Constantine IV: (668-685) Constantine III had a bad opinion of his brother Theodosius, so he dressed him as a monastic and then ordered him killed. His conscience aroused him, and his brother appeared to him holding a cup of his blood and said to him: “Drink, my brother!” Constantine decided to live in the city where he committed his sin and left it. In the year 662, he went to Rome, where Pope Vitalian received him with warmth and honor. As for the people in Constantinople, they were not satisfied with Constantine’s absence and preventing his wife and children from joining him. Then, six years later, Constantine entered a bath in Syracuse, and the bath attendant hit him on the head with a box of soap, and he died in the year 668.

During the absence of this emperor, his son, Constantine IV, became king while he was still a boy. When he learned of the killing of his father and the outbreak of the revolution in Sicily, he rose up and took revenge, then returned with hair growing on his face, so he was nicknamed Pogonatos.

Islamic expansion: During the fifty years preceding the convening of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, Byzantium suddenly saw itself faced with the disturbing rise of Islam. What is most striking about the spread of Muhammad's call is its speed. When Muhammad died in 632, his authority did not extend beyond the Hijaz, or barely. But his successors expanded their authority, reaching Syria, Palestine, and Egypt within fifteen years after his death.

The internal unrest that resulted in the Islamic State as a result of the killing of Othman bin Affan had ended. So the matter was settled for Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (661-680). This means that the matter was settled for those Quraish merchants who appreciated the greatness of the trade that linked the Mediterranean Basin to the Far East. It was therefore natural for them to realize the amount of loss that befell the people of the Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian coast as a result of the cutoff caused to them by the Islamic conquest from their markets in Asia Minor, the Balkans, Italy, and Western Europe. Thus, they saw no way to continue the war against the Romans and push it to a decisive result.

Muawiyah and those around him knew with certainty that the Romans’ desire to return to fighting had not ended. Constantine III took advantage of Muawiyah's preoccupation with internal problems, so he infiltrated the Alawite mountains in Lebanon with a number of thousands of Marada, raiding the cities and countryside, threatening the sovereignty of the Muslims in the Levant. Muawiyah had reconciled with this Constantine over money to be paid to him every year on the condition that Constantine cut off his support for the Marada.

Constantine III was assassinated in the year 668, and he ascended the throne of kings after a young boy, Constantine IV. The soldiers rebelled, demanding the rights of the two brothers of this young king. Mezisius revolted in Sicily and Sapporius in Armenia. Sabourius called for help from the Arabs. Muawiyah saw that the opportunity was ripe. He had taken precautions for the Marada rule, so he brought in a number of Persians and settled them in the cities of the Lebanese coast, and other Iraqis followed them in the year 669. Then he took care of restoring the coastal forts. In the year 669, he carried out a military maneuver at sea and on land in the West to mislead his opponent. But at the same time, he was deepening the Byzantine defense in Asia Minor, and the vanguard of his army reached Constantinople. The leader of this campaign was Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and he died during it and was buried outside the walls of the Roman capital!

In the spring of the year 673, a large Islamic structure reached the waters of Constantinople, besieging the Roman capital and trying to land soldiers. The Roman ships repelled it. In the fall, this building returned to the Kyzikos Peninsula to spend the winter and receive supplies and ammunition from its bases on the Lebanese-Syrian coast. The following spring, the Muslims resumed the siege and revolted again. They spent the winter in Kyzikos again. They remained like this until the fourth time. In this siege, the Romans used Greek fire, spreading panic among the Muslims. The year 677 came, and the Muslims returned to the siege. Then, sea fire boats set out to repel them, burning a large number of Muslim boats, forcing what remained to return to their bases in the Levant. A violent storm broke out, destroying another section, and the Romans pursued the remainder and took most of it as spoils. In the year 678, Muawiyah negotiated a peace treaty with the Romans and they agreed to it for thirty years on the condition that he pay three thousand gold, fifty Arab horses, and fifty slaves every year.

