St. Cyril Lucaris - "Tomos" Against Latin Innovations (1615)

 

The following text of St. Cyril Lucaris was written in 1615 to the inhabitants of the city of Târgoviște (in present-day Romania) where St. Cyril was then located. Because its value was general (against the conquering rage of the Papists) this work was copied in many manuscripts and spread. In one of them the scribe replaces the phrase "of Târgoviște" with the phrase "of the world", thus revealing the general value that this work had. From this manuscript (Christ Church MS 49) we translate and publish for the first time in the English language this precious text. Thanks again to my partner Christophoros Gorman.

- Nikolaos Mannis (nikolaosmannis@gmail.com)

Tomos Against Latin Innovations (1615)

 

Cyril, by the grace of God, Pope and Patriarch

of the Great City of Alexandria and "Judge of the Universe" [1]

 

To all of the Orthodox Christians of the world, Clergy and Laity, who are genuine children of the Holy Catholic and the Apostolic Church of the East, who for the truth of the Gospel rightly turned away and rejected every empty word and addition of the heretics and the Latins, who cunningly wage war against our Orthodox Faith,

Grace be upon you and peace and mercy from the Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Great turmoil had overtaken that old Ark, when it rocked violently and faced the waves in the waters where it was sailing, at a time when by divine concession the heavenly waterfalls sent torrential rains and almost threatened those inside the Ark. And there seemed no hope to those who were in it that they would find salvation, if God did not remember the helmsman Noah and did not agree to calm the waters. I believe these are symbolic of the troubles that have now befallen the new ark, that is, our Church. We do not expect these sufferings to cease, unless God wills to silence and destroy these wicked cascades, which devour even the most wholesome souls. For those who envied the deep peace of the Church in this city waged a relentless war against us and tried to disturb the tranquility here. Since, therefore, we intend to leave this present Tomos against them, so that you all may be fully armed and, with what is written in it, be able to defend your Orthodoxy more securely against such enemies, we considered it right to present the entire matter to you in simple language so that the text is not unclear to the less educated, which is as follows.

Some arrived from ancient Rome who learned there to believe as the Latins. And the unfortunate thing is that from the Romans, [2] the offspring and essence of Roumeli, whose parents perhaps never saw a Frank, by going to Rome, they not only changed their faith, but also opposed the true doctrines and Orthodoxy of the Eastern Church, which was delivered to us by Christ Himself, the holy disciples of the Savior, and the councils of the Holy Fathers. Because we are going to depart from here, we implore your love to stand firm in your piety and your Orthodoxy. And do not let such Latin-minded people and corrupters of your consciences capture your attention at all, but as heretics and enemies of your salvation, keep them far from you when they meet you and speak against what we write in the following. But you should believe as such:

1. Anyone who does not confess with his heart and mouth, and whoever is called a “Roman” [Ρωμιὸς, Romiós] and a child of the Eastern Church, and is baptized as a Christian in the Roman manner like us, [3] but does not confess that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father, in terms of essence and hypostasis, and that as to His temporal manifestation [being sent], He proceeds from the Father and the Son; whoever does not make this confession but says that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son [Filioque], let that person be outside of our Church and not have communion with us, and let them be anathema.

2. Whoever does not confess that in the Mystery of Communion both the laity and the clergy should partake of the precious and immaculate Body and Blood, but insists that only the immaculate Body should be partaken by the laity, and not the Blood, let them be outside the Church and anathema. And with this, whoever says that it is sufficient to receive only the Flesh [of Christ], because it also contains the Blood, despite the fact that Christ separately delivered each one, but they do not observe it, let them be anathema.

3. Anyone who says that our Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Supper had unleavened bread like the Jews, and not leavened bread, let them be far from us, and let them be anathema, because he has the opinion of the Jews and of Apollinaris, and introduces the doctrines of the Armenians into our Church. For this reason, we say a second time: anathema.

4. Anyone who says that when a Christian dies, his soul is definitively judged and does not wait for the General Judgment as our Lord tells us in the Holy Gospel, let them be anathema. And whoever says that when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge, He will not come for the souls, but will come to judge only the bodies, anathema.

5. Anyone who says that the souls of Christians who repented in this world, but did not complete their penance, go when they are separated from the body to a purgatorial fire, which is flames and punishment and torment, which is a pagan notion, let them be anathema. For they give Christians the freedom to sin.

6. Anyone who says that the Pope of Rome is the head of the Church and not Christ, let them be anathema.

Whoever opposes these, in order to overthrow and annul them, let them be anathema.

You, my Christians, I beg you for the sake of the Lord and for the sake of your soul, to beware of these wolves, whoever they are, and to read this Tomos often in the Church, so that you know the points in which they try to wage war against you. All their lives they have learned nothing else than how to oppose us, the Orthodox Christians, so that corruption and suffering will once again come upon our race of Romans. But let us remain steadfast, not heeding their words, and let us pray to God not to lead us into temptation regarding our faith; yet, when need arises, the shedding of a man’s blood for his piety is very sweet. However, God will not allow the matter to reach that point, so that our opponents remain powerless and, by the grace of Christ, ignorant and blind.

In any case, be watchful and cautious of such individuals. May our Lord Jesus Christ assist you, bless you, and grant you a peaceful state. Along with this, the prayers of my mediocrity be with all of you. Amen.

 

NOTES

[1] This title, like other similar titles of the patriarchs, was simply honorary without literally implying any secular authority.

[2] As we said, the Greeks until the 19th century called themselves Romans, while the followers of the Pope of Rome were called Latins and Franks. Roumeli was the name of the Greek area.

[3] It refers to Baptism by immersion, as opposed to the Latin sprinkling.

 

Source: https://o-d-o-c.blogspot.com/2023/08/st-cyril-lucaris-tomos-against-latin.html. Posted August 28, 2023.