Letter 210: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Hormisdas to John, bishop of Constantinople. We have found that Thomas and Nicostratus, our brothers and fellow bishops, were not received at Constantinople in the manner that our wishes intended, and that they themselves always desired. For not only are the places due to them said to have been taken away, but we have also learned that they were suspended even from communion. How bitterly our spirit bears this, we believe that your fraternity and affection too can judge. And therefore, however much diligence you see the magnitude of the case to demand, you ought to furnish that much effectiveness without delay, and to act so that we, in whose [name] they came, may not appear to have been the more despised, since to them, on the contrary, against what the common desire held, the vexation of trouble has been improperly inflicted to such a degree that not even concerning their resources, which are said to have been seized, may anything be said to have been arranged by our brother and fellow bishop John, nor were our letters, which we sent through them, received. Concerning all these matters we desire you to act so urgently that your charity may be able with speed to write back to us about the outcome of this case. Given under the aforesaid consul.

Horiuisdae papae ad Johannem Gonstantinopolitanum. ^sDccf Thoma tt Nicdstrato Constantinopoli indigne susceptis, se ipaum spretum videin. lis quam piimum consultum vult. Hormisda Johanni^) episcopo Constantinopolitano. Reperimus Thomatem et Nicostratum fratres et coepiscopos nostros ConstantinopoU non ita susceptos, sicuti nostra fuere desi- deria, et ipsi semper optabant. Non solum enim loca eis debita^) dicuntur ablata, sed a communione quoque eos cognovimus fuisse suspensos. Quod quam acerbe ferat animus noster, etiam fraterni- tatem et dilectionem tuam credimus aestimare. Et ideo quantam diligentiam causae videtis magnitudinem poscere, tantam vos effi- caciam debetis sine mora praestare, et agere, ne nos magis, apud^) quos fuerunt, videamur esse contempti-, quum illis contra, quam desiderium commune habuit, sollicitudinis molestia fuerit indecenter injecta in tantum, ut nec de facultatibus eorum, quae eis dicuntur invasae, a fratre et coepiscopo nostro Johanne, dicatur aliquod^) antequam, sicut pervideritis ^ ut oportet, firmentur ea quae hene disposita sunt ab eis. ') G* Data dls cons, sSy ed. Data supradicto consuie. 106 ^) In vulg. Johanni episcopo ei Dioscoro diacono. Addimus cum G ' Constan- tinopolitano. In eodem G* quidem postea hic adjicitur et Dioscoro diacono, eed in praevio illius indice generali haec verba absunt. Et ea quidem abesse de- bere inde nobis persuasum est: 1*^ quod in ea Hormisda unum et singularem alloquitur his verbis fraternitatem et dilectionem lunvi (non vestram) credimus aesii- mare; 2° quod eam in epistola 144 recolat ac memoret ut ad unum Johannem Bcriptam; 3° quod non aliter de ea in subnexa epistola 107 loquatur. Verum autiquariuB, hujus epistolae 107 illud legens: tam ad Johannem fratrem et coepi- scopum nostrnm scripta direximiis, quam dilectissimo filio noslro Dioscoro diacono per Utieras inJunanmuSy in eum inductus est errorem, ut unam eamdemque epistolam ibi designari, adeoque hanc 106 uon tantum Johanni episcopo, sed et Dioscoro diacono inscribendara existimaret. Johannem, ciyus epistola synodica ad Johannem Constautinopolitanum concilii ConBtautinopolitani sub Mena actioni V (Hard. U, 134*2) inserta est, eique primuin subscribere Johannem Caesareae (in Palaestina) episcopum. Nec deest conjectura, a.6l9. ordinatum, nec litteras nostras, quas per eos misimus^), fui^ su- seeptas. De quibus omnibus ita vos agere desideramus instanter, ut ad nos caritas vestra de eflFectu hujus causae valeat sub celeritate rescribere. Data quo supra consule.