Justinian Code on heresy

This article is in response to Fr. Ambrose M. an online hieromonk claiming Catholics saints we defended execution for heresy are in Hell. 

Far from being spot free from harsh treatment of heretic, the Eastern Church and Eastern Emperor did support capital punishment for certain heresies and religious crimes. Here are examples from Emperor Justinian alone.

The Orthodox Saint Emperor Justinian, his code states that Manichaeans are to be executed:

We permitted the heretics to assemble and have their own name for this reason: that, ashamed by Our forbearance, they may come to their senses and turn to the better of their. own accord. 1. But an unbearable audacity has possessed them, and, disregarding the sanction of the law, they have insinuated themselves into clerical posts which, as the very words of the imperial decrees manifestly declare, they may no longer hold. 2. We call heretics others, such as the execrable Manichaeans and their ilk, who ought not to be named here nor indeed anywhere and defile whatever they touch. 3. The Manichaeans, then, as We have said, shall accordingly be driven out, nor shall anyone suffer even their name (to remain) or do nothing if someone infected with this godlessness should live in the same place as the others; but any Manichaean found anywhere in the world shall be subjected to extreme punishments. 4. As for the other heretics, whatever their error or name (for We call everyone who does not adhere to the Catholic Church and our Orthodox and Holy Faith a heretic), and also as regards the pagans (Hellenes), who attempt to introduce the worship of many gods, and the Jews and Samaritans: We strive not only to revive the statutes of existing laws and to strengthen them by this law, but also to enact more, whereby the security, honor, and prestige of the adherents of the Holy Faith may be increased. 5. All can observe, We have said, how those who do not rightly worship God shall also be deprived of their earthly goods.--The Codex of Justinian: A New Annotated Translation, with Parallel Latin and Greek Text Based on a Translation by Justice Fred H. Blume. First Book, 5.12, page 203. (2016). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

 Public lectures which can undermine the faith are prohibited, with different punishments including execution:

Emperor Marcian Augustus to Palladius, Praetorian Prefect. pr. No clergyman or member of the imperial service, or any person of any status, shall hereafter attempt to lecture on the Christian faith before crowds assembled to listen, thereby seeking to foment disorder and treachery 1. For whoever strives to revisit and publicly discuss questions already decided and correctly settled, insults the judgment of the Most Holy Synod. For it is recognized that the decisions concerning the Christian faith, made at Our behest by the bishops who convened at Chalcedon, are in accord with the teachings of the Apostles and the decrees of the 318 and 150 holy fathers. 2. Punishment shall not be lacking for those who disregard this law, for they not only act contrary to the rightly expounded faith, but also, by such strife, profane the venerable mysteries before the eyes of Jews and Pagans. 3. If a clergyman, therefore, dares to discuss religion in public, he shall be expelled from the community of the clergy; if he holds a position in the imperial service, he shall be stripped of his rank (cingulum), All others guilty of this crime shall, if they are free men, be banished from this Most Sacred City and shall be subjected to appropriate punishments in accordance with judicial vigor; if they are slaves, however, they shall be stricken with the severest punishments (death)--The Codex of Justinian: A New Annotated Translation, with Parallel Latin and Greek Text Based on a Translation by Justice Fred H. Blume. 

First Book, 1.4. page 19. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

A general condemnation of all heretics that they cannot pray on Roman soil with a remained Manichaeans are not to be allowed to live. 

Emperor Theoposius Augustus and VALENTINIAN Caesar to Florentius, Praetorian Prefect. pr. The Arians and Macedonians, Pneumatomachians and Apollinarians and Novatians or Sabbatians, Eunomians, Tetradites or Tessarescaedecatites, Valentinians, Papianists, Montanists or Priscillianists or Phrygians or Pepuzites, Marcianists, Borborians, Messallians, Eutychites or Enthusiasts, Donatists, Audians, Hydroparastates, Tascodrogites, Batrachites, Hermeiecians, Photinians, Paulians, Marcellians, Ophites, Encratites, Apotactites, Saccorphors, and those who have descended to the basest criminal iniquity, the Manichaeans, shall have no right to gather and pray anywhere  on Roman soil.

1. The Manichaeans shall be expelled from the cities and delivered up to capital punishment"? for there must be no place left them in which they might do insult to the very elements....property...any way whatsoever...where they meet by the permission or connivance of the owner, which shall be confiscated for the venerable Catholic Church; or concerning a procurator who does this without the knowledge of the owner, which procurator shall suffer a fine....

2. So that they neither meet in public nor build themselves pseudo-churches...they must be checked by all... means, with the aid of the curias, defenders, and governors, under threat of a fine of 20 pounds of gold.

3. The laws, too, which have been promulgated concerning the imperial service, various punishments, and sundry heretics, shall remain in full force...--The Codex of Justinian: A New Annotated Translation, with Parallel Latin and Greek Text Based on a Translation by Justice Fred H. Blume. First book, 5.5. Page 193 United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Execution is decreed for false converts or backsliders: 

(Emperor JUSTINIAN Augustus ...). pr. Since some have been found who, possessed by the error of the unholy and vile pagans...knowing that they abandoned the worship of the true and only God and, in their insane error, offered sacrifices to idols and celebrated feasts replete with every iniquity, We subjected those who had committed these sins after being deemed worthy of holy baptism - rather mercifully - to appropriate punishment according to the crimes proved against them; but henceforth...We declare before all that those who have become Christians and deemed worthy of holy and saving baptism, for whatever length of time, if they are found still to adhere to the error of the pagans, shall be subjected to the ultimate punishments....

For if such a person should be found here or in the provinces, and he does not hasten to Our most holy churches with his wives (sic) and children, as has been said, he shall undergo the penalties indicated above; the Treasury shall claim their property and they themselves shall be sent into exile. 4. If anyone hiding in Our Empire should be caught performing sinful sacrifices or idolatry, he shall be subjected to the ultimate punishments to which the Manichaeans - which is as much as to say the Borborites — are deservedly subject; for We judge the latter to be like the former.--The Codex of Justinian: A New Annotated Translation, with Parallel Latin and Greek Text Based on a Translation by Justice Fred H. Blume. First Book, 11.10. Page 245. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 

The Justinian repeats the punishment of execution multiple times for Manichaeans!

Tsar Nicholas II family/court and the Occult

Sources, many primary and secondary claiming "St." Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia dabbled in the occult.

The last Emperor of Russia was canonized along with his family and servants by the Russian Orthodox church as passion bearers, though many simply regard them proper martyrs. (Initially, even the Lutheran and Catholic servants were canonized by the ROCOR as saints until it was revealed they were not Orthodox!) The typical explanation for the canonization is that he was a pious Christian ruler and a good father. His quality of rule is very dubious, but this is not the subject of this article. The quality of his fatherhood seems an odd reason for canonization considering Christ alludes to even heathens being good parents. Rather, him and his wife's obsession with mystics and the occult suggest they were not very pious in a theological sense. A number of those close the Imperial family bemoaned the Emperor's gullibility and lack of will, especially when it came to supposed mystics that his wife fell under the spell of: Concerning the influence of the Empress Alexandra, the Count Sergei Witte wrote:

She might have been a good enough consort for a petty German prince, and she might have been harmless even as the Empress of Russia, were it not for the lamentable fact that His Majesty has no will power at all. The extent of Alexandra’s Influence upon her husband can hardly be exaggerated. In many cases she actually directs his actions as the head of the Empire. On one occasion, I recall, Nicholas referred to Her Majesty as “a person in whom I have absolute faith.” The fate of many millions of human beings is actually in the hands of that woman. Surely the poor Emperor, and ah’ of us who are his devoted servants, and, above all, Russia, would have been much happier had Princess Alix married a German Duke or Count.--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 198. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC. 

Before I continue, who is Sergei Witte that he should be believed? He was the first Prime Minister of Russia (albeit for less than a year) and was given the title count by the Emperor for his skillful negotiations with Japan to end the war. In addition, Emperor Alexander III on his deathbed advised Nicholas II to listen to Witte.

Empress Alexandra was the favorite granddaughter of Queen of England, Victoria. Queen Victoria was herself a believer in the occult, it seems fitting that Alexandra would like fall victim to occult 'masters'. The occult was widespread in Europe and other western countries among the aristocracy. Abraham Lincoln is even believed to have attended a seance, Arthur Conan Doyle was a devout Spiritualist, and many blurred the lines between medicine and magic/superstition (which exists today in some fields of psychology).

