Editing Pope Eugene II (section)

==Pontificate==

Seemingly before Lothair left Rome, there arrived ambassadors from Emperor Louis and from the Greeks concerning the controversy of [[Byzantine Iconoclasm]]. At first the iconoclast [[Eastern Roman Emperor]] [[Michael II]] showed himself tolerant towards the [[icon worshippers]], and their great champion, [[Theodore the Studite]], wrote to him to exhort him "to unite us (the Church of Constantinople) to the head of the Churches of God, Rome, and through it with the three patriarchs" and to refer any doubtful points to the decision of Old Rome in accordance with ancient custom. But Michael soon forgot his tolerance, bitterly persecuted the icon worshippers, and endeavoured to secure the co-operation of Louis the Pious. He also sent envoys to the pope to consult him on certain points connected with the worship of icons. Before taking any steps to meet the wishes of Michael, Louis asked the pope's permission for a number of his bishops to assemble and make a selection of passages from the Fathers to elucidate the question that the Greeks had put before them. The leave was granted, but the bishops who met at [[Paris]] in 825 were incompetent for the task. Their collection of extracts from the Fathers was a mass of confused and ill-digested lore, and both their conclusions and the letters they wished the pope to forward to the Greeks were based on a complete misunderstanding of the decrees of the [[Second Council of Nicaea]]. Their labours do not appear to have accomplished much; nothing is known of the result of their researches.<ref name=Mann/>

In 826 Eugene held an important council at Rome of 62 bishops, in which 38 disciplinary decrees were issued. The council passed several enactments for the restoration of church discipline, and took measures for the foundation of schools or [[chapter (religion)|chapter]]s. The decrees are noteworthy as showing that Eugene had at heart the advancement of learning. Not only were ignorant bishops and priests to be suspended till they had acquired sufficient learning to perform their sacred duties, but it was decreed that, as in some localities there were neither masters nor zeal for learning, masters were to be attached to the episcopal palaces, cathedral churches and other places to give instruction in sacred and polite literature. It also ruled against priests wearing secular dress or engaging in secular occupations. Simony was forbidden.<ref name=Brusher/> Eugene also adopted various provisions for the care of the poor, widows and orphans, and on that account received the name of "father of the people".

To help in the work of the conversion of the North, Eugene wrote commending [[St. Ansgar]], the Apostle of the [[Norsemen|Scandinavians]], and his companions "to all the sons of the Catholic Church".<ref name=Brusher/>