International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Ivica Čairović
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Ortodox Theology, Belgrade, Serbia; 
[e-mail]
Theodulf of Orléans: 
Analysis of the Relationship of Rome and Constantinople 
before and after the Seventh Ecumenical Council
Iconoclastic conflict at the end of the 8
th
century in the East and the West came up with a series 
of complex situation, that have created an interactive relationship between Constantinople, Rome 
and Frankish Empire. It should be noted that Constantinople, on one hand, and Rome and Aachen, 
on the other hand, reflect the political views in the aforementioned theological conflict. Pope 
Hadrian and Theodulf of Orléans showed their attitudes before and after the Seventh Ecumenical 
Council (787), which divided the West on the issue of respect for icons. The answer to the question, 
whether the Theodulf of Orléans in their learning attitude embodied Frankish Court that the unity 
of the Church depends on the opposition to theological unbalanced teachings (Adoptionism and 
Iconoclasm) rather than depending on agreement between East and West on the occasion of these 
theological teachings, we should analyze the theological dialogue in Europe in the late 8
th
century.
Seventh Ecumenical Council had restored the Byzantine East to an iconophile position and 
this decision met with approval of Pope Hadrian. After that consensus between Constantinople and 
Rome, Latin version of the proceedings of Seventh Council arrived in Aachen where Charlemagne 
and his theologians read out at Court. Infuriated by its contents, Charlemagne drew up a reply to 
alert the Pope in Rome to the error-filled findings of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, probably 
delivered to Rome in 792 by Angilbert on a mission related to the Adoptionist heresy. Theodulf, 
still ignorant of the pope’s iconophile decision, wrote the most fundamental critique of the Seventh 
Ecumenical Council. So, his document became Libri Carolini. When Pope Hadrian replied, it must 
have caused great disappointment at the Frankish Court.
Libri Carolini which was Theodulf of Orléans probably the author of the original draft around 
790, accused the Eastern theologians of distorting the Tradition and from that moment Greeks are 
seen as deviant on major theological, political and ecclesial issues, notwithstanding the fact that the 
Seventh Ecumenical Council against which the Libri Carolini so vehemently react had met with 
approval of Pope Hadrian. Libri Carolini dismiss the testimony of the Cappadocian Church Fathers 
in such a manner so as to forge an effective alliance between East and West cannot disguise the fact 
that Carolingian intellectuals lacked adequate theological resources. The way made the Carolingian 
period a real beginning for the new aspect of Christianity, thus warranting the term “renaissance,” 
totally unlike its actual historical origin. So, because of reception of Seventh Ecumenical Council 
on the East and West the Carolingian period created division of Christianity between Aachen and 
Constantinople even though a formal schism does not occur between Rome Constantinople. The 
lack of correspondence between the universal nature of the Carolingians claims and their meager 
support testifies to another characteristic: the enormous confidence with which many Carolingian 
attempts at theological reasoning were carried out.

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