Section 03: The Council of Ferrara–Florence
The council itself. These files trace the course of the Council of Ferrara–Florence (1438–1439) — its opening at Ferrara, its transfer to Florence under the pressure of plague and papal debt, and the four issues that divided East and West: the Filioque (both the legitimacy of the addition to the Creed and the doctrine of double procession), purgatory, the azymes (unleavened versus leavened eucharistic bread), and papal primacy — and the financial and political pressures that, over fifteen months, wore the homesick and unpaid Greek delegation down to assent. Mark Eugenikos was the principal Orthodox debater throughout.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox / Byzantine
Contents
| File | Topic |
|---|---|
| The Council 1438–39 | Flagship. The council’s course at Ferrara then Florence; the four issues; the order of the debates (purgatory first, then the Filioque addition and doctrine, azymes, and primacy); Mark as principal Orthodox debater against Cesarini and John of Montenero; the union decree Laetentur Caeli |
| The Pressure to Unite | The financial dependence and the arrears of the Greeks’ stipends; the homesickness and isolation; the death of the patriarch; the emperor’s pressure; the wearing-down — and the contested question of whether the Greek consent was free |
How to Use
- Read The Council 1438–39 for the narrative and the four issues; read The Pressure to Unite for the conditions that shaped the outcome and the both-sides debate over the freedom of Greek consent.
- The two dogmatic issues that mattered most to Mark are given their own sections: the Filioque in Section 04, purgatory in Section 05. The refusal to sign is in Section 06.
Cross-References
- For the conciliar tradition and the standing of ecumenical councils, see Ecumenical Councils.
- For the patriarchate of Constantinople, see The Church of Constantinople.
References
- See the collection README for the principal sources; each content file carries its own full reference list.