Editing Monothelitism (section)

==Second attempt: Doctrine of one will==
{{Main|Ecthesis}}
However, Sergius and the emperor refused to give up. Three years later, the patriarch came up with a slightly-modified formula, which Heraclius released as the ''Ecthesis'' in 638. The edict was considered to be the official response to Sophronius's letter.{{sfn|Bury|1889|p=253}} It forbade all mention of Christ possessing one or two energies; instead, it now proclaimed that Christ has two natures but a single {{em|will}}. This did not deny Christ human volition, but insisted that this volition could never be in opposition to the divine will; but the opponents of one will misinterpreted the doctrine as denying Christ any human volition whatever. Sophronius had died before the release of the new doctrine, and his replacement, Bishop Sergius of Jaffa, as Patriarch Abraham I of Jerusalem, approved the modified formula. Sergius died by the end of 638, and his replacement, [[Patriarch Pyrrhus I of Constantinople|Pyrrhus]], was also a devoted monothelite and a close friend of Heraclius. The two remaining patriarchs in the East also gave their approval to the doctrine now referred to as monothelitism and so it looked as if Heraclius would finally heal the divisions in the imperial church.{{sfn|Norwich|1988|p=309}}

Unfortunately, he had not counted on the [[popes]] at [[Rome]]. During the same year, 638, Pope Honorius I had died as well. His successor [[Pope Severinus]] (640) condemned the ''Ecthesis'' outright and so was forbidden his seat until 640. His successor, [[Pope John IV]] (640–42), also rejected the doctrine completely, leading to a major [[schism (religion)|schism]] between the eastern and western halves of the Chalcedonian Church. When news reached Heraclius of the Pope's condemnation, he was already old and ill, and the news only hastened his death. He declared with his dying breath that the controversy was all due to Sergius and that the patriarch had pressured him to give his unwilling approval to the ''Ecthesis''.{{sfn|Norwich|1988|p=310}}