Yes, I read the actual statement from Met. Hilarion the day before you made your post. Again, I repeat, he never once stated “Rome did not have the primacy.” A high-ranking hierarch would not be foolish enough to say that. There may be a difference in the understanding of primacy, but give the man some credit. Sheesh!
Blessings
Didn’t Augustine state over a discussion between the See’s,
“Rome has spoken, that is the end of the Matter”
St. Augustine, Pelagianism, and the Holy See
“Rome has spoken; the case is closed” (Sermon 131:10)
philvaz.com/apologetics/num16.htm
towards the end:
Not long after this date, St. Augustine and St. Alypius wrote to St. Paulinus of Nola, whom they knew to have been formerly a friend of Pelagius, to warn him against his doctrines, which were said to be spreading among the citizens of Nola, and of which St. Paulinus himself appears to have been claimed as protector. They gave him an account of the Synod of Diospolis, and enclosed copies of the letters of the African councils to St. Innocent, and of the Pope’s replies. They say:
“After letters had come to us from the East, discussing the case in the clearest manner, we were bound not to fail in assisting the Church’s need with such episcopal authority as we possess (nullo modo jam qualicumque episcopali auctoritate deesse Ecclesiae debueramus). In consequence, relations as to this matter were sent from two Councils – those of Carthage and of Milevis – to the Apostolic See, before the ecclesiastical acts by which Pelagius is said to have been acquitted had come into our hands or into Africa at all. We also wrote to Pope Innocent, of blessed memory a private letter, besides the relations of the Councils, wherein we described the case at greater length, TO ALL OF THESE HE ANSWERED IN THE MANNER WHICH WAS THE RIGHT AND DUTY OF THE BISHOP OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE (Ad omnia nobis ille rescripsit eo modo quo fas erat atque oportebat Apostolicae sedis Antistitem). All of which you may now read, if perchance none of them or not all of them have yet received you; in them you will see that, while he has preserved the moderation which was right, so that the heretic should not be condemned if he condemns his errors, yet the new and pernicious error is so restrained by ecclesiastical authority that we much wonder that there should be any still remaining who, by any error whatsoever, try to fight against the grace of God…” [65]
Here two Saints writing to another Saint explain the African method of using episcopal authority for the good of the Church. It consists in sending an authoritative account of the heresy rampant in their province to the Apostolic See at Rome, that the Pope may ratify their action and publish an anathema to the whole Church. His “swelling words” and “apocryphal history” are described as what was fitting and proper from the successor of St. Peter. [66]
Rome has Spoken, the Case is Concluded
It was on Sunday, September 23rd, 417, that St. Augustine, being at Carthage, preached “at the table of Cyprian” that famous sermon against Pelagianism which concludes with these words:
"My brethren, be of one mind with me. Wheresoever you find such men do not hide them, have no perverse pity. Refute those who contradict, and bring to us those who resist. For already two Councils have been sent to the Apostolic See concerning this matter, and rescripts have come from thence [from Rome]. The case is concluded; would that the error would soon cease also. Causa finita est, utinam aliquando finiatur error. [67]
True, the question of dogma was decided for ever, but yet the case was not yet finished. While Augustine spoke, letters were on their way from the new Pope (Zosimus), declaring that Celestius and Pelagius were innocent victims of malicious calumny, and had never taught the errors attributed to them [is this a case of “papal fallibility” ? – see part II for the answer]; while they most humbly submitted to past and future judgments of the Holy See.
HISTORY:
ewtn.com/faith/teachings/papac2.htm
Second, History. From the earliest times we see the bishops of Rome acting as if they had special authority in succession from St. Peter, and we also see the rest of the Church accepting their authority as if they knew it was genuine. Thus Pope Clement wrote to settle a problem in the Church of Corinth before the end of the 1st century. During the first few hundred years of Church history, moreover, many who were accused of heresy appealed from every corner of the known world to Rome for vindication or condemnation. The Fathers too repeatedly attest to the authority of the Roman See. And the Popes always had the decisive word at general councils, as when the Fathers of the Council of Chalcedon said in response to the Papal definition of the two natures of Christ, “Peter has spoken through Leo” – and accepted it unhesitatingly.
For this reason, we are not at all surprised that subsequent popes claimed to have the Petrine power and that the early Christian community accepted it without question. As I indicated above, this authority was excercised by the fourth Pope, Clement, while St. John the Evangelist was still alive. The earliest Christians were in a position to know Christ’s will from other sources than Scripture (just as we today, under the guidance of the Church, are able to learn from Tradition).