One such prominent occultist was Philippe (Philippe Nizier-Anthelme Vachod), a French medical school dropout who was fined for practicing medicine without a license until he found another to operate his quack practice under.

Another occultist master who some dealings with the Imperial court was Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse aka Papus.

In 1910 the head of both the Martinists and the Ordre de la Rose-Croix was Gerard Encausse (1865-1916). better known by his "occult" name, "Papus". Papus was the author of dozens of the best-known occult texts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, an expert on everything from alchemy to Kabbala to the tarot. He also held high-ranking Masonic and Rosicrucian posts.... 

Papus reestablished and updated the Martinist order, which soon achieved great popularity in Russia and Italy.  Between 1900 and 1905, on one of several visits to Russia, Papus reputedly established a Martinist lodge at the court in St. Petersburg, together with another, Dr Philippe (Philippe Nizier-Anthelme Vachod, also Maitre Philippe de Lyon, 1849-1905), the monk Grigory Rasputin's predecessor as "friend" to the court of Nicholas II. Rumors persist that Tsar Nicholas II belonged to the Lodge of the Cross and Star; his uncles Nikolai Nikolaevich and Petr Nikolaevich, as well as the grand duke Georgy Mikhailovich, were members. It is true that Martinism had become very popular in Russia by 1905; it waned after 1916.--The Occult in Russian and Soviet Culture. p 149. (1997). United Kingdom: Cornell University Press.

Emperor Nicholas spoke fondly of the occultist Philippe:

"During that time 'our friend' Philippe was sitting with Alix and talking with her. We showed him our daughters and prayed together with him in the bedroom!--Emperor Nicholas, Diary 11 July 1901 at Tsarskoe Selo. Found in A Lifelong Passion, p 206

Felix Yusupov has nothing nice to say about the Emperor's mystics, speaking of two occultist sisters in the Imperial Court from Montenegro:  

"They were much interested in occultism and lived surrounded by soothsayers and questionable prophets. It was through them that a French charlatan named Philippe, and later Rasputin had access to the Imperial Court. Their palace, Znamenka, was the central point of the powers of evil.    

One day as my father was walking by the seaside in the Crimea, he met the Grand Duchess Militsa driving with a stranger. My father bowed, but she did not respond. Meeting her by change a few days later, he asked her why she had cut him. 'You couldn't have seen me,' said the Grand Dutchess, 'for I was with Doctor Philippe and when he wears a hat he is invisible and so are those who are with him.'    

One of the Grand Dutchess's sisters told me that as a child she had once hidden behind a curtain and seen Philippe enter the room; to her astonishment, all those present knelt and kissed his hand."--Felix Yusupov, Memoirs. Found in A Lifelong Passion, p 206-207

A member of the Court named Ania spoke of the con-man Philippe:

Before I came to Court there was a Frenchman, Dr Philippe in whim they reposed the greatest confidence, believing him to be one in whom the gift of prophecy existed. I never knew Dr Philippe hence I can speak of him only as a sort of forerunner of Rasputin, because, as the Empress told me, his coming was foretold by Dr Philippe. Very shortly before his death the French mystic told them they would have another friend authorised to speak to them from God, and when Rasputin appeared he was accepted as that friend...--Ania Vyrubova, Memoirs. From A Lifelong Passion, p 425

Lev Tikhomirov, former revolutionary that became a conservative monarchist:

"That Philippe is the most shameful occurrence for the Imperial Family. He is some sort of foreign charlatan, hypnotist, magnetizer, and magician presenting himself as the possessor of occult powers."--Lev Tikhomirov, November 1902, quoted in Smith, D. (2016). Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs. page 44. United States: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The follow is by an ex-hieromonk, Sergei Michailovich Trufanov, who left Orthodoxy for Protestantism after the Revolution and came to the USA from Russia:

Melancholy and ghost-ridden as he was, in constant fear for his life, pursued by invisible hands, it was natural for him to suppose that God spoke to him through idiots, and that in consequence these idiots should often have influenced the relations of Russia with foreign powers. Fetichism and spiritualism dominated the czar's whole existence. On his person he carried all sorts of charms and talismans, the most precious of which in later years was a lock of Rasputin's hair. He wore this in a ring, and gazed upon it fixedly before making any momentous decision.--The Mad Monk of Russia, Iliodor, page 177

Note the attendance of the Emperor to seances is mostly second (or third) hand accounts.

According to Count Sergei Witte, the Tsar and his wife attended seances conducted by Philippe:

And it was through the good offices of these Montenegrins that Philippe gained access to the Grand Dukes, and later to their Majesties. Empress Alexandra was on intimate terms with none of the female members of the Imperial family except those Montenegrin women, who were to her a cross between bosom-friends and chambermaids. For months Philippe secretly lived in St. Petersburg and in the Summer residences of his high patrons. Consultations and mystic seances were continuously going on there with the participation of their Majesties, the Grand Dukes, and their Montenegrin wives.--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 203. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC. 

James L. Houghteling Jr, a man working in the US embassy at the time, relayed similar rumors that the Emperor attended a seance to bring up the recently assassinated Rasputin:

Monday February 19 [1917]: I heard yesterday the story of the spiritualist seance engineered by Protopopoff for the Tsar. It was at Tsarskoe  Selo. The Tsar, Tsarina, their two eldest daughters, the minister and his right-hand man gathered around the table. Suddenly Protopopoff grew rigid, with set eyes and tense arms outstretched; then after some minutes he pulled himself together and said, “There has just appeared to me the spirit of St. Gregory Rasputin ; and he bids us continue to strengthen the Holy Autocracy.” The Tsar sat staring and believed every word of it. I hear this story is current, with some variations, and is regarded  as gospel truth, in many “well-informed circles.”--A Diary of the Russian Revolution. page  35-36. (1918). JAMES L. HOUGHTELING. JR United States: Dodd, Mead and Company.

The most detailed account  of the Emperor at a seance is found in Maurice Paleologue's memoir:

In 1900 the magician Papus (his real name was Dr. Encausse) who revived alchemy in France, came to St. Petersburg and soon made an enthusiastic clientle for himself. In the years following he was seen there on several occasions during the residence of his great friend, the magician Philippe of Lyons ; ' the Emperor and Empress honoured him with their whole confidence. His last visit was in February, 1906..... 

Madame R , who is both a professing spiritualist and a disciple of Rasputin, has been explaining this consternation to me by reference to a strange prophecy which is worth recording: the death of Papus presages nothing less than the downfall of tsarism in the near future. This is how it comes about: 

...October, 1905, Papus was sent to St. Petersburg by some of his highly-placed followers who badly needed his guidance in the...crisis through which Russia was then passing. The disasters in Manchuria had produced revolutionary agitation in every part of the Empire, bloody strikes, outbreaks of looting, massacre and arson. The Emperor was living in a state of torturing anxiety... 

The very day on which Papus arrived in St. Petersburg, a riot spread terro... The magician was immediately summoned to Tsarskoie- Selo. After a summary talk with the Emperor and Empress, a... seance was arranged... Apart from the sovereigns there was only one spectator...Captain Mandryka....By... concentration of will and a prodigious expenditure of fluid dynamism, the “Spiritual Master” succeeded in calling up the spirit of ...Alexander III..... 

Nicholas II bluntly asked...whether he should...resist the current of liberalism... The spirit replied: 

At any cost you must crush the revolution now beginning; but it will spring up again one day and its violence will be proportionate to the severity with which it is put down to-day. But what does it matter! Be brave, my son! Do not give up the struggle!”

While the horrified sovereigns were reflecting on this appalling prophecy, Papus told them that his magic powers enabled him to avert the threatened catastrophe, but that the efiicacy of his spells would cease the moment he himself ceased to be “on the physical plane.” Then he solemnly performed the necessary rites.--Paléologue, Maurice (1925). An Ambassador's Memoirs: Volume III. pages 97-98.  United Kingdom: George Doran.

The Count Witte notes the influence Philippe exercised over the Empress Alexandra:

Empress Alexandra fell completely under the influence of the impostor. Among other things she actually believed that “Dr.” Philippe had an enchanted life and could not be harmed by physical means. Nothing will better illustrate the extent and nature of his ascendancy over the Empress than the following incredible, yet well authenticated, incident. At the time when she was under the sway of the charlatan she was very anxious to have a son, because the four children who had previously been born to their Majesties were all girls. Dr. Philippe made Her Majesty believe that she was going to give birth to a boy, and she convinced herself that she was pregnant.--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 204. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC.

