Christian Authorities - Emperors

Once a branch of the Christian Church became the official Church of the Roman empire, the Emperor soon became it"s official head. He occupied a position as a sort of supreme patriarch among patriarchs and supreme bishop among bishops.

In practice the Emperor exercised absolute control over the Church just as he exercised absolute control over the state, and it was not long before the arrangement was formalised by declaring the Emperor to be infallible. For many centuries it was accepted Christian doctrine that the Emperor was the head of the Church – Pontifex Maximus and Bishop of Bishops, that senior churchmen could be appointed only with his approval, that he alone convoked and presided over Universal Church Councils, that he enjoyed priviliged direct communication with God, and that he was able to declare doctrine without reference to anyone else. Emperors such as Basiliscus, Zeno, Justinian I, Heraclius, and Constans II induced councils to issue the edicts they had written, and in some cases issued edicts themselves without reference to Church council or anyone else.

This system flourished between AD 500 and AD 1000. It is known technically as “caesaropapalism”. It faded as the Western Church became more powerful and the Eastern less powerful. During the Middle Ages the Church of Rome developed the idea, replacing the Emperor by the Bishop of Rome. Imperial rights were now claimed by the Papacy, along with Imperial trappings. Now the Pope was Pontifex Maximus and Bishop of Bishops. He appointed Patriarchs and called Church Councils. He enjoyed direct communication with God and his opinions were regarded as infallible.

The idea of caesaropalism had a clear appeal to anyone who stood to benefit from it, and in different forms it reappeared in the French, English, Russian and other Churches.

The French kings were successful in gaining control over the French Church and diverting income from Church property. During the 'Babylonian Exile' of the papacy in Avignon the French Kings effectively appointed Popes; and aspects of Gallicanism reflect the desire to give the liturgy a distinctive French flavour. In England, Henry VIII enjoyed direct communication with God, and as Supreme head of the Church in England, felt able to determine Church doctrine. Caesaropapism flourished in Russia when Ivan IV the Terrible assumed the title Czar in 1547 and subordinated the Russian Orthodox Church to himself.

Caesaropapism existed in the Orthodox Church in the Ottoman Empire until 1923 - With a Muslim Emperor appointing the Patriarch of Constantinople. It survived in Cyprus until 1977, when Archbishop Makarios III died.

Of course, caesaropapalism is now something of an embarrassment to the Christian Churches, Orthodox and Catholic alike, and to a lesser extent the Anglican Church. The idea that God might give Emperors absolute jurisdiction over His Church, and provide them with infallible doctrine is now widely regarded as absurd. Consequently, historical examples are downplayed. Most Christians are unaware that Caesaropapalism was part of orthodox doctrine for many centuries or that signifant Christian doctrine was determined by lay Emperors, some of whom had no understanding of theology and all of whom tended to fix doctrine in accordance with their own political interests.

Neither the Orthodox or Catholic Churches are willing to publish a list of doctrines declared by infallible Emperors.