Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople

Acacius of Constantinople Opel († 489, also: Acacius of Constantinople Opel ) was a church politician and patriarch of Constantinople from 471 Opel.

The central problem in the tenure of Acacius was the theological debate between Orthodox and Monophysites, who turned to the Christological issue of the relationship of the divine and human natures of Christ to each other. The Monophysites saw in the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon of 451, according to which the divine and the human nature of Christ " unmixed and undivided " existed an Nestorian heresy.

Since the Monophysitism was widespread in Egypt and the Orient, threatened in the Eastern Roman Empire a subversive religious schism, who sought to counteract the emperor in Constantinople Opel. Acacius helped him by, he wrote a formula of faith, the Henotikon, which was published 482. In it, the consensus found in the vorcalchedonischen councils were held, Nestorius and Eutyches recognized and condemned the so-called 12 chapters of Cyril of Alexandria, but just the contentious issues deliberately excluded. However, this tactic only led to further discontent: The Monophysites insisted that the key for her beliefs should be explicitly mentioned, while in the formula looked too great a concession and the abandonment of the positions reached in Rome. The relationship between the Roman Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople Opel had already been burdened by the fact that at Chalcedon for the Patriarch of Constantinople Opel a special position has been agreed and Acacius 482 in the occupation of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the between Petros III. Mongo and Joannes I. Talaia Talaia was controversial party took over for the former, which Acacius exceeded its competence in the eyes of Pope Felix II. The dispute escalated, and so Pope Felix II finally responded to the Henotikon with the imposition of the anathemas against Acacius, who had sinned against the Holy Spirit and the apostolic authority. This created the first great schism (so-called Akakianisches schism ) between the morning and the Western Church. The Anathema included the prohibition to cultivate with the patriarch excommunicated handling, but this was ignored in the east. On the issue of the Alexandrian Patriarchate itself Petros Mongos sat by while Joannes Talaia, the favorite of Rome, with the Diocese of Nola took Vorlieb. In the Eastern Roman Empire Emperor Zeno and Acacius, meanwhile, went all out to enforce the Henotikon even against the resistance of the Monophysites. With the death of Acacius in 489 and shortly after successful death of the emperor ( 489 ) and Joannes Talaias (491 ) the most dedicated advocates of Henoticon retired from the stage and a settlement of the schism was considered. But it was not until 519, when it was terminated by Justin I., in which he picked up the Henotikon.

Acacius is honored in the Orthodox Church as a martyr, his feast day is July 21.