Towards the end of the Romanov, Philippe was still referenced by the Empress Alexandra:

At a time, such as we are now living through, one needs to hear your voice uplifted in protest and reprimand when they continue not obeying your orders, when they dawdle in carrying them out.     They must learn to tremble before you - you remember M. Philippe and Grigory say the same thing too.--Letter from Alix to Nicky, 1 June 1916 - Tsarskoe Selo from A Lifelong Passion, p. 425-426

"Remember even M. Philippe said one dare not give constitution, as it would be your and Russia's ruin, and all true Russians say the same."--A Lifelong Passion, p 490. Diary of Alexandra Romanov 14 December 1916 

St Serafim of Serov was canonized through Philippe's convincing:

"In 1903 the Orthodox church canonized Serafim Sarovsky. This was done, it was said, at the insistence of Nicholas, and on the advice of Philippe. Rumours spread that bathing at the source near the monastery, where Serafim had lived and died, cured people of ailments and brought the fulfillment of wish...."-- A Lifelong passion, Historical Afterword, p 643

Count Witte suspected there was a secret plot to get Seraphim canonized which included another Russian Orthodox saint, John Kronstadt:

At the Summer residence of Grand Duke Peter, Philippe met a number of ecclesiastics, among them the notorious Father John of Kronstadt. It was apparently there that the project was hatched of canonizing the staretz (saintly man) Seraphim of Sarov.--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 204. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC. 

The Count then states he spoke with Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev, a layman that functioned as the Emperor's supervisor over the Russian church synod (an expression of the caesaropapism inherited from the Byzantines), about the canonization of Seraphim of Sarov.  He states the following:

This incident was related to me by K. P. Pobiedonostzev himself. One fine morning he was invited...to take luncheon with their Majesties. The invitation came unexpectedly, because at that time relations between their Majesties and Pobiedonostzev were rather strained, although he had been instructor both to the Emperor and his most august father. After breakfast, at which Pobiedonostzev was alone with his Imperial hosts, the Emperor, in the presence of the Empress, asked his guests to submit to him a decree canonizing Father Seraphim, on the day when the memory of that saintly man is celebrated, which was. a few weeks off. Pobiedonostzev replied... that canonization lay within the province of the Holy Synod and must be preceded by a thorough investigation of the candidate’s life and of the people’s views on the subject... To this the Empress replied by remarking that “everything is within the Emperor’s province.” This opinion I have heard from Her Majesty on various occasions. Nevertheless, the Emperor gave heed to his guest’s arguments, and Pobiedonostzev, on the evening of the same day, received from the Emperor an amiable note, expressing agreement with the opinion about the impossibility of immediately canonizing Seraphim, and ordering Pobiedonostzev to carry out the canonization the following year. 

Pobiedonostzev obeyed. Their Majesties were present at the ceremony of consecrating the relics. In the course of that celebration there were several cases of miraculous recovery. At night the Empress bathed in a healing fountain. The conviction prevailed, it was said, that the Sarov saint would give Russia an Heir Apparent, after four grand duchesses...--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 204-205. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC. 

The Count also comments on the occultist sisters in the Emperor's court meddling in the affairs of the church:

During the revolutionary days which followed the act of October 17th, Prince A. D. Obolensky, then Procurator of the Holy Synod, repeatedly complained to me about the interference of the Montenegrin Princesses in the affairs of the Holy Synod.--Yarmolinsky, A., Witte, S. I. (2018). The Memoirs of Count Witte. p 205. United States: Creative Media Partners, LLC. 

Yusupov mentions the sisters were also among those that introduced the Court to Rasputin:

The Siberian prophet soon gathered around him a clique of worldly idlers, given over to occultism and necromancy. The two Montenegrin Grand Duchesses were among the first and most fervent admirers of the ‘man of God’. It was they who, in 1900, had introduced the occultist Philippe to the Court of Russia; now again, it was they who presented Rasputin to the Tsar and Tsarina, backed by the Archimandrite Théophane...--Yusupov, F. F. (2016). Lost Splendor: The Amazing Memoirs of the Man who Killed Rasputin. Page 191. 

Yusupov mentions Rasputin succeeding in deceiving many in the Russian church including St John Kronstadt, nuns and the Archimandrite Theophane.

The Emperor's drug dealer/Alexander II's godson:

"The Empress would not rest until he had consulted the quack Badmaiev, an ingenious disciple of the Mongol sorcerers. The charlatan soon discovered in his pharmacopoeia the remedy appropriate to the case of his august patient: it is an elixir compounded of 'Tibetan herbs' according to a magic formula and has to be prescribed very strictly...Judging by its effects, the elixir must be a mixture of henbane and hashish...--Maurice Paleologue, Memoirs, 6 November 1916. From A lifelong passion. p. 480

Paleologue claimed (somewhat comically) that Badmaiev eventually formed an alliance with Rasputin by seeing a fellow huckster in him when treating the Tsar's son who suffered from hemophilia (a disease that almost certainly stemmed from the fact the Emperor and his wife were 2nd cousins):

On several occasions the Emperor and Empress have called him in to the Tsarevitch when ordinary doctors seemed powerless to stop the child’s haemorrhage. It was thus that he met Rasputin. Their respective charlatanisms at once recognized each other and coalesced.--Paléologue, M. (1925). An Ambassador's Memoirs. p. 144. United Kingdom: George H. Doran.

Paleologue also records a story of rivalry and hatred among charlatans---Papus and Rasputin:

“ It is twelve years or so,” said Madame T——, “since Papus was in Russia; but he has kept up a correspondence with Their Majesties. Several times he tried to convince them that Rasputin’s influence on them was evil, because he got it from the Devil. The result was that Father Grigori loathed Papus and when Their Majesties mentioned his name, he would burst out : “Why do you listen to that charlatan? What’s he poking his nose into now ? If he wasn’t a low schemer, he’d have his hands full enough with all the evildoers and pharisees he has around him. There are more sins over there in the West than anywhere else in the world; nowhere else is the crucified Jesus so continuously affronted... How often have I told you that everything that comes out of the Europes is wicked and harmful! ”----Paléologue, Maurice (1925). An Ambassador's Memoirs: Volume III. page 174.  United Kingdom: George Doran.

Madame T is probably Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova (née Taneyeva), a 'lady in waiting'.

Another figure of stature in Russia was Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, one of Rasputin's assassins, he was the son of a Count of the same name. Prince Felix became a prince by marrying the niece of Tsar Nicholas II. Prince Felix openly wrote of how dabbling with the supernatural and the occult:

My brother and I took a great interest in spiritualism. We witnessed some rather surprising things at the séances which we held with a few friends. But when a marble statue broke and fell off its pedestal at our feet, we resolved to give them up. I none the less continued to take a deep interest in everything connected with the mystery of life after death. 

It was at this time that Nicolas and I promised each other that the first of us to die would appear to the survivor. The Almighty God, the after-life and self-perfection were constantly on my mind. A priest with whom I talked freely on these matters told me: ‘Don’t try and find an answer to all these questions. Don’t philosophize too much. Just believe in God.’ But this wise advice did not satisfy my craving for knowledge. I immersed myself in the study of occult sciences and theosophy. I had difficulty in believing that it was possible, during the course of our brief sojourn on earth, to earn the right to eternal life, as the Christian doctrine teaches us. The theory of re-incarnation seemed, to my mind, a much better solution of the problems which preoccupied me. I learned that certain exercises of bodily and spiritual discipline could little by little develop in one a superhuman power which enabled one to master one’s own weaknesses and dominate other people. With the conviction that I was inspired by a divine truth, I devoted myself to the practice of Yoga exercises. Every day I took a special course of gymnastics and did an incalculable number of breathing exercises; at the same time, I tried to concentrate and develop my will-power. I soon noticed a change in myself: my mind became clearer, my memory improved, and my strength of will increased. Several people told me that even my expression had changed. I myself noticed that some people could not look me in the eye, and I concluded that I had acquired a sort of hypnotic power. To test my capacity for bearing pain, I held my hand over a lighted candle. I suffered the most excruciating pain, but it was not till the smell of roast flesh filled the room that I withdrew my hand....--Yusupov, F. F. (2003). Lost Splendor: The Amazing Memoirs of the Man who Killed Rasputin. Page 117. United States: Helen Marx Books. Also see here.

Note the Nicolas mentioned is his brother Nicolas Yusupov.

Yusupov mentions several forms of the occult mysticism: spiritualism, theosophy, yoga, reincarnation, seances. Interesting for someone who mocked Philippe as a charlatan! Perhaps realizing his own fraud in life (including letting his parents believe he had prophetic powers) let him see it in others.

