Letter 156: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Hormisda to John, bishop of Constantinople. 1. Your Charity has signified a spiritual joy in the addresses you directed to us, teaching how the discipline of the catholic religion, with our God assisting, has recovered its proper order in your regions. Who would doubt that these are benefits of the heavenly mercy? Who would doubt that these are added to the trophies of our venerable prince? Who would be in doubt that a greater triumph is gained for him from this peace than from any battles whatsoever? The glory of this labor knows no setting: for where God is rightly worshipped, the iniquity of the adversaries never grows. 2. We have gladly received the confession of your Affection, through which the holy synods are approved, among which, in the restoration of the established decrees, you have proclaimed the council of Chalcedon, desiring it to be joined to the number of the catholics; and you assert that the name of the holy pope Leo is written in the diptychs. These things are to be praised, if the effect of completion follows upon them: for to receive the council of Chalcedon and to follow the letters of holy Leo, and yet to defend the name of Acacius, this is to claim things at variance with one another. Who, while condemning Dioscorus and Eutyches, could show Acacius to be innocent? Who, while shunning Timothy and Peter of Alexandria and the other Peter of Antioch and their followers, would not, as we have said, abominate Acacius, who followed their communion? 3. From your Charity, indeed, we await better things by the help of God almighty, having the hope of the best promise, just as you directed your words to us, agreeing with us in the truth, and defending those very things, hoping that in that judgment you can be saved through these very things. After this, what remains, except that you should follow even without trembling the judgments of the apostolic see, whose faith you say you embrace? Therefore show through yourself to the eastern regions the example which they may follow, so that the praise of all who shall have been corrected may be applied to your labors. Therefore, since you announce great things and signify that you embrace the faith of the blessed apostle Peter, rightly believing that our salvation can subsist in it, direct to us the document, the contents of which are appended below, subscribed by your Charity, so that without dread of conscience we may, as we pray, be able to have one communion. 4. For the person also of our son Gratus, a most distinguished man, we render thanks without ceasing to our God, whose faith and right belief have stirred up our affection toward him: truly worthy was he, who should undertake the care of so great a transaction and convey to us the mandates of the greatest prince.

(a.5i9m. Hormisdae papae ad Johannem Gonstantinopolitannm Jan.) • ^ episcopnm. Oaudei, quod concilium Calchedonense et s. Leonfs episiolas suscipiat ac seeum p.l in una fide consentiat (n. 1 — 2). Restare aity ut et Acacium exseereiur et Ubel- lum, qui propterea annectitur, a se subscriptum remittat (n. 3). Grati qMoque fidem commendat («.4). Hormisda Johanni episcopo Gonstantinopolitano. ep.4:). 1. Spirituale gaudium directis caritas tua significavit affatibos, docendo^); ut catholicae religionis disciplina ordinem suum vestris partibus Deo nostro juvante receperit. Haec esse beneficia miseri- cordiae supernae quis dubitet? Haec quis dubitet venerabilis prin- cipis tropaeis adjungi? Quis ambigat; quia major ei de hac pace, quam de quibuslibet praeliis triumphus acquiritur? Istius laboris gloria nescit occasum: quia ubi Deus recte colitur^ nuuquam adver- sariorum crescit iniquitas. ep. 43. 2. Dilectionis tuae confessionem gratanter accepimus, per quam sanctae synodi^) comprobantur , inter quas instauratione constituto- rum omniimi Calchedonense concilium praedicastis^ et cathohcorum <) Ita G^ Ed. contentiosa. '-") Qui uimirum superioribus epistolis 7 et 26 habetor subnexas. ') Inter has sanctas sjuodos recensetur et Constantinopolitana, quam tie primum ut oecumcnicam a summis pontificibus comprobatam legere est BPI8T0LAE 46 — 48. 837 nomero adjungi desideranS; sancti papae Leonis in diptycliis nomen (a. 519.) asseveras scriptum. Ista laudanda sunt^ si perfectionis subsequatur effectus : quia recipere Calchedonense concilium et sequi sancti Leo- nis epistolas; et adhuc nomen Acacii defenderC; hoc est inter se discrepantia vindicare. Quis Dioscorum et Eutychetem condemnahS; innocentem ostendere possit Acacium? Quis Timotheum et Petrum Alexandrinum et alium Petrum Antiochenum et sequaces eorum dedinans^ sicut diximuS; non abominetur Acacium^ qui eorum com- Biunionem secutus est? 3. De caritate^) siquidem tua meliora Dei omnipotentis exspe- etamus auxilio^ habentes optimae promissionis spem^ sicut ad nos quae direxisti tua*), tecum in veritate sentiens, et ipsa defendens, sperans in illo judicio per ipsa te posse salvari, Post haec quid re- stat; nisi ut sedis apostolicae^ cujus iidem te dicis amplecti^ se- quaris etiam sine trepidatione judicia? Igitur partibus Orientalibus ostende per te quod sequantur exemplum, ut omnium laus, qui cor- recti fuerint, tuis laboribus applicetur. Ergo quum magna denun- ties et fidem beati apostoh Petri te amplecti significes, recte credens in ea salutem nostram posse subsistere ^) , libellum * cujus continen- tia subter annexa est, a caritate tua subscriptum ad nos dirige, ut sine conscientiae formidine unam communionem; sicut oramus, ha- bere possimus. 4. Pro persona quoque filii nostri Grati viri clarissimi Deo nostro gratias sine cessatione persolvimuS; cujus fides et recta cre- dulitas nostrum circa se excitavit atfectum: dignus re vera, qui tantae curam susciperet actionis et maximi principis ad nos man- data perferret.