Yazid Ibn Muawiyah died in the year 683, and Muawiyah II assumed the caliphate after him. This man saw that he was not worthy of the caliphate, so he removed himself from it and did not appoint a successor for him. Things returned to what they were three years ago when Muawiyah I died. Marwan, the son of Al-Hakam, assumed the throne, and he was a very old man. Constantine IV took advantage of Yazid's problems and forced him to leave Cyprus. The problems of Muawiya II and Marwan came, so Constantine's armies marched across the southern border, destroying the fortresses of Malatya and evacuating the Muslims from Maraş. Marwan died, so his son and successor, Abd al-Malik, was forced to negotiate with the Romans and pay more money annually than anyone else had paid before. Reconciliation was concluded on this condition on July 7, 685.

Sixth Ecumenical Council - Third Council of Constantinople
(680-681)

The tares of Sergius, Cyrus, and Honorius were not able to control the wheat of Sophronius and Maximus. The rapprochement that took place between Emperor Constantine IV and Pope Vitalian resulted in three Patriarchs of Constantinople who were known for their love and peace: “Thomas (667-669), John (669-675), and Constantine (675-677).” Then Theodorus came in the summer of the year 677. He was of weak opinion and sternly listened to his colleague Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch. He became confused about what was right and demanded that the name of Vitalianus, Pope of Rome, be deleted from the exile. Constantine IV had succeeded in repelling the Muslims and wanted to put down internal strife and unify the ranks. He did not content himself with rejecting Theodoros’ request, but rather he convened an East-West (ecumenical) conference in which the most important points of religious disagreement were discussed.

In the summer of this same year, he wrote to Donus, Pope of Rome, and asked him to send twelve Italian bishops to a conference to look into the existing dispute in doctrine. The Emperor wrote to Exarchus Rabina ordering them to facilitate the travel of these bishops and their sailing to Constantinople. Donos had died in April 679 and was succeeded by Agathon. The new Pope contacted the bishops of the West in a mixture. His answer was delayed, so Theodoros of Constantinople took this opportunity and deleted Vitalianus’ name from the explanatory-statement. The Emperor responded by ordering him to be deposed and replaced by George. This man was less committed to monotheism (two natures and one will) than his predecessor.

The complex was completed: In early September of the year 680, the Roman delegation arrived in Constantinople. It was composed of three bishops, two priests, a deacon, and an Apotheacon. This delegation carried a message from Agathon to Constantine announcing the composition of the delegation and the readiness of its members to support the decisions of previous ecumenical councils. The delegation also carried a statement of faith signed by the Pope and one hundred and twenty-five Western bishops affirming the rejection of teaching by one will. Upon the arrival of this delegation, the Emperor asked George, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch, to invite the bishops under their authority to Constantinople to meet with their Western colleagues. At first, forty-three bishops responded to the call, then they multiplied until the total number of signatories became one hundred and seventy-four. When the council was completed and from its first session, it took on the character of an ecumenical council, as the five patriarchates were represented in it. Even Alexandria and Jerusalem, which were at that time under Islamic rule, sent their representatives. The Church of Alexandria was represented by Pastor Peter and the Church of Jerusalem by Pastor George. The Council's work began on November 7, 680 and ended on September 16, 681. The number of official sessions reached eighteen.

Location and presidency of the complex: The Council held its sessions in the Dome Hall “Atrullos” in Trullo. Constantine IV sat at the opening ceremony at the front of the council, and on either side of him were the state judges. Then the deputies of the gate and the deputy of the Patriarch of Jerusalem sat to his left. He sat on the right of Emperor George, Patriarch of Constantinople, then Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch, then the Deputy Patriarch of Alexandria, and the rest of the bishops, some on the right and some on the left, with the Holy Bible in the middle.

Complex works: In the first session, the Pope’s deputies asked the clergy of Constantinople to explain the statement by one act and one will. The Emperor asked the Patriarchs George and Makarios to respond. The Patriarch of Antioch said: It is present in the councils of the most famous fathers and patriarchs of Constantinople and in the beliefs of Cyrus of Alexandria and Honorius, Pope of Rome. The palace asked for proof of this. The works of the councils were brought and read in the following four sessions. It turned out that the letter attributed by Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople, to his predecessor in the See, Minas, did not agree in script and numbering, as well as the previous and subsequent acts of the Fifth Council. Upon searching the archives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, I found another copy of the works of this same council - the Fifth - and it turned out that it was devoid of the text of the treatise in question.

