Pope Felix III (died 1 March 492) was thebishop of Rome from 13 March 483 to his death on 1 March 492. His repudiation of theHenotikon is considered the beginning of theAcacian schism. He is commemorated on March 1.
Felix was born into aRoman senatorial family – possibly the son of apriest. He was married and widowed before he was elected as pope. He fathered two children, and through his son Gordianus (a priest) was thought to be great-great-grandfather toPope Gregory I, and possibly related toPope Agapetus I.[1][2]
It was also said that Felix appeared as anapparition to another of his descendants, his great-granddaughterTrasilla (an aunt of Pope Gregory I), and asked her to enterHeaven, and "on the eve ofChristmas Trasilla died, seeingJesus Christ beckoning".[3]
Eutyches was anarchimandrite at Constantinople. In his opposition toNestorianism he seemed to have taken the opposite view to extremes.In an effort to defuse controversy regarding the teachings ofEutyches, in 482Emperor Zeno, at the suggestion of PatriarchAcacius of Constantinople, had issued an edict known as theHenoticon. The edict was intended as a bond of reconciliation between Catholics and Eutychians, but it caused greater conflicts than ever, and split the Church of the East into three or four parties.[4] The Henotikon endorsed the condemnations of Eutyches and Nestorius made at Chalcedon and explicitly approved the twelve anathemas ofCyril of Alexandria, but in attempting to appease both sides of the dispute, avoided any definitive statement on whether Christ had one or two natures.[citation needed]
Felix's first act was to repudiate the Henoticon. He also addressed a letter of remonstrance to Acacius. The latter proved refractory and sentence of deposition was passed against Acacius.[citation needed]
As Catholics spurned Zeno's edict, the emperor had driven the patriarchs of Antioch and Alexandria from their sees.Peter the Fuller deposedMartyrius of Antioch and assumed theSee of Antioch in 470.Peter Mongus took theSee of Alexandria. In his first synod, Felix excommunicated Peter the Fuller. In 484, Felix also excommunicated Peter Mongus, an act that brought about a schism between East and West that was not healed until 519.[4]
In North Africa, conquered by the ferventlyArianVandals, persecution by kingGenseric and his son and successorHuneric had driven many Catholic Romans into exile.[5] When Huneric died, the persecutions were eased, and many of those who through fear had been rebaptized as Arians desired to return to the Church. However, the Vandals remained resolutely Arian. The Catholics appealed to Felix, who convened a synod in 487 and sent a letter to the bishops of Africa, expounding the conditions under which the unwilling apostates were to be taken back.[4]
^abc This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Coleman, Ambrose (1909). "Pope St. Felix III". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^Victor of Vita,History of the Vandal Persecution, 2.3-6 (John Moorhead, trans.), Liverpool: University Press, 1992, p. 25