Rasputin's rise some attribute in part to the desire to have an ethnic Russian to influence the Emperor, rather than foreigners, other men were attempted to influence him. 

It is noteworthy, though the occultist necromancer Philippe laid the foundation for Rasputin, Rasputin did discourage certain occultism in the Court like séances and automatic writing:

Rasputin made Munya promise to stop attending spiritualist séances and practicing automatic writing under the influence of spirits. He told her these things they called spirits were in fact demons, tricking us into thinking we were in contact with the souls of our departed loved ones. Only those rare persons with pure souls free of the sins of the world could make contact with these true spirits, Rasputin told Munya and her mother, and for others to even try was to engage in sin....From that day Munya and Lyubov remained devote to Rasputin for the rest of their lives.--Rasputin, Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs, p.349

The reasoning at the end may just be a means to eliminate any spiritual competition. 

A partial list of other "mystics", "prophets", "holy fools" etc. that the Tsar entertained:

Matronushka the Barefoot

Pasha Sarovskaya 

Vasily Tkachenko 

Miron 

Darya Ossipova 

Antony 

Mitya aka Mitka Kolyaba

In addition, a weatherman that Emperor seemed to misunderstand his abilities.

For more information about the Emperor and his wife's obsession with mystics and the occult, including the list above see the article on jstor by Robert D/ Warth called Before Rasputin: Piety and the Occult at the Court of Nicholas II 

The obsession with the occult was nothing new to the Russian Emperors. Emperor Boris Godunov sought the help of English sorcerer John Dee. Emperor Alexander II, Emperor Nicholas's forebearer in the 1860s likewise.

In the 1860s the Romanov palaces were all in the thrall of spiritualist seances. Communing with spirits was appropriate in the palaces, where the ghosts of murdered emperors wandered...But for the new emperor, it was not merely a nod to fashion. Having decided to embark on great reforms, he thought it would not be amiss to chat with his late father. A famous "table-turner" was brough from Paris. At the very first seance, the late emperor made an appearance....Present were the emperor and empress; the dowager empress; Kostya; his wife, of course; Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna's brother...Anna Tyutcheva....Once Anna Tyutcheva returned to her room, she wrote down everything.--Radzinsky, E. (2006). Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar. p. 120. United States: Free Press. 

to be continued....

Pope Gregory the Great, Emperor Trajan and praying for the damned

This article discusses the legend that Pope Gregory prayed for the salvation of the damned soul of the long dead Emperor Trajan--resulting in the Emperor's salvation. The legend, which seems almost certainly apocryphal, has had a big impact in the Orthodox Church's doctrines and practices concerning the dead and Hell. This implication seem to justify practices like rejecting private revelation as basis for doctrine, and making such things only private devotions, and would seem to be another reason the Second Vatican Council's efforts to remove legends (especially ones for the basis for certain saints) from the Roman Calendar was justified (though Gregory the Great is recognized as a saint without respect to this story).

In the Middle Ages a story floated around that Pope Gregory the Great (died March 12, AD 604) when thinking about the pagan Emperor Trajan was so moved by his justice and morality that cried for the Emperor and he was released from Hell or got a mitigated damnation, some say the Emperor resurrected, accepted the faith, then died again and went to heaven. The earliest, most well-known accounts (Whitby, Pseudo-Paul the Deacon, Pseudo-Damascene) has God telling the Pope to not make this request for a pagan/impious ever again.

However, Eastern Orthodox apologists and some theologians appeal to this story (in addition to the Nestorian bishop "St" Isaac the Syrian's comments on Hell, despite his comments being based on the writings of the anathematized Theodore of Mopsuestia) as evidence the doctrine of universal reconciliation was not totally condemned at the time of Justinian in the synod of Constantinople 543, or that at least some of those that are damned, having died in mortal sin, can be saved after death by prayers, though the story says not to do this.

The earliest written account attributed to an anonymous monk from the Whitby Abbey in England several generations later reads:

"Some of our people also tell a story related by the Romans of how the soul of the Emperor Trajan was refreshed and even baptized by St. Gregory's tears, a story marvelous to tell and marvelous to hear. Let no one be surprised that we say he was baptized, for without baptism none will ever see God; and a third kind of baptism is by tears. One day as he was crossing the Forum, a magnificent piece of work for which Trajan is said to have been responsible, he found on examining it carefully that Trajan, though a pagan, had done a deed so charitable that it seemed more likely to have been the deed of a Christian than a pagan. For it is related that, as he was leading his army in great haste against the enemy, he was moved to pity by the words of a widow, and the emperor of the whole world came to a halt. She said, 'Lord Trajan, here are the men who killed my son and are unwilling to pay me recompense.' He answered, 'Tell me about it when I return. and I will make them recompense you.' But she replied, 'Lord, if you never return, there will be no-one to help me.' Then, armed as he was, he made the defendants pay forthwith the compensation they owed her, in his presence. When Gregory discovered this story, he recognized that this was just what we read about in the Bible, 'judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord.' Since Gregory did not know what to do to comfort the soul of this man who brought the words of Christ to his mind, he went to St Peter's Church and wept floods of tears, as was his custom, until he gained at last by divine revelation the assurance this his prayers were answered, seeing that he had never presumed to ask this for any other pagan.--The Earliest Life of Gregory the Great, Chapter 29. page 127. Written by an Anonymous Whitby monk c. AD 680-704. Translated by Bertram Colgrave. 1985.

This, the oldest version of the account extant, is largely unknown to modern audiences Orthodox or Catholic. Notice this account points to the virtues of Emperor Trajan and seems ignorant of his atrocities in killing Christians. A commentary suggests the story of the widow demanding recompense is out of place:

""Her son, she says, has been murdered; she has the perpetrators in hand; but they refuse to pay the recompense: we are in the realm of the Germanic wergeld."--The Unbounded Community: Papers in Christian Ecumenism in Honor of Jaroslav Pelikan The Virtuous Pagan, Page 47 

 A version of the story was retold by John the Deacon in a biography about Pope Gregory the Great commissioned by Pope John VIII in the ninth century is as follows (unfortunately I cannot find a translation):

AI translation:

It is also read in the same English Churches that Gregory, passing through the Forum of Trajan, which Trajan himself had once adorned with the most beautiful buildings, recalled and marveled at the judgment by which Trajan had comforted a widow. This is, as it is handed down by earlier accounts, indeed the case. At a certain time, as Trajan was hastening most urgently to prepare for an impending war, a widow came forward, weeping bitterly, and said: "My innocent son was killed during your reign; I beg you, since you cannot restore him to me, to deign to legally avenge his blood." And when Trajan responded that, if he returned safely from the battle, he would fully avenge him, the widow said: "If you die in battle, who will guarantee this for me?" Trajan said: "He who will rule after me." The widow replied: "And what will it profit you if another does justice for me?" Trajan answered: "Indeed, nothing." And the widow said: "Is it not better for you to do justice for me and receive your reward for it, rather than passing this on to another?" Then Trajan, moved equally by reason and compassion, dismounted from his horse and did not depart until he had personally resolved the widow’s imminent case. 

It is said that Gregory, recalling the gentleness of this judge, reached the Basilica of Saint Peter the Apostle. There, he wept so long over the error of such a merciful prince until, on the following night, he received a response that his prayers for Trajan had been heard, but that he should no longer pour out prayers for any other pagan. However, while no one doubts the earlier miracles of the Romans, regarding this story read among the Saxons—that Trajan’s soul was freed from the torments of hell by Gregory’s prayers—there seems to be particular doubt, especially because such a great teacher would never presume to pray for a pagan. In the fourth book of his Dialogues, he taught that the same reason why the saints do not pray for sinners condemned to eternal fire at the future judgment applies now as well: it is why holy men do not pray for deceased infidels and the impious. Yet they fail to notice that it is not recorded that Gregory prayed for Trajan, but only that he wept. For indeed, though Gregory did not pray, he could have been heard through his weeping, just as Moses, though silent in his sorrow, seemed to cry out, to whom the Lord said with silent lips: "Why do you cry out to me?" (Exodus 14:15). Surely, almighty God searches hearts and minds, and often mercifully grants what a person, though desiring it as a mortal, does not presume to ask. Hence the Psalmist says: "The Lord has heard the desire of the poor, and your ear has heard the longing of their hearts" (Psalm 19:17). 

