Honorius I

Honorius I , pope (625-38), an Italian; successor of Boniface V. He showed great interest in the church in Spain and the British Isles, and he did a great deal to reform the education of the clergy. In the course of the dispute over Monotheletism , he was asked as pope for an opinion on its orthodoxy. In reply he wrote a letter using the words "one will" to express the reality of the hypostatic union, apparently confirming the heresy. Pope and letter were both declared heretical at the Third Council of Constantinople. The letter is not considered an argument against papal infallibility, as he was not speaking ex cathedra. Honorius was succeeded by Severinus.

Honorius I (d. 638), Pope from 625. He interested himself in the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons, and he ended the schism of the patriarchs of *Aquileia-Grado. However, his action in the Monothelite controversy was one of the arguments against Papal Infallibility. About 634 Sergius, Patr. of Constantinople, wrote to him about the question of ‘one energy’ in Christ. This formula, while confessing the two natures, attributed only one mode of activity—that of the Divine Word—to the Incarnate Christ. It had been found useful in reconciling the Monophysites, but was strenuously opposed by Sophronius of Jerusalem. Honorius sent Sergius a favourable reply, in which he used the unfortunate expression ‘one will’ in Christ. This formula was utilized in the ‘Ecthesis’, and Honorius himself was anathematized at the Third Council of Constantinople in 681.

Sergius (d. 638), Patr. of Constantinople from 610 and exponent of Monothelitism. In an attempt to reconcile the Monophysites with the adherents of Chalcedonian orthodoxy, he began to teach that there were two natures in Christ but only one ‘activity’ (ὲυέργϵια). On being opposed by St Sophronius of Jerusalem, he issued the ‘Psephos’ (633), which forbade mention of either one or two ‘activities’ in Christ. He also appealed to Pope Honorius I, and together they agreed that there was only one ‘will’ in Christ. This doctrine was promulgated by Heraclius I in the ‘Ecthesis’, written by Sergius (638). The ‘Acathistus’ has sometimes been ascribed to him.