Daily Saint

Pope St. Vitalian appointed Theodore of Tarsus as Archbishop of Canterbury, whose leadership helped organize and unify the English Church. Pope St. Vitalian knew that St. Theodore and his companion, St. Adrian, would bring unity to the English church, which was divided by a conflict between Celtic and Roman traditions. St. Theodore established a national identity for the English Church and laid the groundwork for the parochial organization that remains in place today. He provided better pastoral care, filled vacancies to bring more order to the church hierarchy, established a leading center for learning in England, and helped train leaders for both the Celtic and Roman traditions, further merging the two groups. Another significant achievement was settling the dispute among English and Irish bishops over the correct date for celebrating Easter. He also brought about reforms based on Roman canon law and defined the authority of bishops.

When Patriarch Peter of Constantinople acknowledged Pope St. Vitalian’s election, he indicated a notable sign of unity between Rome and Constantinople. The pope and the patriarch wrote to each other in an effort to restore communion between the churches of Rome and Constantinople. Following his election, Pope St. Vitalian sent the customary letters announcing his new pontificate to both Emperor Constans II and Patriarch Peter. In response, Patriarch Peter sent a reply that gave the impression of being in accord with the pope. Subsequently, Pope St. Vitalian’s name was included in the diptychs, a list of the living and the dead commemorated during liturgy in Byzantine churches. While the exchange restored communion between Rome and Constantinople, Patriarch Peter’s letter was noncommittal regarding the controversial Monothelite belief that he defended. His support for Monothelitism later contributed to his condemnation during the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 681.