exist.

JOSEPH DEHARBE

The bonds so often and so painfully knit between the Eastern and Western
churches were destined at last to be completely torn asunder, and the
truth of our Lord's words, "Who is not for Me, is against Me," was again
to be proved. The Greek schism places strikingly before our eyes the
fate of such churches as supinely yield their rights and independence,
and submit willingly to State tyranny. In the year 857 the wicked
Bardas, uncle to the reigning Emperor, who wielded an almost absolute
power and disregarded all laws, human and divine, unjustly banished from
his See, Ignatius, the rightful patriarch of Constantinople, and placed
in his stead the learned, but worthless, Photius. Such bishops as
refused to recognize the intruder (who had received all the orders in
six days from an excommunicated bishop) were deposed, imprisoned and
exiled.

Photius tried, by cruel ill-treatment, to force the aged Ignatius to
abdicate, and by a well-contrived fabrication endeavored to obtain the
support of Pope Nicholas I. When, however, this great Pope learned the
true facts of the case from the imprisoned Ignatius, he assembled a
synod in Rome in 864, by which Photius and all the bishops whom he had
consecrated were deposed. Fired by ambition, Photius now threw off all
concealments. He summoned the bishops of his own party, laid various
charges against the Roman Church, and in his inconsiderate rage ended by
anathematising the holy Father. Pope Nicholas, in a most powerful
letter, exhorted the Emperor Michael III to set bounds to the disorders
of Photius, warning him that a fearful judgment would await him if the
faithful were misled and so many believers caused to swerve from the
right path. It was not, however, till the reign of his successor that
Photius was banished and the much-tried St. Ignatius restored to his
rights.

To remedy the evil brought about by Photius, the eighth general council
was held in Constantinople, at the desire of St. Ignatius and the
Emperor, and presided over by the legates of Pope Adrian. Photius, when
called upon to answer for himself, having nothing to say in his own
defence, excused his silence by the example of our Lord, who also was
silent when accused. The fathers were filled with indignation at this
blasphemous speech, and his guilt having been fully proved, they cried
unanimously: "Anathema on Photius, promoted through court favor!
Anathema to the tyrant Photius, to the