He had
spent some years at Byzantium, as papal emissary; had engaged the
confidence of Justinian; and, on his return, had brought an Imperial
invitation to Vigilius, who was requested to set forth for the East
as soon as possible. Pope Vigilius had the misfortune to differ on
certain dogmatic questions with that pious and acute theologian the
Empress Theodora; being a man of little energy or courage, he durst
not defy Byzantium, as he gladly would have done, nor yet knew how
to deal subtly for his own ends with the Eastern despots; he
lingered his departure, and in the meantime earned hatred at Rome
because of his inability to feed the populace. It was already
decided that, during his absence, the Holy Father should be
represented by Pelagius, an arrangement very agreeable to that party
in the Church which upheld Imperial supremacy, but less so to those
ecclesiastics--a majority--who desired the independence of Rome
in religious matters, and the recognition of Peter's successor as
Patriarch of Christendom. In speaking to such a personage as this on
Basil's behalf, Silvia had not reflected that the friend of
Justinian was little likely to take the part of one who desired to
frustrate an Imperial command; she thought only of his great
influence, and of the fact that he looked with no favour on the
deacon Leander, an anti-imperialist.
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