Letter 158: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[Instruction, which our legates received, the same as above. He instructs them what they are to do in the regions of the East (n. 1), what at Constantinople (n. 2), and what after the bishop of the royal city or other bishops have been received into communion (n. 3).] 1. When, God being favorable, you have entered the regions of the East, if any bishops meet you and wish to offer the document, whose contents you have learned, subscribed by themselves, receive them, and grant them the fellowship of holy communion. But if the bishops who meet you are unwilling to make profession in that order which we set forth above, let them indeed be treated by you with priestly affection; but let there be no common table for you with them, nor are you to presume to accept provisions from them, but only conveyance, if the cause should require it, and hospitality, lest they think themselves utterly and disdainfully despised. 2. But when, with God's help, you have come to Constantinople, withdraw at once into the lodging which the emperor shall have provided; and permit no one to approach for your greeting beforehand, except those whom the emperor himself shall have sent or whom you recognize to be of our communion, until you see the prince himself. Presented to him, in greeting offer our letters, suggesting that we have received great joy concerning his reign, and rejoice exceedingly that Almighty God has raised him to this, in accordance with his sacred letters, so that, in keeping with those things which have been established by the prelates of the apostolic see, with God as author and his reign striving toward it, both the peace and the unity of the churches, desired in these times, may come to pass. But if he should urge you to see the bishop of Constantinople, make known that you have fixed prescriptions, which even by them have often been recognized, as to what profession ought to be solemnly made by all bishops embracing catholic communion. If the bishop of Constantinople is prepared to fulfill these, we meet him gladly; but if he scorns to follow the exhortation of the apostolic see, what need is there that our greeting should serve as an occasion for contention, since we have no commission for dispute or contest? But if the emperor should wish it to be disclosed to him what it is that you require to be done by the bishop, show the form of the document which you carry. But if, consenting concerning the anathema of Acacius, he should say that his successors must be recited [aloud], on this ground that, on account of the defense of the Council of Chalcedon, some of them have been carried off into exile, you are to make known that you can excerpt nothing from the form of the document, in which the followers of the condemned are likewise contained. But if you cannot turn them aside from this intention, at least acquiesce in this: that, Acacius having been anathematized specifically by the document which we have given you, the names of his predecessors be passed over in silence, their words being erased from the inscription of the diptychs. When this has been done, receive the bishop of Constantinople into your communion. 3. As for the document either of the bishop of Constantinople or of others, whom, God willing, it shall befall you to receive, first see to it that it be recited in the presence of the people. But if this cannot be done, let it at least be read out in the secretarium, with the clergy and archimandrites present. When all these things, God willing, have been completed, ask the emperor that, by sacred letters dispatched through the metropolitan bishops, with the letters of that bishop himself adjoined, it be made known that the bishop of Constantinople, by his own consent also, the profession which the apostolic see appointed having been solemnly made, has been received into the unity of communion. And by these letters let him also exhort them to make like profession. But if in this matter the emperor should bring forward any difficulty, let the bishop of Constantinople, by precepts directed to the bishops of his parishes or to the other metropolitans, in the presence of those who shall likewise have been directed by you, make known what he himself has done: which it behooves you by all means to require of him, so that, by the testimony of this deed spreading abroad even to all, it cannot lie hidden even from those who are placed far off.

