FELIX
31
FELIX
Antioch, and Peter Mongus, who was to be the real
source of trouble during the pontificate of Felix, had
seized that of Alexandria. In his first synod Felix ex-
communicated Peter the Tanner, who was likewise
condemned by Acacius in a synod at Constantinople.
In 484, Felix also excommunicated Peter Mongus — an
act, which brought about a schism between East and
West, that was not healed for thirty-five years. This
Peter, being a time-server and of a crafty disposition,
ingratiated himself with the emperor and Acacius by
subscribing to the Henoticon, and was thereupon, to
the displeasure of many of the bishops, admitted to
communion by Acacius.
Felix, having con\'ened a synod, sent legates to the emperor and Acacius, with the request that they should expel Peter Mongus from Alexandria and that Acacius himself should come to Rome to explain his conduct. The legates were detained and imprisoned; then, urged by threats and promises, they held com- munion with the heretics by distinctly uttering the name of Peter in the reading of the sacred diptychs. When their treason was made known at Rome by Simeon, one of the "AccEraeti" monks, Felix con- vened a synod of seventy-seven bishops in the Lateran Basilica, in which Acacius as well as the papal legates were excommunicated. Supported by the emperor, Acacius disregarded the excommunication, removed the pope's name from the sacred diptychs, and re- mained in the see till his death, which took place one or two years later. His successor Phravitas, sent mes- sengers to Feli.x, assuring him that he would not hold communication with Peter, but, the pope learning that this was a deception, the schism continued. Peter having died in the meantime, Euthyraius, who suc- ceeded Phravitas, also sought communion with Rome, but the pope refused, as Euthyraius would not remove the names of his two predecessors from the sacred diptychs. The schism, known as the Acacian Schism, was not finally healed till 518 in the reign of Justinian. In Africa, the Arian Vandals, Genseric and his son Huneric, had been persecuting the Church for more than 50 years and had driven many Catholics into exile. When peace was restored, numbers of those who through fear had fallen into heresy and had been rebaptized by the Arians desired to return to the Church. On being repulsed by those who had re- mained firm, they appealed to Felix, who convened a synod in 487, and sent a letter to the bishops of Africa, expounding the conditions under which they were to be received back. Felix died in 492, ha%'ing reigned eight years, eleven months and twenty-three days.
Liber Pontiflcatis, ed. Duchesne (Paris, 1886), I, 252-593; Barmby, in Diet. Christ. Biogr., s. v.; Evagri08. Ecete.'i. Hist., 431-594; (tr. London, 1854), p. 357; Aeta SS., Feb., Ill, 507; Alexander, Hi'it. Eccle.i. (Venice. 1776), V, 9; Fleury, Hist. Eccles., IV, xxix, 53; Orsi, Sloria Eccles., XIV, iii. 27-28; UoHRBACHER, Hist. Eecles. (Uhge, 18,50). VIII. 382; DoL- LiNGER, Hist, of the Church (London, 1840), II, 172; Baronius. Annates Eccl. ad annum; Acta Juris Pontif. (Paris, 1869), X,
785-95. Ambrose Coleman.
