Letter 91: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[...] there are no joys, especially spiritual ones, from which tribulation can be wholly separated. We rejoice over the unity of the church of Constantinople, which has been brought about with the apostolic see; we are glad that every day the petitions of various bishops are offered to us in satisfaction. A small scandal occurred in the city of Ephesus, where the synod of Chalcedon was despised and treated with insult: it belongs to the most merciful emperor, when called upon, to correct this, which we also hope will be done with God's help. Now, although after labors, although after many efforts, the church of Antioch has been set in order: a certain man named Paul, a presbyter of the church of Constantinople, has been chosen, who has been approved as most fitting for this honor by the testimony of the emperor. They wished and attempted to ordain him here; I, not unmindful of your command, contradicted them, saying, "Our lord the most blessed pope has commanded that he be ordained bishop there according to the ancient custom." This prevailed, what you had ordered. Pray that God, through the prayers of the apostle Peter, may make that city also receive its chosen priest in peace. And because these things are being done, and in them the catholic church daily makes progress, the ancient ensnarer has stirred up the monks from Scythia, who are from the household of the master of soldiers Vitalian, adversaries to the wishes of all Christians, whose unrest has generated no small delays to the unity of the churches and especially concerning the ordination of the aforesaid church of Antioch. These monks, among whom is also Leontius, who says that he is a kinsman of the master of soldiers, hasten to Rome, hoping that certain chapters may be confirmed by your beatitude. Among other things, there is one in these in which they wish to say that one of the Trinity was crucified, which is something said neither in the holy synods nor in the letters of the holy pope Leo nor in ecclesiastical custom. And if this is permitted to be done, it seems to me that dissensions or no slight scandals will arise among the churches. This the emperor Anastasius greatly hastened to impose upon the catholics, this also the disciples of Eutyches put forward in the synod of Chalcedon, since, however often the fathers disputed about the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, they said that the Son of God the Word is consubstantial with the Father, homoousion [of the same substance] with the Father. But this expression was never introduced into the synods by the fathers, because without doubt it could in no way agree with the catholic faith. If the intention of this expression be subtly attended to, to how many heresies it lies open and what evils through it could be introduced into ecclesiastical disputes, since it is a long matter, we shall be able to set forth in person. Whence it seems to me sound and useful and conducive to the peace of the churches to give no other response than: "The holy council of Chalcedon suffices, in which the other synods also are contained; the letters of pope Leo suffice, which the synod confirmed; we neither wish nor ought to introduce novelty into the church." There is in their proposal a cunning thing, to say this also: "We have received the synod of Chalcedon; this we hope, that you may order it to be expounded for us, because it does not suffice as it has been expounded against the Nestorian heresy"; not as though they did not understand, but rather striving by subtlety to bring us to this, that there be a dispute about the synod of Chalcedon. And if this should be done, it is shown to be doubtful and base, and it has lain open to the error of all the heretics. Among other things, if after the synod of Chalcedon, if after the letters of pope Leo, if after the petitions which the bishops have given and do give and through which they have given satisfaction to the apostolic see, something new is again added, so it seems to me, that whatever has been done is being destroyed. Given on the third day before the Kalends of July, at Constantinople.

UeniTii est nulla esse gaudia, magnopere spiritalia, a quibus ex toto tribulatio possit esse <8e>parata. gaudemus de unitate 2 5 Constantinopolitanae ecclesiae, quae facta est cum sede apo- stolica; laetamur cotidie diuersorum episcopornm libellos nobis satisfactionis offerri. modicum in Ephesena ciuitate 3 contigit scandalum, ubi contempta est et iniuriata synodus Chalcedonensis: est inuocato clementissimo imperatori hoc 10 corrigere, quod et sperate cum dei adiutorio fieri. nunc, 4 etsi post labores, etsi post intentiones plures, Antiochena ecclesia ordinata est: electus quidam Paulus est nomine presbyter Constantinopolitanae ecclesiae, quem huic honori aptissimum imperatoris testimonio comprobatum est. uoluerunt 15 et temptauerunt hic eum ordinare; ego iussionis uestrae non immemor contradixi dicens ^iussit domnus noster beatissimus papa secundum antiquam consuetudinem ibi eum episcopum ordinari'. hoc obtinuit, quod praecepistis. orate, ut deus precibus apostoli Petri et ipsam ciuitatem cum pace faciat » electum suscipere sacerdotem. et quia ista aguntur et in 5 his cotidie proficit ecclesia catholica, insidiator antiquus excitauit monachos de Scythia, qui de domo magistri militum Uitaliani sunt, omnium Christianorum uotis aduersarios, quorum inquietudo non paruas moras generauit unitati « ecclesiarum et magnopere de praedictae ecclesiae Antiochenae ordinatione. isti monachi, inter quos est et Leontius, qui se 6 dicit parentem esse magistri militum, Romam festinant sperantes aliquanta capitula a beatitudine uestra confirmari. est in ipsis inter cetera, ubi uolunt dicere unum de trinitate 216. Bat. (simul cum epp, 187 et 217—218) a. 519 die 29 lunii per Eulogium. Edd. Car, P 521; Bar. ad a. 519, 78; Ctllect. Con" cil; Thiel 868. 4 aeparata o': parata V 6 loetamur V 9 inuocato clementissimo imperatori F: inuocatus clementissimus imperator Car, 10 speratf V: sperat o* 24 unitate F, corr. 676 Suggestio GermaBi etc. ad Hormisdam crucifixum, quod est nec in sanctis synodis dictum nec in epistolis sanctl papae Leonis nec in consuetudine ecclesiastica. quod si permittitur fieri, mihi uidetur dissensiones aut scandala 7 non mediocria nasci inter ecclesias. istud Anastasius imperator magnopere catholicis imponere festinauit, istud et Eutychetis 5 discipuli in synodo Calcedonensi proposuerunt, quia quotiens- cumque patres de dei filio domino nostro lesu Christo disputauerunt, filium dei uerbum consubstantialem patri, horaousion patri dixerunt. iste autem sermo ideo numquam est in synodis a patribus introductus, quia procul dubio catholicae 10 Sfidei minime poterat conuenire. cuius sermonis si subtiliter adtendatur intentio, ad quantas haereses pateat et quae mala per eum possint disputationibus ecclesiasticis introduci, quoniam longum est, praesentes insinuare poterimus. unde sanum mihi uidetur et utile et ad pacem ecclesiarura 15 conueniens nihil aliud responsura dare nisi ^sufficit sanctura Calcedonense concilium, in quo et aliae synodi continentur: sufficiunt epistolae papae Leonis, quas synodus confirmauit: nouitatem in ecclesiam introducere nec uolumus nec debemus'. 9 est in propositione eorum callida et hoc dicere "nos synodum ao Calcedonensem suscepimus; hoc speramus, ut iubeatis nobis eam exponere. quia non sufficit sic, quomodo est exposita, contra haeresim Nestorianam', non, quasi non intellegentes, nisi conantes per subtilitatem ad hoc nos adducere, ut disputetur de synodo Calcedonensi. quod si factum fuerit, «.> dubia et infima ostenditur et haereticorum omnium patuit lOerrori. inter alia si post synodum Calcedonensem, si post epistolas papae Leonis, si post libellos, quos dederunt et dant episcopi et per ipsos satisfecerunt sedi apostolicae, iterum aliquid nouum addatur, sic mihi uidetur, quia quicquid sa factum est destruitur. Data IIL Kal. luL Constantinopoli. Epiit. CCXVI 7 — CCXVII 5. 677