Section 07: Resisting the Union
The four years of resistance, 1440–1444. These files set out Mark’s leadership of the anti-unionist party in the wake of Florence — his Encyclical Letter to all Orthodox Christians, his refusal of communion with the unionist patriarch, his arrest and exile to Lemnos, and his handing of the leadership to George Scholarios — and the wider collapse of the union at home: its rejection by the faithful, the monks of Athos, and most of the clergy, and the gathering of the Eastern patriarchs against it.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox / Byzantine
Contents
| File | Topic |
|---|---|
| The Anti-Unionist Leader | 1440–1444: Mark as leader of the opposition; the Encyclical Letter and the “Greco-Latins”; the refusal of communion with the unionist patriarch Metrophanes II; the attempted flight to Athos and the exile to Lemnos; the deathbed handing of leadership to Scholarios |
| The Union Collapses at Home | The non-reception of the union by the faithful, the Hagiorite monks, and the clergy; the 1443 Synod of Jerusalem of the three Eastern patriarchs against the unionists |
How to Use
- Read The Anti-Unionist Leader for Mark’s own activity in these years; read The Union Collapses at Home for the wider rejection of the union that his leadership both expressed and organized.
- The reception that began this resistance is in Section 06; Mark’s death and the final fate of the union are in Section 08.
Cross-References
- For the patriarchate at the center of the resistance, see The Church of Constantinople.
References
- See the collection README for the principal sources; each content file carries its own full reference list.