And it should be noted that it is not recorded that Trajan’s soul was freed from hell and placed in paradise by Gregory’s prayers—something that seems entirely unbelievable because of what is written: "Unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" (John 3:3). Rather, it is simply said that his soul was freed only from the torments of hell. This can indeed seem credible, since a soul can exist in hell and, by God’s mercy, not feel its torments, just as the one fire of Gehenna can hold all sinners equally, yet, by God’s justice, it does not burn them all equally. For each person will feel punishment according to the measure of guilt they deserve, by the just judgment of God.----John the Deacon , S. Gregorii Papae Vita (Life of Pope St Gregory) II.44 Patrologia Latina (Migne): Volume 75, 105-106 (written between AD 872-882)

My personal attempt: 

It's read also in the hands of the same English Churches, that Gregory going forth through Trajan's forum, at one time he made beautiful with the most beautiful buildings, his judgement where a widow had been comforted is to be remembered and wondered: what is certainly just as previously received, so he himself had.  At a certain time, Trajan was in a great haste to prepare for an impending war, a certain widow approached [him] mournfully saying: My innocent son, you reign, he is destroyed; I beseech that, because he is to pay me you are not able, his blood legally fit to be avenged.   And Trajan, if he returns safe from battle, will himself use his legal authority for everything in the response. The widow said: If you die in battle, who will give it to me?  Trajan said: He who will rule after me.  The widow said: And what does it profit you if another renders me justice?  Trajan answered: Certainly, nothing.  And the widow: Is it not better for you that you render me justice, and in exchange for that you receive a fee, rather than assign it to another? Then Trajan, moved at the same time by reason and by pity, got down from the horse and did not depart before himself having concluded the trial on the side of the widow. Therefore this kind judgement, they assert Gregory remembered arriving to St Peter the Apostle's basilica; and there so long concerning a wondering as most merciful leader lamenting, till when he encountered a response the following night, for Trajan was heard, tantum for no other pagan offer prayer.  But with concern to the supreme miracle of the Romans which nobody doubts, concerning this it is read among the Saxons, this petition freed Trajan's soul from the torment of hell, for which also is to be seen with very much doubt, which such a size of a doctor in no wise certainly presumes to pray for a pagan; which his fourth book of Dialogues teaches the same is the reason why saints should not pray in future judgement for sinners are condemned to eternal fire; Nor do saintly men on earth pray for deceased infidels and godless people. not considering that it is not read Gregory prayed for Trajan, but only he wept.  For thus with no praying Gregory, wailing could be heard, as Moses with suffering quietly, he could be seen crying, the Lord said to his silent lips: "Why do you cry to me?" (Exodus 14:15).  Without a doubt Almighty God searches unraveling hearts, and often He gives pity, which men although as the flesh desires, but yet do not presume to ask.  Hence the Psalmist: "The Lord has heard the desire of the poor, and the desires of their heart you have heard" (Psalm 9:38).   And it should be noted that it is not read Gregory offered prayers for Trajan's soul to be freed from hell, and placed in paradise, which is completely not credible discern according to that which is written, "unless m a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5);" but simply said, freed only from the torment of hell (inferno). Which is to say, it could be seen credibly, seeing as in this manner the soul in Hell were availed, and through the mercy of God, Hell's torment is not felt, as a single Gehenna's fire prevails equally detaining all sinners, thus through God's justice all are not able in a like manner burned. But as far as each one deserves blame, God's just judgement only he will feel and punishment.--John the Deacon , S. Gregorii Papae Vita (Life of Pope St Gregory) II.44 Patrologia Latina (Migne): Volume 75, 105-106 (written between AD 872-882) (in process of translating--I am not fluent by any stretch)

Legitur etiam penes easdem Anglorum Ecclesias, quod Gregorius per forum Traiani, quod ipse quondam pulcherrimis aedificiis venustarat, procedens, iudicii eius quo viduam consolatus fuerat recordatus atque miratus sit: quod scilicet sicut a prioribus traditur, ita se habet.  Quodam tempore, Traiano ad imminentis belli procinctum festinanti vehementissime, vidua quaedam processit flebiliter dicens: Filius meus innocens, te regnante, peremptus est; obsecro ut, quia eum mihi reddere non vales, sanguinem eius legaliter vindicare digneris.   Cumque Traianus, si sanus reverteretur a praelio, hunc se vindicaturum per omnia responderet, vidua dixit: Si tu in praelio mortuus fueris, quis mihi praestabit?  Traianus dixit: Ille qui post me imperabit.  Vidua dixit: Et tibi quid proderit, si alter mihi iustitiam fecerit?  Traianus respondit: Utique nihil.  Et vidua: Nonne, inquit, melius tibi est ut tu mihi iustitiam facias, et tu pro hoc mercedem tuam recipias, quam alteri hanc transmittas? Tunc Traianus ratione pariter pietateque commotus, equo descendit, nec ante discessit quam iudicium viduae per semet imminens profligaret. Huius ergo mansuetudinem iudicis asserunt Gregorium recordatum ad sancti Petri apostoli basilicam pervenisse; ibique tandiu super errore tam clementissimi principis deflevisse, quousque responsum sequenti nocte cepisset, se pro Traiano fuisse auditum, tantum pro nullo ulterius pagano preces effunderet.  Sed cum de superioribus miraculis Romanorum sit nemo qui dubitet, de hoc quod apud Saxones legitur, huius precibus Traiani animam ab inferni cruciatibus liberatam, ob id vel maxime dubitari videtur, quod tantus doctor nequaquam praesumeret pro pagano prorsus orare; qui quarto Dialogorum suorum libro docuerit eamdem causam esse cur non oretur a sanctis in futuro iudicio pro peccatoribus aeterno igne damnatis; quae nunc etiam causa est ut non orent sancti homines pro hominibus infidelibus impiisque defunctis; non advertentes quia non legitur pro Traiano Gregorium exorasse, sed tantum flevisse.  Sic enim cum non oraverit Gregorius, plangendo potuit exaudiri, sicuti Moyses cum dolendo taceret, potuit clamasse videri, cui Dominus tacenti labiis: Quid clamas, inquit, ad me (Exod. XIV, 15)?  Nimirum Deus omnipotens corda renesque scrutatur, et frequenter ea misertus concedit, quae homo quamvis ut carnalis desideret, tamen petere non praesumit.  Unde Psalmista: Desiderium pauperum exaudivit Dominus, et desideria cordis eorum audivit auris tua (Psal. XIX, 17).   Et notandum quia non legitur Gregorii precibus Traiani anima ab inferno liberata, et in paradiso reposita, quod omnino incredibile videtur propter illud quod scriptum est: Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto non intrabit in regnum coelorum (Ioan. III, 3); sed simpliciter dicitur, ab inferni solummodo cruciatibus liberata. Quod videlicet potest videri credibile quippe cum ita valeat anima in inferno existere, et inferni cruciatus per Dei misericordiam non sentire, sicuti unus gehennae ignis valet omnes peccatores pariter detinere, sic per Dei iustitiam cunctos non valet aequaliter exurere. Nam uniuscuiusque quantum meruit culpa, iusto Dei iudicio tantum sentietur et poena.--John the Deacon , S. Gregorii Papae Vita (Life of Pope St Gregory) II.44 Patrologia Latina (Migne): Volume 75, 105-106 (written between AD 872-882)

What is clear from John the Deacon is that he cites the fourth book of the Dialogues by Pope Gregory where he says the damned in Gehenna are not to be prayed for--he quotes it as I do later in this article. John the Deacon certainly doesn't believe the Pope prayed for the Emperor.

The story as attributed to Paul the Deacon has been determined to have not but written by him but about 50 years later it was inserted into his text on Gregory the Great, this portion of text is sometimes called "pseudo-Paul":.

