Pope St. Gelasius I—Famuli Vestrae Pietatis: On the Two Swords
By James T. Majewski ( bio - articles - email ) | Aug 22, 2024 | In Catholic Culture Audiobooks (Podcast)
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“For there are two, O emperor Augustus, by which the world is principally ruled: the sacred authority of pontiffs and the royal power.”
Pope St. Gelasius I reigned as pope from 492 to 496 AD and is best known for articulating the doctrine of “the two swords.” This doctrine explains that man is subject to two powers: the temporal and the spiritual. Whereas the temporal power wields natural authority to promote the common good, the spiritual power wields supernatural authority for the care of souls. While recognizing that these two powers complement one another, Gelasius asserts the ultimate primacy of the spiritual authority over the temporal.
Pope Gelasius’ contributions helped shape the relationship between church and state in medieval Europe, and to this day the Church’s position remains what he first described in this famous letter to the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I.
Links
Famuli Vestrae Pietatis full text: https://thejosias.com/2020/03/30/famuli-vestrae-pietatis/
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James T. Majewski is Director of Customer Relations for CatholicCulture.org, the “voice” of Catholic Culture Audiobooks, and co-host of Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast. Based in New York City, he holds both a BA in Philosophy and an MFA in Acting. See full bio.
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