Letter 205: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Report of Germanus the bishop, of Felix and Dioscorus the deacons, and of Blandus the presbyter to Pope Hormisdas. (Dated 6 October.) They set forth what was done at Thessalonica, by what scheme Dorotheus prepared the people for sedition, and how John the envoy and his host were struck down (sections 1-4); they add how they themselves appealed to the emperor, and how he promised vengeance (section 5). 1. Great is the mercy of God and beyond reckoning are His judgments, who leaves nothing hidden, that the conscience of each person may be tested. Dorotheus of Thessalonica did not appear as someone new, nor was he made such for the present occasion, but he showed himself to be the man whom true report had long proclaimed him. This man, ever entangled in his own evil desires, when the opportunity was given, brought forth the crime against the catholic faith which he was always laboring to bring to birth. In other letters we informed your Beatitude in what manner, as we were passing through Thessalonica, we were unable to receive the petitions [the libelli of submission to the Apostolic See]. It had nevertheless been determined, after the ordination of the holy Church of Constantinople, to send one of us to him, because the aforesaid man hoped for this: that one of us, after the petitions had been received, should hold the Mass together with him, as though having in this a public testimony that he was joined to the unity of the Apostolic See. Although it was late, it was nevertheless done, so that we sent the venerable John, the bishop, to him. There was sent with him, by common election, Epiphanius the presbyter. Germanus, the venerable and illustrious bishop, was with them, and Licinius, count of the imperial guard, by appointment of the most clement emperor. 2. This Licinius, however, since he had earlier been sent to Thessalonica for another matter, when a synod had been gathered concerning the diocese of the Church of Thessalonica, was found there, awaiting, according to the promise, one of us. They wished, in his presence, to draw up and to subscribe the petitions. And this was done: the aforesaid man signed those petitions, and coming to Constantinople he announced what had been done. It was said to us by the deputy of Dorotheus: "Give orders that someone be sent to receive the petitions." It was announced, as we have said before, that the venerable John, the bishop, was setting out, so that he might have testimony of their subscription. We asked the most pious emperor that the count Licinius also might travel with him: and this was done. 3. And because they arrived in the city, the presence of our men was announced to Dorotheus by the count Licinius. He sent Aristides the presbyter with two other bishops, whom alone he knew to be adversaries of the business, that they might see our men. With these they first wished to make disputes concerning the petitions, saying: "There are chapters which ought to be corrected." Our men said that it was not in their power to do this: "If you wish to do it, thanks be to God; if you do not wish to do it, we have come, we have greeted you, we are passing through." After these words they departed. On another day they came together, again saying these same things. And before they had finished setting forth their words, where no contention was generated, no injury had followed, suddenly the maddened populace rushed upon him, and killed two of the bishop's servants, they also broke the bishop's head in two places, and crushed his loins, and unless the mercy of God and the protection of the basilica of Saint Mark had rescued them out of their hands, there they would have perished. They were nevertheless freed, as it is said, because the public force arrived, which was able to rescue them. 4. These things and these contrivances were fabricated by the malice of Dorotheus, who, two days before our men reached Thessalonica, baptized over two thousand people, and dispensed so many sacraments among the people as might suffice them for the dangerous times to come, signifying to the people that the right faith was being changed. How could these things have failed to stir up the people? Whom did these things not summon to sedition? After this, the very petition which he had drawn up with the bishops, he tore up before the people, saying: "I will never do this, even unto my death, nor do I consent to those who do it." They also killed a venerable catholic man, who had received us, when we arrived, into his house, who had always been separated from communion with Dorotheus on account of the Council of Chalcedon: upon whom they inflicted such a death as those who killed holy Proterius inflicted. 5. These things came to the knowledge of the most clement emperor, and in nearly the whole city there is mourning among the catholics on account of such crimes as have occurred. The holy clemency promises to take vengeance and to cast down Dorotheus, because we appealed to his piety, saying: "By no reasoning can the most blessed pope receive Dorotheus among the bishops or into the communion of the Apostolic See, and on the contrary those who shall wish to receive him into their communion should know that they are guilty by ecclesiastical authority." These things we hastened to report to the knowledge of your Beatitude, that nothing may be hidden from you of what is being done in these regions. Received on the fourth day before the Kalends of December [28 November], in the consulship of Eutharicus.

