- When the civil judges (being the imperial
commissioners) heard of what had happened, they were
filled with anger. Going straight to the Council, they
openly declared that the council’s judgment was glaringly
inequitable, and that the session held in their absence was
illegal. They endeavoured to make them revoke the
sentence but failed. Consequently they exclaimed to the
assembled bishops: “You shall give account unto God of
what you have committed against Dioscorus whom you
deposed in the absence of the Emperor, and in our
absence too”.^58 - In is account of these unfortunate events that took
place at Chalcedon, Mar S. Ya’Kub, Antiochene Patriarch
and historian, gives a number of reasons for the unfairness
and illegality of the verdict passed on Abba Dioscorus.
Most important among them were: - that he was an
impeccable Orthodox; - that no deviation was attributed
to the Council of Ephesus (called the Dioscorian); that
the verdict was passed in his absence and he was given no
chance to defend himself; that the session was held before
the date set for it and without official notification of all
those who ought to have been present; and that all those
who passed it were Nestorians.^59
While Mgr. Hefele – a Catholic Cardinal – records
the witness of Bishop Anatolius which, when translated
reads: “Dioscorus was not deposed because of his
Orthodox Faith, but because he had ex-communicated
Leo 1 (of Rome) and had not obeyed the Synod”. After
inserting this witness, Mgr. Hefele adds: “In the sybnodal
decree against Dioscorus, there is no express mention of
his heresy, and the sentence passed on him by the Pope’s
(Leo) legates says nothing either”.^60
elle
(Elle)
#1