Letter 58: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Hormisdas to Pompeius. We confess that the spirit of our devotion is so filled with joy at this concord that we believe no words can suffice by which we might express the purity of your faith. You will assuredly pass on to posterity a great memory of this happy outcome, because it is certain that you were bound by anxious care in the making of peace. You hold merit in the sight of the Divinity, to whose religion you render your affection. You have indeed accomplished the desires of the whole community, but your own vows have likewise been fulfilled; and while you have prepared a reward for your soul, the whole world rejoices at the benefit bestowed upon it. Wherefore, saluting you with the honor that is due, we exhort and ask that, with the same vigor with which you began the start of ecclesiastical peace, you procure its accomplishment, and that wherever you see any traces of contention remaining, you take care by every means to pursue them. Be present to the fullest tranquility of the churches of God; press on with the labor which by the gift of your faith you have taken care to offer to the Lord. For you bring it about that we demand the fullness of it from you with greater confidence, since we rejoice that you have laid the votive beginnings of a union so very long desired. Given on the day as above, in the consulships recorded above. (175.) Hormisdas to Dioscorus the deacon. Concerning your labor indeed, which you undertook with the help of God almighty, for that part which has been carried out, we rejoice at the result, making known to all the peoples of Italy that the things which, with God as author, have been done through you have given satisfaction; and we render thanks to our God without ceasing, who made you recognize that you were sent not out of hatred but rather for the greatness of the cause. Hence, since the mercy of the divine propitiation has aided our suppliant and pure intention through you, it is necessary that we take thought concerning the reward and recompense of your industry and toil. For in the coming time we are arranging to write to our lord and son the emperor, that he ought to ordain you bishop of Alexandria. For it is just that the church should be corrected by your teaching and moderation, in which church especially you have served from these beginnings of your youth. For it displeased us that the most merciful emperor was striving to set your charity over the church of Antioch; for it is better that in the very soil of your homeland you receive the dignity of so great a priesthood, so that you may teach the Egyptian peoples, rather than that, having been born in another part of the world, you should seem to wander among the Syrians, men new and unknown to you. The long detention also of Thomas and Nicostratus, our brothers and fellow bishops, saddens us, and we wonder why under a catholic prince bishops of the right faith should seem to labor. Your charity will be obliged to relieve their desires by acting so that the grief of those awaiting what they hope for may be turned into joy. John, bishop of Nicopolis, wrote to us through the deacon Ammonius, that certain ill-disposed men are striving to bring up a false accusation against him before the prince: we commend him to your affection, exhorting that you labor so that the underhanded scheming of his enemies may not be able to harm his peace. This deacon Ammonius, coming to us, we were unwilling to receive into the communion of the apostolic see for so long, until, after a discussion had been held with the deacon Sergius, we might inquire what ought to be ordained; and our deliberation found this acceptable concerning the aforesaid deacon, that through the testimony of a written profession he should be joined to the catholic communion: which profession having been solemnly presented, we signify that the man offering it has been joined to our communion. We commend Paulinus, defender of the Roman church, and we exhort that you leave nothing unsettled on account of haste for your return, because all things are better arranged under length of time with the help of our God, and it is more pleasing that under delay the condition of all the churches be set in order than that through haste anything should remain imperfect, whence again both labor would be generated for us and difficulty brought to our ordinations. Given on the day as above, in the consulships recorded above.

