On June 17, 653, a significant event shook the papacy in Rome. On this day, Pope Martin I, who had vehemently opposed the Monothelite heresy, was arrested by Theodore Calliopas, an envoy of Byzantine Emperor Constantine II. This arrest marked the climax of a theological and political dispute that had profound repercussions on the Church and the Byzantine Empire.
In the 7th century, the Church faced a major debate regarding the nature of Christ. The Monothelites, supported by the Byzantine Emperor and many ecclesiastical dignitaries, claimed that Jesus Christ had a single will, contrary to the orthodox position that taught he had both a divine and a human will. This religious controversy was also closely linked to political rivalries between the Church and the Byzantine Empire.
Martin I became Pope in 649 and was a fierce opponent of the Monothelite heresy. He condemned this doctrine at a synod in Rome in 649, declaring it incompatible with orthodox teaching on the nature of Christ. Pope Martin I even excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, Paul II, for his support of the Monothelites.
However, Byzantine Emperor Constantine II, who supported the Monothelites, viewed the Pope's actions as a provocation. He sent Theodore Calliopas, a high imperial official, to Rome to arrest Martin I and bring him to justice. On June 17, 653, Calliopas arrived at the Lateran Palace and ordered the arrest of the Pope. Martin I was forcibly taken to Constantinople, where he was imprisoned and subjected to a humiliating trial.
The trial of Pope Martin I was a mockery of justice. Emperor Constantine II had already decided on the Pope's guilt and sought to publicly discredit him. Ultimately, Martin I was convicted of treason and heresy and was exiled to Crimea, where he died a few months later in 655.
The consequences of the arrest of Pope Martin I were significant. The Roman Church viewed this act as a violation of its spiritual authority and independence from the Byzantine Empire. The episode also further deepened the divisions between the Roman Church and the Orthodox Church, which were already at odds on numerous theological and political issues.
Jastrow, CC BY 2.5, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_du_Latran#/media/Fichier:Western_facade_Palazzo_del_Laterano_2006-09-07.jpg
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