"The first edition of this work (Paul the Deacon's vita of Gregory) was published in 1887 and it says nothing about Trajan. The vita of Gregory ascribed to Paul in both the Acta Sanctorum and Migne's Patrologia latina is a pseudonymous and interpolated version written a century later which draws on the intervening vita of Gregory by John the Deacon..."--The Unbounded Community: Papers in Christian Ecumenism in Honor of Jaroslav Pelikan The Virtuous Pagan, Page 47

The interpolated text is translated as follows:

"Also, this same priest, who was very fervent and acceptable to God, on a certain day proceeded through the forum of Trajan, which he knew had been built in an extraordinary manner. And he viewed the monuments of Trajan's clemency, especially that memorable one which commemorates the fact that when this earthly prince surrounded by a group of soldiers once was going on an expedition he had met a very old widow. She was worn out with old age as well as with sorrow and poverty, and he was stopped by her tears and wails. "O most loyal Prince Trajan, behold here are men who have killed my only son, my support and my only comfort. And, wishing to kill me along with him, they refused to pay me any restitution for him." Being in a hurry, he said to her as he passed on, "When I return, tell me this, and I shall render you full justice." Then she said, "Master, and if you do not return, what shall I do?" He listened to this plea and ordered the accused to be brought before him.  Nor, when it was suggested by everyone that he hastened the business, did he move a step from the place until he had arranged that the widow be paid from his purse whatever was decreed by law. And, at length, by prayers and tears of supplication, sorrowing over his misdeeds and moved by inward mercy, he freed the accused from their praetorial bonds not much by his power as by his devotion and leniency. Then the venerable pontiff, moved by grace, began with tearful sighs and supplicant words to quote these prophecies and evangelical maxims; "Thou, O Lord. hast said: 'Judge for the fatherless, defend the widow; and come, and accuse me.' And elsewhere, 'Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you;' be no unmindful, I beseech Thee, that I a most unworthy sinner, on account of the glory of Thy name and on Thy most faithful promise in the case of this devoted man do humbly implore Thy clemency."  And arriving at the tomb of Saint Peter, he prayed there for a long time and wept and was, as it were, overcome by sleep and rapt in ecstacy in which he learned through a revelation that he had been graciously heard. And lest in the future he should presume to seek favors for anyone who had died without holy baptism he was deservedly reproved. In this connection he was allowed to be asked certain things by inquisitive people of imperfect faith and more things by those who believe the truth when it is spoken faithfully. And he was allowed to explain that the things which are or seem impossible to men are easy to God. In this act of divine goodness and power, nevertheless, it seemed desirable that his opinion be honored and disputed by no one."--Pseudo-Paul the Deacon (c 810-840) interpolated in "The Life of Saint Gregory the Great" by Paul the Deacon,c. AD 770-780 translation by SISTER MARY EMMANUEL JONES, R.S.M,

Idem vero perfectissimus et acceptabilis Deo sacerdos, cum quadam die per forum Trajani, quod opere mirifico constat esse exstructum, procederet, et insignia misericordiae ejus conspiceret, inter quae memorabile illud comperiret, videlicet quod cum idem orbis princeps in expeditionem, circumvallatus militum cuneis, pergeret, ibidem obviam habuerit vetustissimam viduam, senio simulque dolore ac paupertate confectam, cujus lacrymis atque vocibus sic compellatur: Princeps piissime Trajane, ecce hic sunt homines qui modo mihi unicum filium, senectutis scilicet meae baculum et omne solatium, occiderunt; meque una cum eo volentes occidere, dedignantur etiam mihi pro eo rationem aliquam reddere. Cui ille festinato, ut res exigebat, pertransiens: Cum rediero, inquit, dicito mihi, et faciam tibi omnem justitiam. Tum illa: Domine, inquit, et si tu non redieris, ego quid faciam? Ad quam vocem substitit, et reos coram se adduci fecit. Neque, cum suggereretur a cunctis accelerare negotium, gressum a loco movit, quousque et viduae a fisco, quod juridicis sanctionibus decretum est, persolvi pro re fecit; demumque supplicationum precibus et fletibus super factis suis poenitentes viscerali clementia flexus, non tam potestate quam precatu et lenitate vinctos, praetorialibus catenis absolvit. Hujus rei gratia compunctus venerabilis pontifex, coepit lacrymosis gemitibus secum inter verba precantia, haec siquidem prophetica et Evangelica revolvere oracula: Tu, Domine, dixisti: Judicate pupillo, defendite viduam; et venite, et arguite me (Isa. I, 17). Et alibi: Dimittite, et dimittetur vobis; ne immemor sis, quaeso, peccator ego indignissimus, propter nomen gloriae tuae, et fidelissimae promissionis tuae, in hujus devotissimi viri facto, pietati tuae humiliter supplico (Marc. VI, 27). Perveniensque ad sepulcrum beati Petri, ibi diutius oravit, et flevit, atque veluti somno correptus in exstasim est raptus, quo se per revelationem exauditum discit; et ne ulterius jam talia de quoquam sine baptismate sacro defuncto praesumeret petere, promeruit castigari. Qua in re, licet a minus perfectae fidei et curiosis quaedam valeant quaeri, et plura ab his qui credunt veritati fideliter dicenti, quae apud homines impossibilia sunt vel videntur, facilia sunt apud Dominum, salubriter explanari, tutius tamen videtur in hoc actu divinae pietatis et potestatis judicium venerari, et a nemine discuti--Pseudo Paul the Deacon, Vita S. Gregorii Magni, Section 27

The most known version of the story is found in pseudo-Damascene, a work previously attributed to St John of Damascus, it goes as follows:

"...Gregory the Dialogist, the senior bishop of Rome, as everybody knows, was a man well known for his righteousness and knowledge. They even say that the divine angel assisted him when he was conducting the liturgy. One day this Gregory, while taking a walk among the stones, stood carefully still and uttered a mighty prayer directed toward the soul-loving Lord for the forgiveness of the sins of Trajan the king. Immediately after saying these things he heard a voice borne to him from God: "I have heard your prayer, and I grant forgiveness to Trajan. But you (singular) should not again put forward prayers addressed to me on behalf of pagans (ασεβων)." And that this story is true and blameless, the whole East and West is witness. Look, this even surpasses what happened to Falconilla. For she was a party to no other evil (beyond idolatry), but Trajan brought about the deaths of many martyrs. You are marvelous, Lord, and marvelous are your works. We praise your incredible goodness of heart, because you always incline toward the love of human beings."--Pseudo-Damascene, "Homily for Meat-Fare Saturday" PGM 95. 261-64 Translated by Jeffrey A. Trumbower in Rescue for the Dead: The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity. Page 145.

Eventually, this story has largely been forgotten in the West. It is mentioned by Dante and St Thomas Aquinas and several other writings up until around the Renaissance, but largely doubted or rejected as absurd by then. The story was discounted by John the Deacon.

It must be noted the story is of similar nature and absurdity to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus (which was a popular Christian legend that the Quran took up as true), and the legend of St Brenan the Navigator where he tells of Judas being placed on a rock in the Atlantic Ocean as a temporary reprieve from Hell on holy days (only to be thrown back in the rest of the year!).

First and most importantly, it must be noted that Pope Gregory the Great (St Gregory the Dialogist as he is called in the East) explicitly rejected praying for the damned.

The saints in heaven, therefore, do not offer prayers for the damned in hell for the same reason that we do not pray for the Devil and his angels. Nor do saintly men on earth pray for deceased infidels and godless people. And why? Because they do not wish to waste their prayers in the sight of a just God by offering them for souls who are known to be condemned. But if the saints, while still alive and conscious of their own failings, have no compassion on the unjust sinners in hell, if they show no compassion whatever at a time when they realize that their own sins and imperfections are worthy of God's punishment, how much more severely will they look upon the torments of the damned once they are freed from sin and corruption and stand near to their eternal Judge, closely united with Him? In their intimate association with the most just of all judges, the force of His severity will penetrate their minds, and they will be utterly displeased with anything that is out of harmony with the least detail of the eternal law. --Pope Gregory the Great, Dialogue IV, 44 (taken from The Fathers of the Church, Volume 39, translated by Odo John Zimmerman, O.S,B. book four, page 257)

Commenting on this same passage one translator notes:

CHAPTER XLIV. p. 240. This doctrine of St. Gregory's, that the faithful do not pray for the souls of those whom they suppose to be in Hell, is more explicitly stated in the Moralia (lib. xxxiv, cap.19):"The Saints do not pray for the unbelieving and impious that are dead, because they shrink from the merit of their prayer, concerning those whom they already know to be condemned to eternal punishment, being made void before that countenances of the just Judge."  This is curiously inconsistent with the popular legend, first heard in the eight century, that St Gregory, moved by the tale of the Justice and humility of Trajan towards the poor widow whose son had been slain, prayed and obtained that the soul of the Emperor might return from Hell to his body to win his salvation. This inconsistency is noticed by St Thomas Aquinas, who discusses the story at some length (Summa Theologica, III Suppl Q 71, A. 5)----The Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great Re-edited with an Introduction and Notes by Edmund G Gardner, 2010.notes, page 275

The above mentioned Moralia, Pope Gregory at length argues that Hell is unending,then concerning praying for the damned he states:

