The Iconoclastic
Controversy
An “Iconoclast” means, literally,
“image breaker.” The Iconoclastic
Controversy concerned the veneration of holy Icons that greatly disturbed the
Eastern Orthodox Church during the years of 725 to 842.
Several influences hostile to the
veneration of Icons began to disrupt the Byzantine Empire towards the end of the
7th and the beginning of the 8th centuries. The Monophysite heresy minimized the
human side of the Incarnate God and the Policians believed that all matter was
evil. It was also likely that there
was Islamic influence as well.
Emperor Leo Ii, the Isaurian, [717
- 740] was responsible for the outbreak of this devastating heresy because he
was influence by the Policians and thought the use of Icons, having become
excessive, was the chief obstacle to the conversion of Jews and Moslems to
Christianity.
His motives were mainly political,
aiming at a general reorganisation of the Church along lines that would give
greater influence to the state. He
issued an Edict in 726 declaring that all Icons were idols and ordered their
immediate destruction.
Serious disturbances soon broke
out all over the Empire and Patriarch Germanos, who appealed to the Roman Pope
for support against this heresy, was deposed in 730. A systematic persecution began with
particular attention to Monks who were the most zealous defenders of Holy
Icons.
This was when St John of Damascus
wrote his famous Apology against the Iconoclasts and Pope Gregory III held two
Synods at Rome condemning Emperor Leo and his supporters in
731.
Emperor Leo’s son, Constantine V,
continued his father’s iconoclastic policy and in 753 he called the Synod of
Hieria that, however, was not attended by the Patriarchs of Antioch, Jerusalem
and Alexandria, or the Pope of Rome.
It was alleged that the “Icon worshippers” divided the unity of Christ or
confused the two Natures of Christ as the Monophysites did; further, they
alleged that the Icons of the Virgin Mary and the Saints were in themselves
idols. So it was decreed that they
should all be destroyed.
Persecuting adherents to Icon veneration created many Martyrs
especially among the Monks of the Church, but during the reign of Leo IV [775 -
780], the persecution was substantially lessened and after his death, his wife,
Empress Irene, in her capacity as Regent for her young son, reversed the policy
of iconoclasm despite the iconoclastic belief of the
army.
In 784 when Tarasios became
Patriarch of Constantinople, he and Empress Irene opened negotiations with Pope
Hadrian I of Rome, who sent legates to the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicea
in 787. The Council completely
reversed the decision of the Synod of Hieria, defined the degree and nature of
veneration to be paid to Holy Icons, and ordered their restoration throughout
the Empire.
However, in 814, there was another
outbreak of iconoclasm under Emperor Leo V, the Armenian, who had been a General
in the Byzantine army. [The army
had made him the Emperor.] He began
to remove Icons again from the churches and public buildings. Patriarch Nikephoros was deposed and St
Theodore of Studion, the principal defender of Icons among the Monks, was
exiled. Many others were imprisoned
and martyred.
Emperor Leo was assassinated in
820 and his successor, Emperor Michael III continued a milder polity of
iconoclasm. His son Theophilos
returned to violence as soon as the iconoclastic Patriarch John Hylilos was
enthroned in 832.
The persecution came to an end in
842 when Emperor Theophilos died and his widow Theodora was regent for their
young son. Like Empress Irene,
Empress Theodora had the Monk Methodios elected as Patriarch of Constantinople
in 843 and on the first Sunday of Great Lent a feast in honour of the Holy Icons
was celebrated with since then is solemnly observed in the Eastern Orthodox
Church as the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
Adapted from A
Dictionary of Greek Orthodoxy
