Letter 19: Felix, bishop of Rome, to the most clement Emperor Zeno.

Of Pope Felix to the Emperor Zeno. [Summary: Briefly recounting the crimes of Peter of Alexandria and of Acacius, he shows that the former has again been condemned and that the latter has been cut off from communion and from apostolic rank (sections 1-4). He admonishes the emperor to permit the Catholic Church to enjoy its own laws and its liberty (section 5).] Felix to Zeno Augustus. 1. Since your Piety, although you have answered my writings on a rather full page, yet, when the truth was more carefully made known to your own ears, judged it worthy of disdain, it became my care to conclude in brief, with definite limits, those matters which you do not wish to be published more widely. And so, the courtesy of address being set forth first, I confess that I fear alike for your reign and for your salvation. For indeed it will be proven against divine reverence that the legation directed by the blessed Apostle Peter -- just as his confession laid bare -- was held as though reduced into captivity, and that, the documents which it carried being violently taken away, it was brought forth from custody to communicate with heretics, that is, with the apocrisiaries [envoys] of Peter of Alexandria, against whom it had gone. Wherefore the apostolic censure has deprived Vitalis indeed and Misenus, for having either under compulsion consented to these things, of their honor together with communion. But since, even among barbarous nations also and those ignorant of the Deity itself, for the carrying out of business, even human, by the law of nations the sacrosanct liberty of any legation whatever is maintained, it is known to all how much more, by a Roman emperor and a Christian prince, especially in divine matters, it ought to have been kept inviolate. 2. Then, the legation being set aside -- which, as has been said, could not even remain inviolate among you for the sake of the blessed Apostle Peter -- let your tranquility learn, at least by the tenor of these letters, that the see of the blessed Apostle Peter has never granted, nor will grant, consent of communion to Peter of Alexandria, formerly and justly condemned and nonetheless lately crushed by a synodal sentence: because, to pass over the rest now, having been installed by heretics, he cannot, against all that is right, preside over the Catholic Church. Hence, since you have considered my exhortation burdensome, I leave it to the judgment of your deliberation, whether the communion of the blessed Apostle Peter or that of Peter of Alexandria is to be chosen by anyone. 3. But what manner of man the Alexandrian has shown himself to be, or how, rash as he was, he usurped a priesthood of false name through one man scarcely an accomplice of his own depravity, and how he was for some time numbered even among you in the lot of the condemned, approve from the letters of his supporter Acacius given to my predecessor of holy memory, copies of which you see appended below. With prompt piety toward God weigh whether he can even be called a bishop -- a name which, even if he had received it from several bishops, he could not hold -- or whether he deserves to be imposed upon orthodox peoples against the Council of Nicaea, against singular observance. 4. Here too it plainly appears that Acacius, who wished to conceal his own transgressions rather under your name than to suggest things that would profit you, did not offer to your salvation a sincere devotion, nor did he bear toward the rules of the Fathers and toward the Catholic dogma itself a faithful conscience. Therefore this same man -- inasmuch as he has perpetrated many wicked deeds against the decrees of the ancients, and has come forth as a praiser of one whom he himself asserted to be condemned and caused to be condemned by the apostolic see, and again building up what he had before destroyed -- has constituted himself a prevaricator [betrayer]: just authority has assigned him, through Tutus, defender of the Roman Church, to the portion of apostolic severity belonging to those whom he chose rather to follow, and by lawful severity has separated him from the communion and apostolic dignity of which he showed himself unworthy by associating himself with that man's outsiders. 5. But I think that your Piety, who prefer even to be overcome by your own laws rather than to resist them, ought to obey the heavenly decrees: and so to know that the summit of human affairs has been committed to you, yet in such a way that you do not doubt that those things which are divine are to be received through the dispensers divinely appointed. I think it useful for you, without any doubt, if in the time of your princedom you permit the Catholic Church to use its own laws, and allow no one to oppose its liberty, which restores to you the power of the kingdom. For it is certain that this is salutary for your affairs: that, when the causes of God are treated, and according to His own ordinance, you should be eager to subject your royal will to the priests of Christ, not to set it before them, and to learn the sacrosanct things through their prelates rather than to teach them, to follow the form of the Church, not to subject this to things to be followed by human right. And by this indeed, concerning all these matters, I absolve my conscience before the tribunal of Christ, being about to plead the cause. It will concern your mind to consider more and more, both that in the state of present affairs we stand under divine examination, and that, after the course of this life, we shall consequently come to the divine judgment. And in another hand: Given on the Kalends of August, in the consulship of Venantius, most distinguished man.

