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Steffan wrote: " Augustine's influence and radiation was mainly restricted to the Western Church. However, we can find in some writings of important Eastern (Orthodox) bishops references to St. Augustine. The most important: patriarchs Photius..." -------------- Concerning the status of Augustine in the eyes of the Eastern Church, the following may be of interest to our list. Between Dec. 843 and March 844, Photios drafted a letter of appeal to the Patriarch of Aquileia ( PG 102, 794-822) concerning the issue of the Filioque. Photios wrote his appeal in an attempt to extirpate the interpolated Filioque from the very place wherein a theology of interpolation was being developed. I take the liberty of citing a passage from a work in progress ( hence, I apologize in advance,as it is unrevised and yet unpublished) on The Council at Blachernae: Photios, the Aquilean Circle and the Franks. "Fully aware of the extreme dependency of the Latin responsa upon the writings of Augustine and a few select Latin Fathers "who have written in many places... that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son"(58) , Photios does not deny the content of their teaching. Faced with the Latin responsa or possibly Greek summaries of them prepared for him in the Chartophylakion (59) "We are indeed persuaded that they thought this."(60) Rather he assaults the correctness of these teachings,and challenges the Latin perception of the basis of authoritative standing. " If ten or twnety Fathers said this or that, many innumerable hundreds did not."(61) It is not the writings of a handful of Fathers, even those whose writings are impeccable in their orthodoxy, that constitute the basis of authority. Even the greatest of Fathers has exhibited moments of ambiguity, of unclear, or even incorrect assertions. Rather it is the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils which must stand as the authority. One cannot restrict oneself to a circle of Fathers, especially those whose thinking is linked by dependency, who contradict the the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. Secondly, Photios consoles, that by appeal to these Latin Fathers in support of heresy, the Frankish theologians have actually aided the Church by "uncovering" the errors of these good men. The proper act of respect for the venerable Fathers, who erred on this one issue, would be to conceal,or perhaps attempt to understand and explain their weakness rather than to act "in imitation of Ham."(62) And lastly, Photios points out, it is not the Greeks who assault "holy Augustine", but rather those who use his teachings to oppose the teachings of Christ and the Ecumenical Councils: "If the Fathers...did not speak against our Lord, we too will not speak against them. But if you say that they opposed the word of the Lord, it is your duty to prefer the word of the Lord to them..." (63) Photios, consistent with his insistence upon an historical and grammatical hermeneutic, pleads for a similar latitude in assessing the writings of the Fathers. These lives and works of these men demand our sympathy and understanding. They lived in times of great perplexity and a wide net of historical influences may have led them, despite their orthodoxy, to flawed uncderstanding or even false teaching on a few issues. "If [these] ...Fathers had spoken in opposition when the debated question was brought before them and had fought it contentiously and had maintained their opinion and had persevered in this false teaching,(64) and when convicted of it had held their doctrine until death, then they would necessarily be rejected together with the error of their mind. But if they spoke badly or, for some reason not known to us, deviated from the right path [orqotriboß], but no question was put to them, nor did anyone challenge them to learn the truth, then we admit them to the list of the Fathers, as if they had not said it__ because of their righteousness of life and distinguished virtue and their faith, faultless in other respects. We do not, however, follow their teaching in which they stray from the path of truth... We, although we know that some of our Holy Fathers and teachers strayed from the faith of true dogmas, do not take as doctrine those areas in which they strayed; but rather we embrace the men. So also in the case of any who are charged with teaching that the Spirit proceeds from the Son, we do not admit what is opposed to the word of the Lord, but we also do not cast them from the rank of the Fathers."(65) Augustine retains the revered rank of 'Holy Father' even though he erred on certain issues. ________________ 58) PG 102, 809. 59)The routine of ecclesiastical administration was basedon an organization very similar to that of the Imperial administration. Of the six chief officials directly responsible to the Patriarch , as well as being members of the Holy Synod, the Great Chartophylax (o megaß cartofulax ) was the most important. It was he who wasthe Patriarch's chancellor and official secretary,assistingwith hiscorrespondence and sententiae . As such his nane and seal often appear in the inscriptions of patriarchal edicts. As chancellor, it was he who dealt with difficulties of ecclesiasticaljurisdiction, and disputes ( primarily property claims) arising out of the marriage laws. See J. M. Hussey, Church and Learning in the Byzantine Empire: 867-1185. New York, Russell and Russell, 1963 repr. of 1937. pp 122ff. 60) ibid. 61) PG 102,810. 62) PG 102, 811. 63) PG 102, 811. 64) A classic definition of a heretic. See and Caeserius of Heisterbach,.. 65) PG 102, 813. Josef Gulka Josef Gulka [log in to unmask] 215- 732-8420 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%