"But they say, And where then is their saintship, if they will not pray for their enemies, whom they will then see burning, though it is expressly said to them, Pray for your enemies? (Matthew 5:44) But we reply at once, They pray for their enemies at that time when they are able to convert their hearts to fruitful penitence, and save them by this very conversion. For what else must we pray for our enemies, except that which the Apostle says, That God may give them repentance, and that they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive unto his will? (2 Timothy 2:25-26) And how will prayers be made at that time for them, when they can no longer be in any degree turned from iniquity to works of righteousness? There is, therefore, the same reason for not praying then for men condemned to eternal fire, as there is now for not praying for the devil and his angels who have been consigned to eternal punishment. And this is now the reason for holy men not praying for unbelieving and ungodly men who are dead; for they are unwilling that the merit of their prayer should be set aside, in that presence of the righteous Judge, when in behalf of those whom they know to be already consigned to eternal punishment. But if even now the just when alive do not sympathize with the unjust who are dead and condemned, (when they know that they themselves are still enduring from their flesh that which will be called into judgement,) how much more severely do they then regard the torments of the wicked, when, stripped of every sin of corruption, they will themselves cleave more closely and firmly to righteousness? For the power of severity so absorbs their minds, by means of their cleaving to the most righteous Judge, that they take no pleasure whatever in any thing which is at variance with the strictness of that inward rule.  But because we have made these brief remarks against the followers of Origen, as the opportunity occurred, let us go to the course of exposition...."--St Gregory the Dialogist (Pope Gregory the Great), Moralia, Book XXXIV, XIX, 38 (page 647)

I should also note that Pope Gregory the Great's doctrine on purgatory was that it was solely for venial (minor) sins:

"Each one will be presented to the Judge exactly as he was when he departed this life. Yet, there must be a cleansing fire before judgement, because of some minor faults that may remain to be purged away. Does not Christ, the Truth, say that if anyone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit he shall not be forgiven 'either in this world or in the world to come'(Mt. 12:32)? From this statement we learn that some sins can be forgiven in this world and some in the world to come. For, if forgiveness is refused for a particular sin, we conclude logically that it is granted for others. This must apply, as I said, to slight transgressions."--Gregory the Great[regn. A.D. 590-604], Dialogues, 4:39 (A.D. 594),in FC,39:248

Concerning the eternal nature of damnation, he denounces those that say damnation and punishment ends as making Christ a liar by issuing false threats, which makes it reasonable His promise of rewards are also lies:

"For there are those even now, who neglect to put an end to their sins, for the very reason that they suspect that the future judgements upon them will, some time or another, have an end. To whom we briefly reply, If the punishments of the reprobate will at any time be ended, the joys of the blessed will also be ended at last. For the Truth says by His own mouth, These shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:45) If, therefore, this is not true which He has threatened, neither is that true which is promised. But they say, He threatened eternal punishment to sinners, in order to restrain them from the perpetration of sins; because He ought to threaten, not inflict, eternal punishments on His creature. To whom we reply at once: If He has made false threats in order to withdraw from unrighteousness, He has also made false promises, in order to encourage to righteousness. And who can tolerate this madness of theirs, who, while they assert in their hair offers that they punishments of the reprobate are terminated, overthrow by their assertion the rewards, and recompenses, of the Elect also? Who can tolerate their madness, who endeavor to establish that that is not true which the Truth has threatened concerning eternal fire, and who, while busy in declaring God to be merciful, are not ashamed to proclaim Him to be false?

But they said, A fault, which has an end, ought not to be punished without end. Almighty God is doubtless just, and that which is not committed with eternal sin, ought not to be punished with eternal torment. To whom we reply at once, that they would say rightly, if the just and strict Judge at His coming considered not the hearts, but only the doings of men. For the wicked have sinned with a limit, because their life had a limit. For they would have wished to live without end, in order that they might continue in their sins without end. For they are more eager to sin than to live; and they therefore wish to live for ever here, in order that they may never cease to sin, as long as they live. It pertains then to the justice of the strict Judge, that they should never be free from punishment, whose mind desired when in this life never to be free from sin; and that no end of punishment should be granted to the wicked, because as long as he was able he wished to have no end to his sin....."--St Gregory the Dialogist (Pope Gregory the Great), Moralia, Book XXXIV: XIX, 38 (page 644)

Secondly, it must be noted that in none of St Gregory's extant writings does he ever mention this miraculous event. Why would he omit such a great work of God, if this in fact happened? Painstaking work efforts have been taken to preserve this writing!

Thirdly, this story appears to have been invented by an anonymous Whitby (England) monk. The version of the story found on Eastern Orthodox websites citing St John of Damascus is actually a pseudopigraphical writing from the 9th to 10th century called now Pseudo-Damascene. This era has a lot of forgeries, this was the same era that the False Decretals were written including the famous "Donation of Constantine." 

"The Unbounded Community: Papers in Christian Ecumenism in Honor of Jaroslav Pelikan" deals at length with the Gregory-Trajan legend and its dubious sources. 

"In the next chapter of the Gregory-Trajan legend we move to the Greek church, to a work erroneously ascribed to the eighth-century theologian John of Damascus but which must date to the late ninth or early tenth century because of it makes use of the vitae Gregorii of both John the Deacon and Pseudo-Paul. The author clearly prefer Pseudo-Paul's version. The text is a sermon encouraging prayer for the dead. Pseudo-Damascene brings forward Thecla and Trajan to make the same points. In each case, the person prayed into heaven was a pagan. Second, God will hear the prayers of ordinary Christians not just those of great saints. And third, the efficacy of the prayers of Thecla and Gregory for their respective pagans is not to be doubted. Given John the Deacon's challenge to the credibility of the Trajan legend, Pseudo-Damascene takes pains to stress its appearance by everyone in the east and west alike. With respect to Trajan, he emphasizes the emperor's virtue; incorrect belief was the only blot on his record. Still, since such pagans can be prayed out of hell and into heaven, how much the more can Christians who have died in the faith be helped by the prayers of their co-religionists. In addition, in opposition to people who say that few were saved in Christ's harrowing of hell, Pseudo-Damascene thinks that the reverse was the case. Many were saved thereby, he asserts, so as long as they lived upright lives...…"--The Unbounded Community: Papers in Christian Ecumenism in Honor of Jaroslav Pelikan The Virtuous Pagan, Page 49

 and, noting the effects of Pseudo-Damascene in Eastern theology:

"...the confusion between this author and the John of Damascus revered as an authority in the Greek church helps to explain what happened next, the institutionalization of prayers for the dead, including the damned, by the Greek church and its Slavic daughter churches. By the thirteenth century, these churches had set aside the third Saturday before Lent for prayer for the dead of all sorts, in a formal liturgy whose perdurance can be documented until the sixteenth century. Aside from this influence on the liturgy, Pseudo-Damascene also had a marked influence on the eschatology of the eastern churches. From the eleventh century onward, the belief that the prayers of living Christians could save pagans who were damned, or mitigate their sufferings, received support from eastern theologians; and Trajan was even enrolled in their calendar of saints. These developments are related to the fact that the doctrine of purgatory was not taught in the eastern churches. That fact, paradoxical in the light of the Latin ancestry of the Gregory-Trajan legend, in turn became a stumbling block impeding the hoped-for reunion of the Greek and Romans churches at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1438-39."--The Unbounded Community: Papers in Christian Ecumenism in Honor of Jaroslav Pelikan The Virtuous Pagan, Page 50

The book also notes the effects in the West, many believed virtuous pagans were saved, a few believed some would eventually be saved, however, unlike the East--the West did not develop prayers for the damned, but rather dogmatized further that those who die in original sin alone or moral sin will be in Hell forever. The only effect in the West is it asked the question of the moral people who live a good life but die without baptism.  Even before this at least in the case of catechumen and martyrs, was that they would be regenerate before they die and be taken in to heaven.

St Thomas Aquinas on the case of Emperor Trajan and Pope Gregory the Great denies it proves prayers for the damned will benefit them:

Reply to Objection 5. Concerning the incident of Trajan it may be supposed with probability that he was recalled to life at the prayers of Blessed Gregory, and thus obtained the grace whereby he received the pardon of his sins and in consequence was freed from punishment. The same applies to all those who were miraculously raised from the dead, many of whom were evidently idolaters and damned. For we must needs say likewise of all such persons that they were consigned to hell, not finally, but as was actually due to their own merits according to justice: and that according to higher causes, in view of which it was foreseen that they would be recalled to life, they were to be disposed of otherwise.