FeUx IV, Pope (526-530).— On IS May, 526, Pope John I (q. V.) died in prison at Ravenna, a victim of the angry suspicions of Theodoric, the Arian king of the Goths. When, through the powerful influence of this ruler, the cardinal-priest, Felix of Samnium, son of Castorius, was brought forward in Rome as John's suc- cessor, the clergy and laity yielded to the wish of the Gothic king and chose Felix pope. He was con.se- crated Bishop of Rome 12 July, 526, and took advan- tage of the favour he enjoyed at the court of Theodoric to further the interests of the Roman Church, dis- charging the duties of his office in a most worthy man- ner. On 30 August, 526, Theodoric died, and, his grandson Athalaric being a minor, the government was conducted by Athalaric's mother Amalasuntha, daughter of Theodoric and favourably disposed to- wards the Catholics. To the new ruler the Roman clergy addressed a complaint on the usurpation of
their privileges by the civil power. A royal edict,
drawn up by Cassiodorus in terms of the deepest re-
spect for the papal authority, confirmed the ancient
custom that every civil or criminal charge of a layman
against a cleric should be submitted to the pope, or to
an ecclesiastical court appointed by him. A fine of
ten pounds of gold was imposed as a punishment for
the violation of this order, and the money thus ol>
tained was to be distributed amongst the poor by the
pope (Cassiodorus, " Varise", VIII, n. 24, ed. Momm-
sen, "Mon. Germ. Hist.: Auctores antiquiss.", XII,
255). The pope received as a gift from Amalasuntha
two ancient edifices in the Roman Forum, the Temple
of Romulus, son of the Emperor Maxentius, and the
adjoining Templum sacrw urbis, the Roman land-
registry office. The pope converted the buildings into
the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damian, which still ex-
ists and in the apse of which is preserved the large and
magnificent mosaic executed by order of FelLx, the
figure of the pope, however, being a later restoration
(see Cosmas and Damian). FelLx also took part in
the so-called Semipelagian conflict in Southern Gaul
concerning the nature and efficiency of grace. He sent
to the bishops of those parts a series of " Capitula", re-
garding grace and free will, compiled from Scripture
and the Fathers. These capitula were published as
canons at the Sjmod of Orange (529). In addition
FelLx approved the work of Coesarius of Aries against
Faustus of Riez on grace and free will (De gratia et
libero arbitrio). Rendered anxious by the political
dissensions of the Romans, many of whom stood for
the interests of Byzantium, while others supported
Gothic rule, Felix IV, when he fell seriously ill in the
year 530, wished to ensure the peace of the Roman
Church by naming his successor. Having given over
to Archdeacon Boniface his pallium, he made it known
publicly that he had chosen Boniface to succeed him,
and that he had apprised the court of Ravenna of his
action (" Neues Archiv", XI, 1886, 367; Duchesne,
"Liber Pontificahs", I, 282, note 4). FelLx IV died
soon afterwards, but in the papal election which fol-
lowed his wishes were disregarded (see Boniface II).
The feast of Felix IV is celebrated on 30 January. The
day of his death is uncertain, but it was probably
towards the end of September, 530.
Liber Pontificalis, ed. Duchesne, I, 279 sq.; Langen, Ge- schichte der rvmischen Kirche, I, 300 sqq.; Grisar, Geschichte Rnms und der Pap.-<le im Mitlelaller (Freiburg im Br., 1901), I, 183 sqq., 493 sq., 513; Holder. Die Designation der Nachfolger durch die Papste (Fribourg, 1S92), 29 sqq.
J. P. lilRSCH.
Felix V (.\MAnEDS op Savoy), Anti-pope (1440- 1449), b. 4 Dec, 1383; d. at Ripaille, 7 Jan., 1451. The schismatic Council of Basle, having declared the rightful pope, Eugene IV, deposed, proceeded imme- diately with the election of an anti-pope (see Basle, Council of). Wishing to secure additional influence and increased financial support, they turned their at- tention towards the rich and powerful prince, Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy. Amadeus had exercised over his dependencies a mild and equitable sway, and had evinced a great zeal for the interests of the Church, especially in connexion with the Western Schism re- garding the papal succession, brought to a close by the Council of Constance. Emperor Sigismund had shown his appreciation of this ruler's services by raising, in 1416, the former county of Savoy to the status of a duchy, and in 1422 conferred on Amadeus the county of Geneva. On the death of his wife, Maria of Bur- gundy, Duke .Vmadeus resolved to lead henceforth a life of contemplation, without however entirely resign- ing the government of his territories. He appointed his son Ludwig regent of the duchy, and retired to Ripaille on the Lake of Geneva, where, in company with five knights whom he had formed into an Order of St. Maurice, he led a semi-monastic life in accord- ance with a rule drawn up by himself.