In the fifth and sixth sessions on December 7, 680 and February 12, 681, Patriarch Macarius of Antioch presented three volumes, including texts that he claimed supported the belief in one will. In the seventh session, on February 13, the Roman delegation presented excerpts from the fathers’ statements in support of the belief in two wills.
In the eighth session on March 7, 681, the Emperor asked the Patriarchs George and Makarios to express their opinion on Pope Agathon’s statement. So George returned to the texts of the fathers and studied them in light of what was stated in the statement of his Roman colleague, and it became clear to him that he was correct and said the two wills, and all the bishops subject to his authority agreed with him in that. This patriarch requested that the name of Pope Vitalianos be returned to the Dhabikha, and it was returned. Then Macarius and the Antiochian bishops were asked for their opinion. These bishops agreed to say the two wills, but Macarius refused, claiming that saying the two wills exposes them to disagreement and contradiction. The Emperor repeated the request, but the Patriarch denied it, preferring death in pieces rather than saying two deeds and two wills.

In the ninth session, the Fathers devoted themselves to examining the three volumes compiled by Macarius to support the statement of one action and one will. They contrasted some of what he took from the fathers with the originals, and substitution and distortion appeared. The fathers suggested cutting off Macarius and his student Stephen. The tenth session was devoted to examining what was presented by the Romanian delegation and interviewing it with the principles.

The fathers met for the eleventh and twelfth times on the twentieth and twenty-second of March to study everything that Macarius had written. All of them were recited, and Macarius was asked about them, and he admitted that they were attributed to him. The judges asked the council what would be the fate of Macarius after remorse and repentance, and whether he would remain patriarch of Antioch. The fathers did not satisfy the members. So Macarius was deposed and Theophanes was named as his successor.

In the thirteenth session, Sergius, Pyrrhus, and Peter, the Patriarchs of Constantinople, and Cyrus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and Honorius, Pope of Rome, and Theodore, Bishop of Parana of Sinai, were sentenced to excommunication.

A solitary priest named Polychronius entered the fathers during the fifteenth session on the twenty-sixth of April. This priest claimed that he saw in a dream heavenly angels, including a man of great majesty, who advised him to go to the emperor and warn him, saying only one will. The priest also claimed that he could raise the dead in confirmation of his message. So the bishops and presidents went out to the bathroom courtyard and placed a dead man in front of the priest on a coffin and asked him to raise him up. So the priest placed his confession of one will on the deceased’s chest and leaned over him, but he was unable to do anything, so the council cut him off and forbade him.

In the seventeenth session, the Council ratified all its previous actions and excommunicated those who believed in one will and one action. On the eighteenth, on the sixteenth of September 681, the Council’s confession followed thus:

“In one Christ, one Son, and one Lord, He is the same with two natures, one hypostasis, and one person, with two natural wills and two natural actions, without division, change, fragmentation, or mixing... and the two wills are not opposites. Far from it! Rather, by human will, it follows without resistance or opposition and submits to His divine will, which is capable of everything.”

The excommunication of Pope Honorius came as follows: “We deprive Honorius, who became pope of ancient Rome, because we found him in his letters to Sergius, following in everything his opinion and taking stances on his intellectual beliefs.” The Pope's deputies agreed to this excommunication, and Pope Leo II supported it because Agathon died at the beginning of the year 681.

The Council considered the letter of Sophronius to Sergius to be one of the works of the Council, and the Council Fathers called for the presidents, saying: “We have been calling for many years for Agathon, Pope of Rome, George, and Theophanes, the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Antioch, and for the Council and the Synod.” They also called for Constantine IV, “the champion of Orthodoxy, the pillar of the Church, and the guardian of the faith.” The Emperor approved all the work of this council and required its statement and action through two imperial wills, the first dated September 16 and the second dated December 23, 681.