Felicis papae ad Zenonem imperatorem. i Aut.^ »11 Petri Alexandrini Acaciiyue crimina hreviter perslrinfjcns^ et iUum dcnuo damna- ium ei hunc a communione et dignilatc apostolica discretum csse docet (n. 1 — 4). ^fonei, ui Ecclesiam catholicam suis uti legibus et libertute imperator sinat («. 5). Felix Zenoui Augusto. 1. Quouiam pietas tua, licet profusiore ])agiua ad mea scripta respoiiderit, suis auribus diligeutius intimataui fastidio dignam cre- didit veritatem, curaudum mihi fuit, ut breviter, quae uou vultis latius publicari, defiuita concluderem. Itaque ofticiositate praemissa timere me fateor reguo vestro pariter et saluti. Siquidem coutra diviuam reverentiam probabitur, ut beati a])ostoli Petri directa lega- tio, sicut ejus coufessio patefecit, tamquam iu captivitate redacta teneretur, et chartis, quas bajulabat, violeuter abhitis ad eommuui- candum haereticis, hoc est apocrisiariis Alexaudriui Petri, adversum quem ierat, de custodia sit producta. Quapropter Yitalem^) quidem et ^liseniun, cur vel impulsi ad ista cousenseriut, houore simul et communione apostolica censura privavit. Sed quum aj^ud barl)aras etiam nationes atque ipsius Deitatis iguaras j^ro exsequeudis uego- tiis vel humam's jure gentium legatiouis cujusli])et habeatur sacro- sancta libertas, uotum est omuibus, quauto magis ab imperatore Komano et Christiauo priucipe, iu rebus ]>raesertim diviuis, opor- tuerit intemeratam servari. «) Ita D' D* D» D8 D' D'"» d' d*; N* 0 c c a^ sbnul scxaginta septem. hi E' E* F* H^ I i* tota subsariptio Caeiius Felix ctc. cleest. <) Uaec et sequentia verba Nicolaub I edi»tro ad Michaclem imp. laudat. |a^] a. 484. 2. Deiiide legatione submota-), quae apud vos, \it dictum iiec beati Petri apostoli iiiviolata esse jaiu potuit, tranquillitas litteraruni salt<}m teuore oogiiosoat, sedem beati apostoli Petri Al xandriiio Petro, olim juste(|ue dnmnato ac nihilominus per senteii- tiam synodalenr^) nuper eliso, communionis nimquam vel praebuisse vel praebituram esse consensum: quia, ut cetera nimc omittam^ ab haereticis institutus contra fas omne catholicae praesidere non possit ecclesiae. Unde quoniimi adhortationem meam duxistis onerosam, in vestro relinquo deliberationis arbitrio, utrum beati apostoli Petri an Alexandrini Petri cuiquam sit eligenda communio. 3. (iualis autem Alexandrinus exstiterit, vel quemadmodum falsi nominis sacerdotium per unum^) vix suae complicem pravitatis temerarius usurparit, atque in damnatonnn fuerit etiam apud vos duduni sorte numeratus, suflragatoris ejus Acacii litteris ad sanctae memoriae decessorem meuni datis, quarum exemplaria subdita cer- nitis, approbate. Utrimi vel episcopus dici valeat, quod nomen etiamsi a pluribus episco})is accepisset, habere non posset, vel ortho- doxis plebibus contra Nicaenam synodum, c(mtra observantiam sin- gularem^) mereatur im])oni, pnmipta in Deum pietate perpendite. * ) h. e. submoto seriiione de legationf , quae etianisi heati Petri apostoli Bit, utpote ab ejus vifiirio profecta, nec vel tanto nomine, ut inviolata excipeTetor, meruit. Homana non recipit. Cui etiamsi nihil aliud objiceretur , vet hoc unum sufficerei, qmod ah haercticis ordinatus orthodoxis praeesse non potuit, Quam Romanac ecdesiae disciplinani niox etiam aliunde illustraturi sumus. ■*) Ktianisi hoc FeUcis t^jstinionium Acacii scriptis (Simplic. epist. 8 n. 2), quibus et Theophanes 1. c. pag. 194 concinit, sit fultum et in gest. de nom. Acac. n. 7 repetatur, tunien Kvaj^rius h. i». 111, 20 ex litteris Aeg>'ptiorum epi* scoporum et clericorum ad Felicem scriptis Pc^trum a duobus episcopis eam^m haeresim profilentibus conscnratum fuiss<.> refert. Sed nihil inde mutatur Felicis sent^mtia, qua eum a sacenlotali honore arcendum esse censet. Nicaenom quippe concilium can. 4 saltem trium e)>iscoporum praesentiam in episcopi con- secratione requirit. Cui concinens Autiochena syuodus cau. 19 omnes pr^mneme episcopos aut saltem plerusqne ei(Uuu adesse \\\\i : alioqiun ordinationi nulia ffis ine^ rit, ait. Siricius papa autem ejust. f) n. 2 et epist. 10 n. 18 prorsus Nicaeni conciUi vestigia i^remit, ne furtivum hencficium praestitum videaiur, Similiter Re- gieuse concilium «a. 439) in praetat. (4 can. 1 absque trium episcoporum praesenOm . . . irritam ordinationis spcciem a duobus temcre convenientibus praesumpiam deda* rat. (Hard. I, 1747). ^. -^J -»-. EPI8T0LA 8. 