Two
delightful items, signed confessions to the Patriarch of Constantinople,
by people who were behaving quite badly. They are found in volume 2
of Miklosich & Müller (I can send the Greek if you need it).
Pierre MacKay made the translations.
* * * * * * * * * *
Confession by the
monk Theodosius Thoudoules of
the practice of
magic,
and a solemn
promise never to do so again
CCCLXXVII. (1383)
Since I have many
times been found making charms and magic spells, and have corrupted
not only my own soul but that of others, and fallen away from faith
in Christ, following the works of Satan, have corrupted others’
souls of many who came to me, on account of which (δι’ ἅ) Ι
have undergone abuse, violence (ηὕρις, for ὕβρις) and
persecution both at the hands of the church of Christ and those of
all Christians, now that I have come to old age age and see death
before my eyes I have sought safety with our lord, the ecumenical
Patriarch, the defender in common of all Christians and the help and
guide to salvation for all sinners. I have acknowledged in all truth
whatever I did and sought assistance how I might be saved (πῶς
ἵνα σοθῶ = πῶς νὰ σωθῶ). And, since he has
imitated the loving God and has accepted my acknowledgement and
change of heart, but insisted on a promise of commitment, I make this
written promise, committing myself before his great holiness and that
of the entire church, never again to be found, as I am now found, to
be performing any magic or any other Satanic work. I do not limit
this to occasions when someone might in future come to investigate me
but I shall watch and guard myself until my last breath above ground
and, keeping myself free of and, as nearly as I can untouched by, any
suspicion of those Satanic works, I shall keep myself to my change of
heart and in tears and utmost misery so that I may find God merciful
and accepting on the day of divine retribution. I give this
guarantee: that if I am caught in the sort of activity I once engaged
in I am to be sentenced, not merely to expulsion and imprisonment,
nor to bodily maiming, but to outright death, to be consumed by fire.
To this end, I have written this out in my own hand, this month of
May in the 7th
indiction.
+
The wretched Theodosios Theodoules, monk +
“Scottish
verdict” against Demetrius and Andronicus Hatzikis,
freeing them from a fine for a
freeing them from a fine for a
not-proven charge
of taking silver from an icon
CCCCLV, (1394)
We Demetrios and
his son Andronikos Hatzikis, promise to our most holy lord, the
ecumenical Patriarch, that if we are discovered to be receivers of
church silver stolen from the church of Ag. Sofia or from any other
holy monastery or church, that we will penalize ourselves with a fine
of 200 hyperpers payable to the great church of God. For the present
we are set free of any penalty or fine, because we have not been
convicted of being the thief who took the icon of the Virgin
Comforter from the monastery of the Palatine Concord. But if, in
future, we are found to be involved in anything else, we surrender
ourselves to the payment of the 200 hyperpers.
Guaranteed by the
present signed promise, which we have signed with our own hands in the month of January, 2nd indiction.
+
Dimitrios Hatzikis + + Andronikos
Hatzikis +
Congratulations for the wealth and quality of your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It is kind of you to write.
ReplyDeleteDo you know anything more about the monk? Does he genuinely repenting of devil worship or was he being coerced?
ReplyDelete