Orthodox clergy rejected papal union despite facing Ottoman invasion

Evidence

At the end of the council most of the Byzantines had agreed to the compromises. One of the participants opposed to union, Patriarch Joseph, died before the negotiations finished. 17 Thus, by the conclusion of the meeting, only a singular dissenter, Mark of Ephesus, remained from the Orthodox delegation. Perhaps the most important aspect of the declaration was a recognition of the Pope as the “head of the whole church.” 18 The Emperor signed the declaration and headed back to Constantinople where he hoped the city would receive it warmly. Shortly after returning to the city, the declaration was read aloud in the Cathedral of the Assumption. However, rather than being met with a welcome reception, most of the Orthodox clergy of the city refused to submit to the new declaration and instead gathered around the singular dissenter, Mark of Ephesus. Following this cold reception, many of the signatories who were present in Florence also reneged. 19 While a union was achieved on paper in Florence, the Orthodox clergy begrudged these new doctrinal commitments and so abandoned them. The impending Ottoman threat was far less potent than yielding to Latin decrees in order to receive their aid. Saliently, the Orthodox refused to compromise with Latin authorities, despite the looming threat of invasion. The bitterness towards the Pope was greater than their enmity to the invading Sultan. Such attitudes suggest inner dissension was greater than any idea of unity against a single enemy. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 38

Categorization

• SEED: The line ‘bitterness towards the Pope was greater than their enmity to the invading Sultan’ is a striking essay or article angle about how internal rivalries can outweigh existential threats.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: did this rejection of union actually speed the city’s fall, and how did Mark of Ephesus’s stance mobilize the common people?
• XREF: connects to: Gennadios was a staunch anti-unionist and saw the Pope as a far worse alternative to the Sultan. Gennadios saw the best hopes of Orthodox continuity as under the rule of the Ottoman state. He informed his subjects to not revolt against the new foreign ruler but rather continue their practices as Christians unabated with none of their rituals or creeds changed. Gennadios also helped Sultan Mehmet II to develop the millet system which would define how Orthodox were to be treated under Ottoman rule.; Some Orthodox Christians preferred Ottoman rule to papal supremacy — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 23; Orthodox clergy preferred Ottoman rule over Latin rule during the fall of Constantinople. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 60 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Orthodox authorities perceived an invasion by the Latins as worse, for they would not afford them autonomy which might be hoped under Muslims. The land might remain under Christian rule, but the… #expands (0.70)
• The Orthodox church retained virtually all the traditional apparatus of their administration without having to compromise and alter a part of their beliefs or practice. As the millet system was a… #expands (0.65)
• Orthodox clergy preferred Ottoman rule over Latin rule during the fall of Constantinople. #expands (0.55) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 60