Editing Nectarius of Constantinople (section)

== Dissent threatens ==
The Bishops of the West opposed the election result and asked for a common [[synod]] of East and West to settle the succession and so the Emperor Theodosius I, soon after the close of the first council, summoned the Imperial Bishops to a fresh synod at Constantinople; nearly all of the same bishops who had attended the earlier second council were assembled again in early summer of 382. On arrival they received a letter from the [[synod of Milan]], inviting them to a great general council at [[Council of Rome|Rome]]; however, they indicated that they must remain where they were because they had not made any preparations for such long a journey. However, they sent three (Syriacus, [[Eusebius]] and [[Priscian of Lydia]]) with a synodal letter to [[Pope Damasus I]], archbishop Saint [[Ambrose]] and the other bishops assembled in the council at Rome.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

The Roman synod to which this letter was addressed was the fifth under Damasus. No formal account remains of its proceedings, nor of how its members treated the question of Nectarius. Theodosius I, did however, send commissaries to Rome in support of his synod.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}} In his 15th letter (to the bishops of [[Illyria]]) he indicated that the church in Rome had finally agreed to recognize both Nectarius of Constantinople and [[Flavian I of Antioch]].{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

Six letters from Nectarius remain extant in the files of his predecessor [[Gregory of Nazianzus]]. In the first he expresses his hearty good wishes for his episcopate. The last is of great importance, urging him not to be too liberal in tolerating the [[Apollinarian]]s.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

In 383 a third synod at Constantinople was held. In spite of the decrees of bishops and emperor, the [[Arianism|Arians]] and [[Pneumatomachians]] continued to spread their doctrines. Theodosius summoned all parties to the Imperial city for a great discussion in June, hoping to reconcile all differences. Before this, he had sent for the Archbishop and told him that all questions should be fully debated.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

After this, Nectarius returned home, full of anxiety and consulted the Novatianist Bishop Agelius, who felt himself unsuited to arbitrate on such a controversy. However, he did have a reader, [[Sisinnius I of Constantinople]], a [[philosopher]] and [[theology|theologian]], to whom he referred the argument with the Arians. Sisinnius I suggested that they should produce the testimonies of the old Fathers of the Church on the doctrine of the Son, and first ask the heads of the several parties whether they accepted these authorities or desired to anathematise them.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

Both the Archbishop and the Emperor agreed to this suggestion and when the Bishops met, the Emperor asked whether they respected "...the teachers who lived before the Arian division?" They confirmed that they did and he then asked if they acknowledged, "... them sound and trustworthy witnesses of the true Christian doctrine?".{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

This question however produced divisions and so the emperor ordered each party to draw up a written confession of its doctrine. When this was done, the Bishops were summoned to the Imperial palace, where the emperor received them with kindness and retired to his study with their written confessions. Theodosius I however rejected and destroyed all except that of the orthodox, because he felt that the others introduced a division into the Holy [[Trinity]].{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

After this, Theodosius I forbade all [[sectaries]], except the [[Novatianism|Novatianists]], to hold divine services or to publish their doctrines or to ordain [[clergy]], under threat of severe civil penalties.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

In 385 the emperor's wife [[Aelia Flaccilla]] and their daughter [[Pulcheria (daughter of Theodosius I)|Pulcheria]] died. The archbishop asked [[Gregory of Nyssa]] to preach the funeral sermons for both of them.{{sfn|Sinclair|1911}}

Towards the close of his episcopate, Nectarius abolished the office of [[presbyter]] penitentiary, whose duty appears to have been to receive confessions before communion. His example was followed by nearly all other Bishops. The presbyter penitentiary was added to the ecclesiastical roll about the time of the Novatianist schism when that party declined to communicate with those who had lapsed in the [[Decian persecution]]. Gradually there were fewer lapsed to reconcile, and his duties became more closely connected with preparation for communion. Nectarius abolished the office due to a scandal that had occurred in connection with it.<ref name="Butler">Alan Butler and Paul Burns (1995), [https://books.google.com/books?id=WmiNrUarzLUC&dq=Archbishop+Nectarius+of+Constantinople&pg=PA68 ''Butler's Lives of the Saints'', Vol. 10], [[A & C Black]] {{ISBN|9780860122593}}.</ref>

Nectarius died in office on 27 September 397<ref name="Butler" /> and was succeeded by Saint [[John Chrysostom]].<ref name="Butler" />