seu ^9^ N^^ ^ Suggestio Germani episoopi, Feliois et Diosoori diaoonorum (dat. c. d. et Blandi presbyteri ad Hormisdam papam. «G Oct.) Quid Thessalonicae actum sit, qua ratione Dorotheus populum ad sedilionem p. ] praepararit, Johannes legatus ejusque hospes caesi sint, exponunt (n. L — 4); ad- dunt, quomodo ipsi imperatorem conteslati, et hic vindictam promiserit (». 5}. 1. Magna misericordia Dei est et inaestimabilia ejns jndicia, qui nihil occultum dimittit, ut probetur imiuscujusque conscientia. Dorotheus Thessalonicensis ^) non novus apparuit nec ad praesens factus, sed se demonstravit, quem olim vera praedicabat opinio. * Tste semper in malis desideriis suis involutus, data occasione exseruit, quod contra fidem catholicam semper parturiebat scelus. In aliis ep. 66. litteris significavimus beatitudini vestrae, quo ordine transeuntes Thessalonica libellos non potuimus suscipere. Erat tamen constitu- tum post ordinationem sanctae ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae, unum ex nobis ad ipsum dirigere, quia hoc sperabat praedictus, ut unus ex nobis post susceptos libellos cum ipso missas teneret^), quasi testimonio habens in generalitate se ad unitatem sedis apostolicae esse conjunctum. Etsi tarde^), factum est tamen, ut yenerabilem Johannem episcopum ad ipsum dirigeremus. Directus est cum ipso ex communi electione Epiphanius presbyter. Germanus*) venerabihs et illustris episcopus erat cum ipsis et Licinius comes scholae ex ordinatione clementissimi imperatoris. 2. Qui Licinius tamen quum prius pro alia causa esset Thessa- lonicam directus, congregata synodo de paroecia ecclesiae Thessalo- nicensis, ibi est inventus, exspectans secundum promissionem unum ex nobis. Voluerunt ipso praesente libellos facere et subscribere. Qudd factum est: signavit ipsos libellos praedictus vir, et veniens Constantinopolim factum nimtiavit. Dicebatur nobis ab apocrisiario Dorothei: Jubele dirigere, qui libellos suscipiat, Denuntiatum*) est, sicut praediximus, venerabilem Johannem episcopum ambulare, nt haberet testimonium subscriptionis illorum. Rogavimus piissimum im- peratorem, ut et comes Licinius ambularet cum eo : quod et factum est. 100 ') cc add. episcopus. 3. Et quia pervenenint in civitatem, nuntiata est Dorotheo per a. 619. comitem Licinium praesentia nostrorum. Qui direxit Aristidem pre- sby terum cum aliis duobus episcopis, quos solus ®) sciebat adversarios esse negotii, ut nostros videret. Cum quibus voluerunt facere in primis certamina de libellis, dicentes: Sunt capiiula, quae debeant emendari, Dixerunt nostri, non esse in potestate ipsorum hoc facere : si vuliis facere, Deo gratias; si non vuliis facere , venimus, salutavimvs vos, perambulamus'^), Discesserunt post ista verba. Ad aliam dieni convenerunt, iterum ista loquentes. Et antequam propositionem verborum fecissent, ubi^) non est intentio generata, non injuria se- cuta est, subito populus insanus irruit super ipsum, et duos pueros •Qcciderunt episcopi, caput etiam fregerunt episcopo®) in duabus par- tibus, et renes ejus dissipaverunt, et nisi misericordia Dei et defen- sio sancti Marci basilicae'^) eruisset eos de manibus eorum, ibi perierant. Liberati sunt tamen, quomodo dicitur, quia manus publica supervenit, quae eos eruere potuit. 4. Ista et istorum concinnamenta Dorothei malitia fabricavit, qui ante biduum, quam pervenirent nostri Thessalonicam, super duo millia baptizavit**), sacramenta tanta erogavit in populo, quae pos- ®) Scii. Johanni legaio, ut etiam fama vulgante didicisse se Hormisda supe- rius epist. 97 n. 1 scripsit. Quod autem ajunt caput Johannis in duahus parti- bu8 (non in duas partes) fractum, hoc est duobus vubieribus confossum. ^o) Testatur Hormisda epist. 97 n. 1, Johannem, quum caesus fuisset, vix sacrosancti fontis reverentia vindicatum evasisse. Ipsemet Johannes infra epist. 102 n. 3 se in baptisterio absconditum scribit. Hinc vero sequitur, ut hoc ba- ptisterium aedes s. Marco sacra fuerit. *') Notandus hic locus, ac primo recolendum, Johannem cum sociis Thessa- lonicam circa Septembrem vel Augustum petiisse, adeoque tot hominibus ba- ptismum extra Pascha et Pentecosten fuisse coUatum. Quod quemadmodum obsidionis, persecutionis aliisque temporibus semper licitum, ita quum non imminerent hujusmodi discrimina , prohibitum iuisse docent Siricius epist. 1 c. 2 n. 3, Leo epist. 16 c. 5 et epist. 168 c. 1 ac Gelasius epist. 14 c. 10, 15 n. 4. Quocirca ex illo populorum ad baptismum confluentium singulari concursu recte arguunt legati seditiosum Dorothei animum, quo Johannis legati nou secus at- que crudelis et impii tyranni adventum repraesentarit. Observandus praeterea antiquuB usus sacramenta, scil. corporis Christi, tantapopulo erogaudi, quanta ipsi possent ad tempora illa periculosa sufEcere. Denique hoc Thessalonicae Dorothei artificio territis plebibus contigisse advertimus, quod Augustinus epist. 228 u. 8 in gravissimis discriminibus accedere solere enarrat iu hunc modum: An non cogitamus , quum ad istorum periculorum pervenitur extrema nec est potestas uUa fugiendi, quantus in ecclesia fieri soleat ab utroque sexu alque ab omni aetate 67* a. 519. smt ipsis ad* tempora sufficere, significans plebi, quia fides recta inutatur. Ista quomodo non habuerant excitare populum? Ista quem non invitabant ad seditionem? Post hoc et ipsum libellum, quem fecerat cum episcopis, ante populum scindit*^), dicens: Ego isiud mque ad mortem meam nunquam facio^ nec facientibus conseniio. Oc- ciderunt et hominem venerabilem catholicum, qui nos venientes susceperat in domo sua, qui semper separatus fuit a communione Dorothei propter synodum Calchedonensem : in quo talem mortem exercuerunt, qualem illi qui sanctum Proterium occiderunt. 5. Ista ad clementissimum tmperatorem pervenerunt, et prope in tota civitate catholicis ^^*) luctus est propter talia quae contige- runt scelera. Promittit sancta clementia vindicare et jactare Doro- theum, quia nos contestati sumus pietatem ejus, dicentes: NuUa ratione Dorotheum inter episcopos aut in communione sedis aposioiicae potest beatissimus papa recipere, et contra qui vduerint eum in sua communione recipere, scire se esse reos auctoritaie ecciesiasHca, Ista ad notitiam beatitudinis vestrae festinavimus referre, ut nihil ?os lateat, quod in istis partibus agitur. Accepta IV Calendas Decem- bris, Eutharico consule.