HORMiSDA POMFEio. Ita douotiouis nostrae animum gaudio concordiae fatemur impletum, ut nuUa credamus uerba sufHcere, quibus fidei uestrae puritatem ualeamus explere. magna pro- fecto memoria felicitatis transibitis ad posteros, quia uos iu facienda pace sollicitudine certum est fuisse constrictos. habetis apud diuinitatem meritum, cuius religioni persoluitis affectum. operati quidem estis generalitatis desideria sed et uestra pariter completa sunt uota, et cum animae uestrae paraueritis praemium, uniuersitas sibi beneficium gaudet impensum. 1 uideantur edit. reg. et sic p. 632, 7 3 memor F, corr. pos- 8cit F, corr. p 5 aliquid V {cf. p. 632, 11), corr, o iiituntur p, at cf. p. 632, 11 6 dilectionis F, corr. o 7 posacit V, corr. o 10 quid Tkiel (cf. p. 632, 16) : qui 7 11 <de> supradicto edit. reg., at cf p. 632, 17 13 solemniter V 14 coramunionia V, corr, p Data.] nec diem nec mensem additum non mireris, si quae initio epistulae subnotaui con- sideraueris Epist, CLXXni 4 — CLXXV 3. 631 quapropter de<bita> u<o>s honorificentia salutantes hortamur et 2 petimus, ut uiuacitate, qua quietis ecclesiasticae coepistis ini- tium, procuretis efifectum et, quocumque contentionis alicuius nideritis remansisse uestigia, curetis modis omnibus inse- 5 quenda. adeste ecclesiainim dei plenissimae tranquillitati, insistite labori quem fidei uestrae munere domino curastis offerre. facitis enim, ut maiore a uobis fiducia exigamus pleni- tudinem, quos gratulamur desideratae diutissime adunationis initia uotiua fundasse. Data die quo <supra> cons. ss. 10 (175.) HORiiSDA nioscoRO DUCONO. Dc laboris tui quidem, quem dei omnipotentis iuuamine suscepisti, pro ea parte, quae acta est, gratulamur efFectu indicantes omnibus Italiae populis, quae auctore deo per te acta sunt, placuisse et gratias deo 15 nostro sine cessatione persoluimus, qui te fecit agnoscere, quia non pro odio sed pro causae magis fueris amplitudine destinatus. unde quoniam supplicem et puram cogitationem 2 nostram per te misericordia diuinae propitiationis adiuuit, necesse est, ut de industriae uel fatigationis tuae praemio 29 ot uicissitudine cogitemus. nam sequenti tempore scribere domno et filio nostro imperatori disponimus, ut te Alexan- drinum episcopum debeat ordinare. iustum est enim, ut ea doctrinauel moderatione tua corrigatur ecclesia, in qua praecipue ab istis aetatis tuae principiis militasti. nam displicuit nobis, 3 « quod caritatem tuam clementissimus imperator Antiochenae 1 de<bita> n<o>B temptaui, debita Car.: df (= deus) V 2 cepistis V 5 plenissime V 6 insisstite V curasti F, corr. 8 di ustissim^ F, corr. a 9 data d<l cons. ss. F; ego supra inserui 175. Bat. (simul cum ep. 227) a. 519 die 3 Dec; per Paulinum, Edd. Car. P 508; Collect. Concil; BTA I 431; Thiel 905; comme- morat Bar. ad a. 519, 134. De similitudine epistulae 173 cf. quae illiusinitio subnotaui. 17 simplicem jTAteZ pura F, corr. o 21 aleian- drinam F, corr. o 22 ea F: tua o* 23 uel scripsi: ut F, et p 24 istis F: ipsis Car. militati F, corr. o^ 632 Honnisda lustiniano praeponere nitebatur ecclesiae; melins enim in solo patriae tanti accipis sacerdotii dignitatem, ut Aegyptios populos doceas quam inter Syros nouos et incognitos homines in alia 4 orbis parte progenitus errare uidearis. Thomae quoque et Nicostrati fratrum et coepiscoporum nostroiiim obseruatio longa nos contristat et miramur, cur apud catholicum principem rectae fidei laborare uideantur episcopi. quorum desideria tua debebit caritas subleuare agendo, quatenus optata conse- 5 quentium maeror conuerti possit in gaudium. lohannes Nico- politanus episcopus per Ammonium diaconum nobis scripsit, quod ei aliqui maliuoli apud principem nitantur generare calumniam: quem dilectioni tuae commendamus hortantes, ut elabores, ne eius quieti inimicorum possit nocere subreptio. 6 quem Ammonium diaconum ad nos uenientem in sedis apo- stolicae noluimus communione suscipere tamdiu, donec habito cum Sergio diacono tractatu quid ordinari debuerit quaere- remus, et hoc deliberatio nostra supra dicto diacono probabilis inuenit, ut per testimonium libelli communioni catholicae iun- geretur: quo libello soUemniter oblato nostrae offerentem com- 7 munioni significamus adiunctum. Paulinum ecclesiae Bomanae defensorem commendamus et hortamur, ut nihil indispositum pro festinatione uestri reditus relinquatis, quia melius cuncta sub prolixitate temporis cum dei nostri iuuamine disponuntur et gratius est, <si> sub mora omnium ecclesiarum ordinetur status quam cum per festinationem aliquid imperfectum rema- neat, unde itenim et labor nobis generetur et nostris afferatur ordinationibus diSicultas. Data die <quo> supra cons. ss. 2 accipies Car. egypcios V 3 homine F, corr. o 4 urbis V, corr. 5 fratrum Car.: et fratrum V 9 memor F, corr. cor uerti F, corr. a 11 aliquid F {cf. p. 630, 5), corr. nituntur Car. 15 noluisti F, corr. a man. post. {cf. p. 630. 9) 17 <de> supradicto 23 temporibus F, corr. o^ 24 si addidi, ut p 25 festinacione F, co)r. a 27 die <quo> supra acripsi {%. e. 3 Dec. a. 519) : dif F Epist. CLXXV 4 — CLXXVI 3. 638