
pope the Archdeacon Eulalius. The higher clergy tried to enter, but were
  violently repulsed by a mob of adherents of the Eulalian party. On the
following day they met in the church of Theodora and elected as pope,
much against his will, the aged Boniface." Both were consecrated and
acted as the Pope, but there was tumultuous confusion from the clash of
rival factions. The Prefect of Rome, hostile to Boniface, had Emperor
Honorius confirm Eulalius' election. Boniface was expelled from the
city, but his adherants got a hearing with the Emperor, who then had a
synod of Italian bishops meet the rival popes. Unable to decide, the
synod ordered both to leave Rome until the decision was made and not to
return before then on penalty of condemnation. To skip some of the
details a bit, on March 18, 419, Eualius returned to Rome, gathered his
supporters and on March 29, seized the Lateran basilica himself,
determined to preside over the Easter paschal cermonies. The emperor
removed him with troops and officially recognized Boniface as Pope on
April 3, 419. Eulalius was apparently made Bishop of a Tuscany See,
though the records are conflicting as to exactly which; possibly Nepi.

When in 420, Boniface fell critically ill, Eulalius' artisans to make
another effort. On July 1, 420, Boniface requested that Emperor Honorius
make some provision against possible renewal of the schism in the event
of his death. Honorius enacted a law providing that, in contested Papal
elections, neither claimant should be recognized and a new election
should be held.

Sluggy!


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