| You are here: | About>Education>Medieval History |
 | Medieval History |
|
|
|
Pope Hormisdas put an end to the Acacian schism that had separated the Eastern and Western churches since 484.
Born to a wealthy Roman family, Hormisdas was a widower before he rose to the papal chair. (His son would later become pope as Silverius.) His predecessor Symmachus made him a deacon, and he was prominent as an attendant on Symmachus, serving as a notary at the Synod at St. Peter's.
His first order of business upon becoming pope was to smooth over the remaining difficulties between proponents of Laurentius and supporters of Symmachus and himself. Hormisdas then made persistent attempts to reconcile the Eastern and Western churches. His negotiations with Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I were uneven, but he ultimately saw success with Anastasius' successor Justin. In the process of negotiations, Hormisdas authored a confession of faith to be signed by the bishops in the East as part of the reconciliation; it was known as the Formula of Hormisdas.
Pope Hormisdas also had to deal with a quarrel over a question of the Trinity. He authorized a Latin translation of the canons of the Greek Church, which was prepared by Dionysius Exiguus, and he issued a new edition of the Gelasian "Decretum de recipiendis Libris."
Hormisdas would be succeeded by Pope John I.
Important Dates
Became pope: July 20, 514
Died: Aug. 6, 523
On the Web
Biographical
Hormisdas
Brief bio at Wikipedia.Pope St. Hormisdas
Fairly extensive biography by J. P. Kirsch at the Catholic Encyclopedia.St. Hormisdas
Admiring bio at Defending the Faith.
Primary Sources
The Correspondence Between the Monks of Syria Secunda and Pope Hormisdas in 517/518 A.D.
Modern English translation provided by Cornelia B. Horn at the Maronite Research Institute.Decree of Pope Hormisdas on Canonical and Noncanonical Books (A.D. 520)
Reaffirmation of the Decree of Pope Gelasius on Canonical and Noncanonical Books (A.D. 496 - PL 59.157-164), in Latin, at the Christian Resources site.
In Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to John Paul II
by Richard P. McBrienChronicle of the Popes: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Papacy over 2000 Years
by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart
Related Resources
The Papacy
Index of sites regarding the Popes and the political entity of the Papal States, their impact on medieval culture, and the schisms they endured and overcame.Early Europe
Directory of sites that offer useful resources for the study of Europe in Late Antiquty, or shortly after the fall of Rome.
|
|
|
Index |
or Role in Society |
Index |
|
Who's Who |
|
in Who's Who |
|
|