Western Medieval Manuscripts : Refutation of the union of the Churches

Western Medieval Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'> This fragment, taken from a 17th-century manuscript, contains an incomplete copy of the <i>Refutation of the union of the Churches</i> by patriarchs Philotheus of Alexandria, Dorotheus of Antioch, and Joachim of Jerusalem. The text comes from the Council of Jerusalem of 1443, in which the Eastern Patriarchs met to condemn the union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, negotiated at the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438-1439). The Patriarchs also condemned Metrophanes, Patriarch of Constantinople, who supported the union of the Churches. It was decreed that no clerk ordained by the Oriental bishops in communion with Rome should be admitted to exercise his office in their communion, until he had in the presence of the orthodox bishops proved his adhesion to the Greek Church.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The Refutation is followed by some quotations from church fathers on the procession of the Holy Spirit in opposition to the Western doctrine of <i>Filioque</i>. In particular, the quotations attributed to Gregory of Nyssa and Cyril of Alexandria seem to have been taken from Gregory of Palamas, <i>De processione Spiritus Sancti</i>, whose order they follow.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The fragment was acquired by Constantin von Tischendorf and bought from his heirs by Cambridge University Library in 1876.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Matteo Di Franco</p>