خلافة البيزنطيين حول الصور المقدسة

Gregory III Excommunicates Iconoclasts

• Pope Gregory III issued a decree in a council in 731 AD
• The decree excommunicated anyone opposing the veneration of holy images
• Anyone who condemned the old custom of the apostolic church, and opposed the veneration of holy images, was to be removed from the body and blood of Christ.
• This included removing, destroying, profaning, or blaspheming images of God, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, or any of the saints.
• All clergy present solemnly signed the decree.

Emperor Leo III and the Iconoclasm Controversy

• Emperor Leo III attempted to eliminate idolatry in the church around 726 AD.

• The historical context suggests that the rise of Islam and their monotheistic beliefs may have influenced Leo's actions.

• In 726 AD, Emperor Leo III issued a decree against the use of religious statues, but this decree did not call for their destruction.

• Leo believed that his edicts could eliminate idolatry, but underestimated the power of the clergy and the people's attachment to their religious symbols.

• The first decree aimed to elevate statues to a height inaccessible to people, preventing physical contact and worship.

• Public resistance arose against the decree, encompassing various social classes (scholars, peasants, clergy, soldiers, men, and women).

• Monks played a crucial part in the controversy, supporting a claimant to the throne and rallying the populace.

• The people's resistance to the decrees led to internal conflict in both the East and the West.

• The second edict issued by Emperor Leo III was harsher, ordering the complete destruction of all statues and the removal of iconography.

• The Emperor's officials went beyond the decree, aggressively destroying venerated images, sparking widespread outrage and violence.

• Citizens, especially women and children, actively defended statues and religious images, resulting in confrontations and bloodshed.

• The imperial forces violently suppressed the resistance, imprisoning and executing rebel leaders while forcefully removing icons. This resulted in significant public unrest and societal upheaval.

تتناول هذه الاختبار الخلاف بين البابا غريغوري الثالث والإمبراطور ليو الثالث حول تقديس الصور المقدسة في الكنيسة. كيف أثر التطرف الإيديولوجي من كلا الجانبين، وكيف تعاملت الكنيسة مع هذه القضية الشائكة؟