Honorius I (pope 625 to 638): Condemned as a heretic by the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680 and cast out of the Church; the case played a role in the 1870 dispute over infallibility

Honorius I replied to Patriarch Sergius on the question of Monothelitism. After his death, the Sixth Ecumenical Council condemned him as a heretic and cast him out of the Church because he had followed Sergius in all things. The papal legates raised no objection. According to the Britannica, the case gained fresh importance through the dogma of infallibility of 1870.

Life dates

625-638 (about 13 years old)

Country

Vatican City

Institutions

Holy See

Category

Heresy trials

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Response of the Church

1. The Catholic Encyclopedia writes that his notoriety stems from his condemnation as a heretic by the sixth general council. The Britannica writes that his attitude gained fresh importance in the controversy over the dogma of infallibility in 1870.
   Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Artikel Pope Honorius I

   „he was condemned as a heretic by the sixth general council (680)“

   Evidence: Cambridge University Press (Wikisource), Artikel Honorius

   „having acquired fresh importance during the controversy raised by the promulgation of the dogma of papal infallibility in 1870“

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource): Pope Honorius I, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1910), Bd. 7, 1 January 1910. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Cambridge University Press (Wikisource): Honorius, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 13, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.