Letter 66: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

A COPY OF THE REPORT OF JOHN, BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE. To my lord, in all things worthy of love, most holy in God, and brother and fellow-minister, Hormisdas, John sends greeting in the Lord. Paulinus, an honorable man, a defender [defensor, a church advocate], who delivered your letter and who, displaying in himself the virtues of your holiness, conversed with us with joy, devoted his solicitude to our common counsels and undertakings. But since it was not fitting to detain him any longer, as he was hastening back to you, therefore, addressing your holiness in turn, we commend the aforesaid man, that he may be protected, a faithful servant worthy of your love and dependable. He will moreover be for you a worthy and trustworthy narrator concerning those things which have been done by us according to your mind, and concerning the solicitude which we exercise vigilantly on behalf of the holy churches. For we, looking to the prayers of your holiness and to the natural goodness of this matter, hold a most vigilant zeal, and, with God cooperating, the word of grace running abroad among very many leads our purpose to its effect without any obstruction. But because certain difficulties have arisen, those things which are stirred up from this quarter must, with governance indeed and gentle arrangement, be suitably set forth, just as your holiness above all things knows, and just as it behooves those who have been allotted to feed the flocks of God to do and to strive after all things for the glory of God, and to nurse a hope of salvation in him, and as it is written: "To them that love God all things work together for good." For we strive to feel and likewise to do those things which please you, as has been said, most holy one. All the brotherhood in Christ which is with your holiness, I too and mine greet most abundantly.

EXEMPLUM RELATIONIS lOHANNIS EPI8C0PI CONSTANTINOPOLITANI. DOMINO MEO PER OMNIA AMABILI DEO SANCTISSIMOQUE FRATRI ET COMMINISTRATORI HORMISDAE lOHANNES IN DOMINO SALUTEM. Paulinus uir honestus defensor, qui ueslram retulit epistolam 5 uestraeque sanetitatis uirtutes in se ostendens cum gaudio nobiscura conuersatus, suam solli< ci )tudinem communibus consiliis actibusque contulit. sed quoniam ad uos festinantem non oportebat eum prolixiore tempore remorari, ideoque reci- procis alloquentes uestram sanctitatem protegi praefatum lo uirum et uestri dignum amoris fidelem seruum subsistentem 2 commendamus. erit autem de his, quae a nobis gesta sunt pro uestro animo, et circa sanctas ecclesias soUicitudine, quam gerimus uigilanter, uobis dignus fidei enarrator. nam nos orationibus uestrae sanctitatis et naturalem bonitatem i& huius rei respicientes uigilantissimum habemus studium et deo cooperante in plurimis uerbum gratiae discurrens sine 3 aliqua obsistentia ad eifectum nostram ducit intentionera. sed quia difficultates aliquae accesserunt, gubematione utique et miti dispositione ea, quae hinc mouentur, oportet competenter 20 exponi, sicut et uestra cognoscit super omnia sanctitas, et, quemadmodum opoitet eos, qui greges dei pascere sortiti sunt, uniuersa ad gloriam dei et agere et moliri spem salutis det Hormisdae epistulae cuidam deperditae datae fsimul cum epp. 175 et 227) die 3 I)ec. a. 519. Edd. Car. P 552; Collect. Concil; Thiel 985. 2 lohannis a: Epiphanii Car.; cf. ea, quae epistulae 183 sub- notaui, et Beitrdge p. 41 sqq. 5 uir honestus scHpsi: un a, uestrae c sedis Car., uenerabilis Thiel 7 nobiscum] nob a fort. conuersatus <e8t> soUitudinem a, corr. communis a, corr. Car. 8 ad a sed a in ras. 9 tpr a sed pr in ras. ideo Thiel 13 sollicitudine ras. ex sollicitudine a 14 uigilarev a, correxi: uigilare 0 nobis *> ennarrator a 16 habemus scripsi: habentem a 17 im a 19 guber- nacine a, corr. cod. Angelic. 20 mitti a, corr. Thiel: inuiti 0 hic te Car. copetur a, corr. 0 21 sanct^tatis o, corr. 0 22 quemamo- dura a Epist. CLXXXIIII 1 - CLXXXV 3. 641 in eum habentes et sicut scriptum est: diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum. ea enim, quae uobis placeant, sicut dictum estt, sentire quoque et agere nitimur, sanctissime. omnem in Christo fraternitatem, quae 4 5 cum uestra est sanctitate, ego quoque et mei plurimum salutamus.