8CU (a.5l9m. Indiculus, quem acceperunt legati nostri^) qui supra. Jau.) Qnvi in parlibus Orientalibus {n. 1), quid Consiantinopoli (n. 2), quid post susceptoi in commujHonem regiae wbis aliosve episcopos ipsis agendum sit, instruit (». S). 1. Quum Deo propitio partes Orientales fueritis ingressi, si qui episcopi vobis occurrerint, et libellum, cujus continentiam per- cepistis, a se subscriptum oflerre voluerint, suscipite, eisque prae- l)ete sanctae communionis consortium. Si vero occurrentes episcopi eo, quo superius diximus, ordine profiteri noluerint, a vobis equi- dem sub sacerdotali affectione tractentur: sed neque vobis sit cum •^) Ed. ad pacis . . . (cum G*) exhortet. Quod in exoret correximus. Ita inir» epist. 62 exhortans favorem pro exorans favorem recurret. Antea c* nd pseii gaudia; quo admisso non displiceret c' conjectura, qua legendum potat exsulict. 49 ') H. c. quos se direxisso ad caJcem superioris cpistolae meminit, et qno- rum nomina sequeus epistola n. 4 aliaequt> indicant. In vulgatis loco nostri qni supra, quae cx G* revocamus, substitutum erat apostolicae sedis, Legfttod ifl* cum Grato Constantinopolim redeunt^} vel etiam paulo ante ex Urbe profectoi esse, adeoque lianc ac septem subsequgntes epistolas eodem fere tempore, qno tres superiores, traditaa esse, ad epistolam 46 probavimus. Indicalum hunc cum priorc, hoc cst cum epistola 7, conferre operao pretium fuerit BPISTOLAE 48. 49. 839 liis mensa commiiiiis , neque ab his vel victualia praesumatis acci- (a. 519.) pere, nisi tantum subvectionem, si causa poposcerit, et hospitalita- l;em, ne credant se omnino fastidiose despectos. 2. Quum autem Constantinopolim Deo adjuvante veneritis, in jam secedite'), quam imperator praebuerit, mansionem; et nullum id salutationem vestram prius permittatis accedere, exceptis his, JU08 ipse miserit imperator aut quos nostrae communionis esse cog- loseitis, donec ipsum principem videatis. Cui praesentati, salutantes itteras nostras oflferte, suggerentes, magnum nos de ejus imperio jaudium percepisse, et nimium gratulari, quod eum Deus omnipo- bens ad hoc evexit^) juxta ejus sacras litteras, ut secimdum ea, quae junt ab apostolicae sedis constituta praesulibus, Deo auctore et re- 5no ejus adnitente, ecclesiarum et pax et unitas his temporibus iesiderata proveniat. Quodsi vos hortatus fuerit, ut Constantino- politanum videatis episcopum, intimate vos praefinita habere, quae 3tiam ab eis saepe sint cognita, quae ab universis episcopis catho- icam communionem amplectentibus professio debeat celebrari'*). Haec ti episcopus Constantinopolitanus implere paratus est, ei gratanter oc- :urrimus; si vero sedis apostolicae adhorlationem sequi contemnit, quid wcesse est, ut ad occasionem contentionis salutatio nostra proficiai, juibus non esi disputationis aut certaminis causa in mandatis? Si vero mperator sibi aperiri voluerit, quid sit quod ab episcopo fieri po- ituletis, formam libelli quam portatis ostendite. Quod si de aua- hemate Acacii consentiens, successores ejus dixerit recitandos, ob loc quod propter defensionem Calchedonensis synodi aliqui^) eorum •) G* suscendite, b accedite, al. secedite; cui consentit illud epist. 7 n. 2: ■OTUtantinopolim pervenientes ibi secedite etc. •') Euphemius nimirum et Macedonius , in quorum gratiam populus Constan- tnopolitanus anno 518 die 15 JuHi in magna ecclesia congregatus nominatim onclamarat: Euphemium et Macedonium Ecclesiae resiitue . .. Euphemii ei Macedonii omina modo ordinentur ad perfcctam Ecclesiae ordinationem ! Item monachi ortho- loxi libellOf quem concilio quinque post diebus habito obtulerunt, in primis tetierant: Sanctae memoriae Euphemius et Macedonius expulsi et in exsiUo moriui anonice revocentur ... ponanturque in sacris diplychis ipsorum vocahula, secundum uod omnis populus ei monachicus ordo sedulo excJamavit. Immo jam a primo coetu lie 15 Julii non quieverat populus, donec Johannes accipiens diptycha ordinari jus- ii nomina in sancia memoria defunctorum archiepiscoporum hujtts regiae urhis Euphe- %ii ei Macedonii, ac etiam Leonis Romani pontificis, ut in actis a Baronjo initio omi VII relatis legitur. De hoc populi studio erga episcopos in exsilio propter idei assertionem defunctos certior factus Hormisda, nec ratus tamen, in sacris liptychis sinendos esse eos qui extra communionera sedis apostolicae obiissent, (a. 519.) fuerint exsilio deportati; insinuabitis; nihil vos de libelli posse fonna decerpere^ in qua sequaces damnatorum pariter continentnr. Sed si eos ab hac non potueritis intentione deflectere; saltem lioe a^ quiescite^ ut anathematizato specialiter per libellum^ quem Tobis *f.«Mc- dedimus, Acacio, de *praedecessorum ejus nominibus taceator, abrasis eorum de diptychorum inscriptione vocabulis. Quo facto episcopum Constantinopolitanum in vestram communionem accipite. 3. Libellum vero vel episcopi Constantinopolitani vel alionuD^ quos Tos suscipere Deo Yolente contigerit; primo agite, ut praeeente populo recitetur. Quodsi hoc fieri non poterit*), saltem in secre- tario praesentibus clericis et archimandritis relegatur. Haec omnia si Deo fuerint volente completa, imperatorem rogate, ut destinatis sacris per metropolitanos episcopos, adjunctis ipsius episcopi^) litte- ris; innotescat; episcopum Constantinopolitanum suo quoque con- sensu celebrata professione, quam sedes apostolica destinaTit, in unitatem communionis fuisse susceptum. Quibus litteris etiam ipaos hortetur similia profiteri. Quodsi in hac parte imperator aliqiud difficultatis attulerity episcopus Constantinopolitanus^ directis prae- ceptionibus episcopis suis paroecialibus^) vel ceteris metropolitanis, eis praesentibus^), qui a vobis pariter directi fuerint, quid ipee fecerit; innotescat: quod ab eo modis omnibus vos oportet exigere; ut facti hujus testimonio peragrante etiam universos^ vel qui longe sunt positi; latere non possit.