249 4. Ubi etiam apparet evidenter, Acaeium; qui excessus suos a. 484. 8Db yestrD potins nomine celare voluit quam vobis profutura sugge- rere, im saluti vestrae devotionem deferre ^) sinceram, quam fidelem conscientiam cirea patrum regulas atque ipsum dogma gestaret ca- tbolicom. Propterea hunc eumdfem, utpote qui multa contra scita veteram nefaria perpetrarit, et ejus laudator emerserit, quem asseruit ei ipse damnatum et ab apostolica fecit sede danmari, ac rursus aedifcanS; quae ante destruxerat, praevaricatorem se ipse constituit: eoram, quos sequi maluit, portioni districtionis apostolicae per Tu- tum Romanae ecclesiae defensorem justa deputavit auctoritas, atque a communione et dignitate apostolica, qua se ipse ejus externis') sociando monstravit indignum, legitima severitate discrevit. 6. Puto autem, quod pietastua, quae etiam suis mavult^) vinci legibus quam reniti, coelestibus debeat parere decretis: atque ita Unde contra hunc canouem agere quodammodo videtur, qui aliis idem beneficium indtilget. Verum ex intelligentia regularis ohservaniiae a Felice memoratae cogni- tio Nicaeni canonis pendet, quem indicare voluit. Atqui s. Cyprianus ^opist. 68 (ed. Paznel.) adversus Basilidem et Martialem, quibuH haud midto iunocentior erat Petras, primum ait: frustra iales episcopalum sibi usurpare conantur, quum ma- mfeslum sii, ejugmodi homines nec ecclesiae Christi posse praeesse, nec Deo sacri- fieia offerre debere. Ac proxime Bubjicit; maocime quum Jam pridem nobiscum et cum omnibuM wnnino episcopis in ioto numero Corneiius ... decrevcrit^ ejusmodi homines ad poeniientiam quidem agendam admitti posse^ ab ordinatione autem cleri atque sa- terdoiaH honore prohiberi. Qnam regulam secutus Felicis deccssor Simj)liciu8 epist. 18 n. 3 de ipso Petro ad Acacium his scripsit verbis: Qui si nunc redire eoniendit, nisi per satisfactionem Christianis regulis competentem non potest introire, mc perinde non ad ftisiigium sacerdotalis dignitaiis accedere. Jure igitur Felix cum Acacio expostulat, quod Petrum ad fastigium sacerdotalis dignitatis admittens romtra Tegularem observantiam pcccavit. Unde sequitur, ut ct pcccaverit contra I^icaentun canonem 10: Quicunque de lapsis ad ordinem cleri promoti suiU per igno- vei per ordinantium dissimulationem, hoc non praejudicei regulae: cognrii deponuntur; ibi enim regulam, quam et hiudavit Felix et Cyprianus ex- posnit, indicari nemo non advertit. Ad eamdem quoque regulam respexit Hi- larioB lib. de eynod. n. 91, ubi ex Orientalium decreto, quo anathema homou- non profitentibus dixerant, infert episcopatu cedendum: Renuntiemus, inquit, », quia of/icium ejus ab anathemate (h. e. ab iis, qui anathemate per- d siint, si decretum illud valeat) sumpsimus. Ordinati enim ab his surnus, qui Sicaena synodo homousion profitentur. — Porro ex variis illis locis manifestum fieri puto, hic regularem non singularem legendum esse, indeque explicari, quae sii illa regula, qois Nicaenus canon, quorum auctoritate Felix Petrum catholi- €M praeesse poase negat. ') Ironice dictum pro non deferre .'.. quam nec ... gestarei [Ed.]. ^ h. e. iia qui ab iUiua conmiunione sunt segregati. a. 484. humanarum sibi rerum fastigium uoverit esse commissuiu, ut tamen . ea, quae divina sunt, per dispensatores divinitus attributos perci- pienda non amhigat. Puto, quod vol^is sine uUa dubitatione ait utile, si Ecelesiam catholicam vestri t«mpore principatus sinatis uli legibus suis, nec Ubertati ejus quemquam permittatis obsistere, quae regni vobis restituit potestatem. Certum est enim, hoc rebus yestris esse sahitare, ut quum de causis Dei agitur, et juxta ipsius consti> tutum regiam vohmtatem sacerdotibus Christi studeatis subdere, non praeferre, et sacrosancta per eorum praesules discere potius quam docere, Ecdesiae formam sequi, non huic humanitus sequenda jur» Et ex lioc quidem de his onmi))us conscientiam meam ante tribunal Christi causam dicturus a])solvo. Vestrae mentis intererit magis ac magis cogitare, et in rerum ])raesentium statu sub diviua nos exa- minatione su])sistere, ac post hujus >^tae cursum ad divinum con- sequenter venturos esse judiciimi. Et alia manu, Data Calendis Augusti Venantio v. c. consule.