Michael I of Constantinople (''Cerularius'' or ''Keroularios''; ; 1000 – 21 January 1059) was the

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox ...

from 1043 to 1059. His disputes with

Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (, , 21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historica ...

over church practices in the 11th century played a role in the events that led to the Great Schism in 1054.

Background

Michael Cerularius was born in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

around 1000 and joined the Church at a young age.

Schism

Michael I quarreled with Pope Leo IX over church practices in which the Roman Church differed from Constantinople, particularly the use of unleavened bread in the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

. Dissenting opinions were also exchanged over other theological and cultural issues, ranging from the issue of

papal supremacy Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as priest of the ...

in the Church to the ''

Filioque ( ; ), a Latin term meaning "and from the Son", was added to the original Nicene Creed, and has been the subject of great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. The term refers to the Son, Jesus Christ, with the Father, as th ...

'' clause and other disagreements between the patriarchates. In 1054, Pope Leo IX sent a letter to Michael I, citing a large portion of the '' Donation of Constantine'' believing it genuine: :"The first pope who used it he Donationin an official act and relied upon it, was Leo IX; in a letter of 1054 to Michael Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, he cites the "Donatio" to show that the Holy See possessed both an earthly and a heavenly imperium, the royal priesthood". Some scholars say that this letter of September 1053, the text of which is available i
Jacques Paul Migne, ''Patrologia Latina'', vol. 143, coll. 744–769
was never actually dispatched, but was set aside, and that the papal reply actually sent was the softer but still harsh letter ''Scripta tuae'' of January 1054. Pope Leo IX assured Michael I that the donation was completely genuine, not a fable or old wives' tale, arguing that only the apostolic successor to

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

possessed primacy in the Church. This letter of Pope Leo IX addressed both to Patriarch Michael I and Archbishop Leo of Ohrid, was in response to a letter sent by Archbishop Leo to Bishop John of Trani that categorically attacked the customs of the Latin Church that differed from those of the Greeks. Especially criticised were the Roman traditions of fasting on the Saturday Sabbath and consecration of unleavened bread. Leo IX in his letter accused Constantinople of historically being a center of heresies and claimed in emphatic terms the primacy of the

bishop of Rome The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

over the

patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as ...

. Michael I would have none of it. It can be argued that in 1054, Michael's letter to Leo IX initiated the events which followed because it claimed the title "Ecumenical patriarch" and addressed Pope Leo IX as "brother" rather than "father". Pope Leo IX sent an official delegation on a legatine mission to meet with Michael I. Members of the papal delegation were Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida, papal secretary Frederick of Lorraine, and Archbishop Peter of

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic c ...

. Soon after their arrival in Constantinople, news was received that Pope Leo IX had died on 19 April. Since the official position and authority of papal legates was dependent upon the pope who authorised them to represent him, the news of Leo IX's death placed his envoys in an awkward position. In spite of this, they decided to proceed with their mission, but even before any religious discussions were held, problems arose regarding some basic formalities and ceremonies. During the initial audience, Michael I refused to meet with papal envoys in their official capacity and left them waiting with no further audience for months. During that time, from April to July 1054, Cardinal Humbert and his colleagues continued with their activities in Constantinople, taking part in informal religious discussions on various issues. This was seen as inappropriate by Patriarch Michael I. Despite the fact that their legatine authority officially ceased after the pope's death, Cardinal Humbert and his colleagues decided to engage in open dispute with the patriarch. On Saturday, 16 July 1054, they produced a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...

(lat. ''charta excommunicationis''), directed against Patriarch Michael I, Archbishop Leo of Ohrid, and all of their followers. On the same day, Cardinal Humbert and his colleagues entered the church of the

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

during the divine liturgy and placed the charter on the altar. Soon after that, the patriarch decided to react. On 20 July 1054, a synod of 21 metropolitans and bishops was held in Constantinople, presided over by Michael I. The council decided to excommunicate Cardinal Humbert and his colleagues. Only the three men were anathematised, and a general reference was made to all who support them - there was no explicit

of the entire Western Christianity, or of the Church of Rome. On Sunday 24 July, the conciliar anathema was officially proclaimed in the Hagia Sophia Church. The events of 1054 caused the

East–West Schism The East–West Schism, also known as the Great Schism or the Schism of 1054, is the break of communion (Christian), communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. A series of Eastern Orthodox – Roman Catholic eccle ...

and led to the end of the alliance between the

Byzantine emperors The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

and the

Popes The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

. Later popes allied with the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

. Patriarch Michael I closed the Latin churches in his area, which exacerbated the schism. In 1965, those excommunications were rescinded by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

and Patriarch Athenagoras following their 1964 meeting in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. Although the excommunication delivered by Cardinal Humbert was invalid, the 1965 gesture represented a significant step towards restoring communion between Rome and Constantinople.

Byzantine politics

The short reign of the Empress Theodora Porphyrogenita then saw Michael I intriguing against the throne.

Michael Psellos Michael Psellos or Psellus (, ) was a Byzantine Greeks, Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also b ...

notes that while their initial relations had been cordial, once Theodora took the throne, they entered into open conflict, as Michael I "was vexed because the Roman Empire was being governed by a woman", and on this topic "he spoke his mind freely". The historian suggests that Theodora would have deposed Michael I for his open effrontery and sedition, had she lived longer. Michael I had a hand in negotiating the abdication of Theodora's successor, Michael VI Bringas, convincing him to step down on 31 August 1057, in favour of the rebellious general

Isaac I Komnenos Isaac I Komnenos or Comnenus (; – 1 June 1060) was Byzantine emperor from 1057 to 1059, the first reigning member of the Komnenian dynasty. The son of the general Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, he was orphaned at an early age, and w ...

, for whom the army declared on 8 June,Norwich, p. 332 and whom his nephew Constantine Keroularios supported. The emperor duly followed the patriarch's advice and became a monk. Having had a role in bringing him to the throne, Michael I soon quarrelled with Isaac I over confiscation of church property. Michael I went so far as to take the highly symbolic step of donning the purple shoes ceremonially reserved for the emperor. Michael I apparently planned a rebellion, intending to overthrow Isaac I and claim the throne for himself or for his relative Constantine Doukas. Isaac I exiled Michael I to Proconnesus in 1058 and, as Michael I refused to step down, had Michael Psellos drew up accusations of heresy and treason against him.Psellus, p. 315. Editor's n. I. See also Skylitzes, p. 464, note 56. Michael I died before coming to trial. Soon after in the same year his maternal niece became Empress

Eudokia Makrembolitissa Eudokia Makrembolitissa () was a Byzantine empress by her successive marriages to Constantine X Doukas and Romanos IV Diogenes. She acted as ruler with her two sons in 1067, and resigned her rule by marriage to Romanos IV Diogenes. When he was ...

Notes and references

Bibliography

* * Migne'
''Patrologia Latina''
Vol. 143 (cxliii), Leo I

.pdf – 1.9 Mb. See Col. 744B-769D (pp. 76–89) for Leo IX's letter. * * Michael Psellus, ''Fourteen Byzantine Rulers'' (''The Chronographia''), E.R.A. Sewter, ''trans'', New York,

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

, 1966. * * Skylitzes, John; (John Wortley, trans. and J-C. Cheynet, notes),

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Michael 01 Of Constantinople, Cerularius 1000s births 1059 deaths 11th-century patriarchs of Constantinople East–West Schism Founders of religions People excommunicated by the Catholic Church Keroularios family Filioque