Bonoso, Bishop of Naissus

BONOSO, Bishop of Naissus. - He is more commonly known as bishop of Sardica, but this is an oversight of Marius Mercator. It is not certain when he was elected to the episcopal see; he certainly held it in 391, since the synod held at Capua in that year dealt with his doctrines.

From a letter of Pope Siricius it appears that B., like Helvidius and Jovinian, denied the perpetual virginity of Mary, affirming that she had other children by St. Joseph; Gennadius further attests that B. also followed the error of Photinus, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Synod of Capua did not pass judgment on B.'s doctrines, but decreed that an inquiry be conducted by the bishops of Illyricum under the presidency of Anysius of Thessalonica. The inquiry must have been unfavorable to B., since his episcopal functions were interdicted. Instead of submitting, B., though he appealed to St. Ambrose, who advised him to obey, continued to exercise his office, even ordaining clerics. On B.'s death, which occurred probably before 414, a controversy therefore arose over the validity of those ordinations performed irregularly. The bishops of Illyricum recognized them, and Innocent I himself, while approving the decisions of the synod presided over by Anysius, ordered Marcian, B.'s successor, to admit to communion two clerics ordained by him. Later, however, in the light of new evidence, Innocent, distinguishing between ordinations performed before and after B.'s condemnation, forbade the admission of the latter.

B. later had followers, especially on the Christological doctrine, leaning more or less openly toward Adoptionism; but they were always few and confined to the Danubian provinces, where they lingered until the 6th century.

Agostino Amore