Section 06: The Lone Holdout
The hinge of the whole story. These files set out the central act on which Mark’s sanctity rests: his solitary refusal, alone among the Greek bishops present, to sign the union decree of 6 July 1439; the reported lament of Pope Eugenius IV on learning of it — “then we have accomplished nothing”; and the return of the delegation to a Constantinople that received the signatories with reproach and Mark with acclamation as the one bishop who had not bent.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox / Byzantine
Contents
| File | Topic |
|---|---|
| We Have Not Signed | Flagship. The signing of Laetentur Caeli on 6 July 1439; Mark as the lone refusing bishop; the grounds of his refusal; the reported papal lament; the return to Constantinople |
| The Hero of the City | The reception at home: the reproach of the signatories (“we have sold our faith”; “let the hand that signed be cut off”); the recantations; and Mark hailed as the champion and conscience of Orthodoxy |
How to Use
- Read We Have Not Signed for the act of refusal itself and its grounds; read The Hero of the City for the reception that turned the lone holdout into the acknowledged leader of the Orthodox cause.
- The pressures that produced the other bishops’ signatures are in Section 03; the resistance Mark led afterward is in Section 07.
Cross-References
- For the patriarchate to which the delegation returned, see The Church of Constantinople.
References
- See the collection README for the principal sources; each content file carries its own full reference list.