PETER OF JERUSALEM

Patriarch from 524 to 552. Nothing is known of his origin or career until he succeeded John of Jerusalem in 524. The latter had held a synod in 516 that condemned both nestorius and the Monophysites, eutyches and severus of antioch. Peter was of a similar theological orthodoxy. He accepted the appointment of Anthimus as patriarch of Constantinople in the fall of 535, for, as Zachary Rhetor said, "he disliked to be quarrelsome or a heretic" (Hist. eccl. 9.19); but he was reproached by Pope agapetus i for so doing, and he accepted the rebuke (ibid. ). Peter was represented by two monks, theodore ascidas and Domitian, at the Constantinopolitan council (Aug. 6, 536) that confirmed the deposition of Anthimus by the pope, and condemned Severus of Antioch and Peter of Apamea. Peter called a synod of his own (Sept. 19) that accepted the Constantinopolitan decisions.

Troubled by the Origenistic monks in Palestine who were supported by Theodore Ascidas and Domitian, become bishops in Constantinople, Peter complained secretly against them. Called to Gaza in 539, he took part in the synod that deposed Paul of Alexandria and appointed zoÏlus as the new patriarch. Peter welcomed the Roman deacon and future pope, pelagius (I), to Jerusalem and had his monks provide him with information that resulted in the condemnation of origen by justinian i (543), but that in turn occasioned the emperor's edict against the three chapters (544). Peter refused to sign this document, and wrote to his monks in favor of theodore of mopsuestia; but he was called to Constantinople, forced to sign, and, at the insistence of Theodore Ascidas, accepted two Origenistic syncelli or counselors, who aided the Isochristic monks in their attempt to have Origen's doctrine accepted by the Palestinian monks. Peter's reign ended in great difficulties. He was succeeded by an Isochristic monk, Macarius, but the latter was quickly deposed and replaced by Eustachius in December 552 or early 553.

Bibliography: f. diekamp, Die origenistischen Streitigkeiten (Münster 1898). Histoire de l'église depuis les origines jusqu'à nos jours 4:458–462. g. fritz, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique 11.2: 1574–80. l. duchesne, L' Église au VI ^e siècle (Paris 1925) 169–176, 206–209.

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