Or we may say with some that Trajan's soul was not simply freed from the debt of eternal punishment, but that his punishment was suspended for a time, that is, until the judgment day. Nor does it follow that this is the general result of suffrages, because things happen differently in accordance with the general law from that which is permitted in particular cases and by privilege. Even so the bounds of human affairs differ from those of the miracles of the Divine power as Augustine says (De Cura pro Mort. xvi). --St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III Suppl Q 71, A. 5

In addition, I should note that praying for the damned was generally in the West condemned, rejected or discouraged in part because the West generally saw mortal sin and original sin as things one cannot repent of after death, therefore Hell is not escapable. One of the great Eastern theologians, St John of Damascus, who is at times cited in the debate over praying for the damned (see Pseudo-Damascene, "Homily for Meat-Fare Saturday" above), stated neither angels nor humans can repent after a certain point:

All wickedness, then, and all impure passions are the work of their mind. But while the liberty to attack man has been granted to them, they have not the strength to over-master any one: for we have it in our power to receive or not to receive the attack. Wherefore there has been prepared for the devil and his demons, and those who follow him, fire unquenchable and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41). 

Note, further, that what in the case of man is death is a fall in the case of angels. For after the fall there is no possibility of repentance for them, just as after death there is for men no repentance.--St John of Damascus, PG 94,877. An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book II), Chapter II

If St John Damascene believed there will be no repentance after death, how can the wicked be rehabilitated? If Hell makes them just, apart from repentance, won't that just man be repentant for this wickedness that landed him in Hell in the first place?

Being revised and to be continued....

Ibn Kathir's fake history of Constantine

The following is based on the writings of the Sunni Muslim "historian" and Quran commentator Ibn Kathir in his commentary on Surah 3:55, found on google books volume 2, page 171 and on, and also on the Qtafsir website  The Tafsir Ibn Kathir will be in black, my words in blue.

And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection

This is what happened. When Allah raised `Isa to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups. Some of them believed in what Allah sent `Isa as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant.

The vast majority believed in this, only gnostics might object to the identification of him as "the son of His female-servant." Islam itself divided into sects shortly after Muhammad died, and even more wanted to leave Islam. The early Christians were given death threats for STAYING Christians, the early Muslims were given death threats for LEAVING Islam.

However, some of them went to the extreme over `Isa, believing that he was the son of Allah.

No one objected to this at all. How is this an extreme? People debated what "son of God" meant, no early Christians denied Jesus was the son of God since this was synonymous with "Christ" to them. We see in the 4 Gospel accounts Jesus own apostles and disciples call himself the "son of God," the demons and Satan call him "son of God," and even Jesus Himself refers to Himself as "the son of God." As we see in these verses:

Jesus Christ speaking of Himself (called Isa by Muslims):

Amen, amen I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.—John 5:25

John the Baptist (Yahya):

And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.—John 1:34

Archangel Gabriel (called Jibreel by Muslims):

And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.—Luke 1:35

Disciples/Apostles of Jesus:

“And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God.”—Matthew 14:33

Satan:

“And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."--Matthew 4:3

Demons:

What have we to do with thee, Jesus Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"--Matthew 8:29

Jesus’ Crucifiers (Roman centurions):

Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.—Matthew 27:54

So based on the fact that we have the 4 accounts of the Gospels telling us Jesus is the “Son of God” with Jesus saying so Himself in John 5:25 with that verse have all variants of it reading “son of God” we have no reason to think Jesus is anything besides the son of God! Any Muslim claim of corruption is baseless. Demonstrating ibn Kathir had little to no knowledge of the Gospels and probably derived all his information from ignorant Islamic sources.

Some of them said that `Isa was Allah Himself,

If by “some” he means Jesus’ own apostles, then yes:

Apostle Thomas speaking to Jesus Christ:

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!—John 20:28

Apostle John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.—John 1:1

St Thomas addressed Christ himself, yet Christ did not object to this identification at all, so either He allowed St Thomas to commit idolatry, or He really is God!

while others said that he was one of a Trinity.

Being the Son of God and God are necessary for the Trinity to be true, since we believe there is only One God and that Jesus is not the Father but born of the Father and the Holy Spirit also is God (and not an angel like Muslims foolishly assume) then for monotheism to be true and for them too all be God Trinitarianism must be true too. Other Christian before Constantine sometimes taught the 3 persons were really one person and that the Son is the Father and the Spirit is also, this too was rejected by our leaders like the Popes 100 before Emperor Constantine gathered the council of Nicea.

Allah mentioned these false creeds in the Qur'an and refuted them.

Reading how they state the creed seriously makes you wonder if “Allah” really knew what he was talking about at all.

The Christians remained like this until the third century CE, when a Greek king called, Constantine, became a Christian for the purpose of destroying Christianity.

4th century actually, and there is no evidence Constantine wanted to destroy Christianity. He did not formally become Christian however until his death bed when he was baptized.

Constantine was either a philosopher, or he was just plain ignorant.

Constantine was a military child, he was educated in Latin and Greek and philosophy, but does receiving some philosophical education make you a philosopher?

Constantine changed the religion of `Isa by adding to it and deleting from it. He established the rituals of Christianity and the so-called Great Trust, which is in fact the Great Treachery.

No clue what this “Great Trust” is. We have references to our rituals before Constantine. All of them can be found in the New Testament, and they are referred to before Constantine’s time in Christian writings.

He also allowed them to eat the meat of swine,

This was ALREADY done by Christians, since Christians do not follow dietary laws like the Jews did since we believe a new Law was established by Christ establishing a New Testament, in fact the New Testament explicitly states this in Colossians 2:16

Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths—Colossians 2:16

Despite this by being written by St Paul, Muslims must admit at least this was done long before Constantine since St Paul lived in the 1st century.

changed the direction of the prayer that `Isa established to the east,

There is no tradition, no information about Jesus instruction people what direction they are to pray in the Bible, we are to assume He prayed facing the Temple as did all Jews at His time due to Solomon establishing it. The custom of praying facing East was known and established 100 years before Constantine:

our being known to turn to the east in prayer.—Tertullian, Apology, Chapter 16, c. AD 200

Praying facing East was a custom of Churches that were never inside the empire of the Romans like Persia, Ethiopia, and India.  Interesting ibn Kathir does not volunteer where Christians prayed facing before that.

built churches for `Isa, and added ten days to the fast as compensation for a sin that he committed, as claimed.

What fast, which fast? No information about the days added, or the sin! Convenient!

So the religion of `Isa became the religion of Constantine, who built more then twelve thousand churches, temples and monasteries for the Christians as well as the city that bears his name, Constantinople (Istanbul).

Temples were just how Christians referred to their church buildings at times, but ibn Kathir makes them sound different. His 12,000 number seems to be an exaggeration, but I cannot prove it.

Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews,

Does this make sense at all? Ibn Kathir says what a terrible person Constantine was for intentionally corrupting Christianity and that many Christians already confessed false creeds that he considers idolatry, yet Allah thinks this idolatry is closer to the truth than the non-idolatrous Jews? Christians did not have the upperhand over the Jews until AFTER Constantine.

even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah's curse descend on them.

Cursing people is an old Muslim pastime, whereas Christian pray for a person to repent and that God drive them to it, Muslims are prone to curse and damn in prayer.

When Allah sent Muhammad , those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet , the Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more right to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet's way and religion, yet change and alter his religion. Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour

Muslims are proud of Muhammad’s lack of education, and this lack of education is reflected in the Quran.  Interesting that ibn Kathir accuses modern Christianity of being started by Constantine was may have been “plain ignorant” yet when calling Muhammad “unlettered” he does not refer to him as “plain ignorant” when we have more reason for that. The funny thing about this statement is it talks about Muhammad abrogating what other prophets taught, and Muhammad’s own religion does not change—despite much of the Quran being abrogated by other verses in the Quran and by things Muhammad said.

 Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth. Furthermore, all countries submitted to them; they demolished Kisra (king of Persia) and destroyed the Czar, ridding them of their treasures and spending these treasures for Allah's sake. All this occurred just as their Prophet told them it would, when he conveyed Allah's statement

Muslims did an excellent job of conquering sparsely populated desert lands taking the Middle East and North Africa. Barely making any headway into Europe, they took Spain for hundreds of years only to lose it in the 15th century completely. They took some of the Balkans like Albania, which is now atheist. For a while Europe controlled much of the Middle East, almost all of Africa (except Ethiopia) and other lands, yet the Muslim religion “shall always be dominant and victorious.” Even in our present times the Muslims completely outnumbered the Israelis in war, yet the Israelis won and took some Muslim land! So much for always being dominant and victorious!