VI Century – the suppression of reincarnation

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Reincarnation was suppressed by the enemies of the truth

During a long period, many historians believed that the doctrine of reincarnation was declared heretic in the event of the Council of Constantinople, in 552 A.D. However, the condemnation of the doctrine happened due to an intransigent personal opposition of emperor Justinian, who had never been connected to the protocols of the Council. According to Procopius, Justinian’s ambitious wife, Theodore (who effectively handled the power), was daughter of a bears keeper at Byzantium. She began her quick ascension to the power as a courtier. Aiming to get rid of a shameful past, she sent five hundred past colleagues to death and, for this reason, she was determined to suppress all the magnificent doctrine of reincarnation, in the illusion of not suffering the consequences of such cruel order in another life as advocates the law of Karma (action and reaction). She was trustful in the success of this annulment, decreed by Justinian “in the name of GOD”!

In 543 A.D., the despotic emperor Justinian, without taking in account the clerical point of view, declared frontal war to Origenes’ teachings, condemning them through a special synod. In his works De Principiis and Contra Celsum, Origenes (185 – 235 A.D.), the highest priest of the church, had openly recognized the existence of the soul before birth and its dependence from past actions. He thought that some excerpts from the New Testament could not be explained but under the light of reincarnation.

Only eastern bishops (the orthodox) attended the council promoted by Justinian. None of them was from Rome. And the very pope, who was in Constantinople on the occasion, let it very clear. The Council of Constantinople, the fifth of the councils, was but a private meeting organized by Justinian, who contrived with some of his vassals in order to excommunicate and curse the doctrine of the previous existence of the soul, in spite of the protests from pope Virgilio, by publishing his Anathemata.

The final conclusion of the Council after a four-week argument had to be submitted to the “pope” for ratification. Actually, the documents which were presented (the so-called “Three Chapters”) only mentioned a dispute regarding three scholars that, it had been four years, Justinian had declared heretic by an edict. They had nothing about Origenes. The next popes, Pelagio I (556 – 561), Pelagio II (579 – 590) and Gregorius (590 – 604), when they referred to the fifth Council, never mentioned Origenes. The church simply accepted Justinian’s edict – “Whoever teaches this fantastic previous existence of the soul and its monstrous renewal will be condemned” – as part of the Council’s conclusions. Therefore, the prohibition of the doctrine of reincarnation (physical rebirth) is not but an historical mistake, without any ecclesiastic value.

If we approach the doctrine of reincarnation, moving away the dogmatic belief on the ascension of Christ’s physical body, it will grow in each one’s heart, even in the hearts of those who were raised within the traditional Christianity, the faith in the pure truths, taught by the very Nazarene.

Whoever spreads this message will be gifted with heavenly blessings