View source for Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs

The '''Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs''' was a letter sent in May, 1848 by the [[patriarch]]s of the [[Orthodox Church]] in reply to Pope Pius IX's ''Epistle to the Easterns'' (1848).  Rather than being a private letter to Pius IX, it is addressed to "All the Bishops Everywhere, Beloved in the Holy Ghost, Our Venerable, Most Dear Brethren; and to their Most Pious Clergy; and to All the Genuine Orthodox Sons of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."

The encyclical explicitly denounces the [[Filioque|Filioque clause]] added by Rome to the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed]] as a [[heresy]], censures the [[papacy]] for missionizing among Orthodox Christians, and repudiates [[Ultramontanism]] (papal supremacy).  It also describes the [[Roman Catholic Church]] as being in [[apostasy]], [[heresy]], and [[schism]].  

In the course of all this, it notably makes reference to the [[Eighth Ecumenical Council]] (879-880), in contrast with the opinion of many modern Orthodox Christians that there are only seven [[Ecumenical Councils]] accepted by the [[Orthodox Church]].

== Signatories ==
* Patriarch [[Anthimus VII of Constantinople]]
* Pope and Patriarch [[Hierotheus II of Alexandria]]
* Patriarch [[Methodius of Antioch]]
* Patriarch [[Cyrill II of Jerusalem]]

* The Holy Synod in Constantinople
* The Holy Synod in Antioch
* The Holy Synod in Jerusalem

== External link ==
*[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1848orthodoxencyclical.html Full text of the Encyclical]


[[Category:Church History]]
[[Category:Inter-Christian]]
[[Category:Texts]]