Letter 21: The bishops of Tarraconensis to the most holy Pope Hilary, a second letter.

[Summary heading] From the bishops of Tarraco to Pope Hilarus. They ask that he confirm Irenaeus as bishop in the see of Barcelona, the man whom Nundinarius wished to be his successor and whom the clergy and the people seek. They complain again of the presumptuous acts of Silvanus, since they had received no answer to their earlier letter. To the most blessed father, to be venerated by us in Christ with apostolic reverence, Pope Hilarus, from Ascanius and all the bishops of the province of Tarraco. 1. With what care your apostolate exercises concern for the priests of its provinces, we have learned from the report of our son, the illustrious Vincentius, commander [dux] of our province; at whose urging our wish rose up, with ready devotion, into the boldness of writing. Therefore, offering by this provincial written discourse the obeisance owed to your crown, we ask these things: that with the same regard with which you deem the others worthy, you may also deem worthy to hold even our humility in mind in your prayers, most blessed father, to be venerated by us in Christ with apostolic reverence; entreating this more particularly, that the deed of ours which is brought to your notice both by the wish of nearly the whole province and by the example of your predecessor, you may deem worthy to confirm, our assertions having been weighed. 2. The bishop of the city of the Barcelonians, the holy Nundinarius, fulfilled the lot of the human condition [i.e., died]. He, by the arbitration of his last will, wished that the venerable bishop, our brother Irenaeus, whom he himself had previously appointed for us, with our consent, in his own diocese, leaving to him what his poverty was able to possess, should be substituted in his place; but the judgment of the deceased does not waver as to his [Irenaeus's] merit. For indeed all the clergy and people of that same city, and the best and very many of the provincials, hoped from us, their consent having been given, that this same man should keep [hold] his place. We, weighing the judgment of the deceased, and approving both his [Irenaeus's] life and the nobility and the great number of those who were petitioning, and at the same time the advantage of the said church, judged it best that for so great a priest, who had departed to the divine [realm], a bishop of no lesser merit should be substituted; especially since it is established that the church of that town, in which he had previously been ordained, was always [part] of the diocese of this city's church. Therefore we suppliantly pray your apostolate that you confirm by your authority that which seems to have been justly done by our humility. 3. Indeed we had some time ago complained in our letter of the presumption of Silvanus the bishop, and we are astonished that we have received no answers from your apostolate. Now, putting forward these same matters, we ask that you deem it worthy to inform us by apostolic words what is to be observed concerning these affairs. And lest perhaps through the negligence of the bearer, or through the difficulty of the long journey, the writings of our humility could not from this business reach you, we have preferred also to repeat our representation. And the subscription: May the divine eternity preserve for everlasting age your holy apostolate, praying for us, for all of us and for his Church, our truly own lord and apostolic pope! [Editorial footnotes:] Once the bishop of Fussala had been instituted as belonging to the parish of the church of Hippo, the same thing seems to have been done also for Nundinarius in a certain township of his jurisdiction, with the agreement of the bishops of the province. -- Thus h* and the manuscripts. The printed editions add "decree." And indeed here they repeat beforehand what they had requested at the outset, namely that Hilarus deem worthy to confirm their deed, not their decree ("of ours"). -- F* reads "by no means your responses." And next H' reads "the opportunity of the long journey." [Variant readings of manuscripts: some read Farohienses, Varohienses (F* H*), Varrokienses (H'), Faroienses; others Vertenonenses, Vercenonenses; others Bartinonenses and Barcilonenses. Next H' reads "Hierineo."] Letters 14, 15.

Eplscoporum Tarraconensium ad Uilarum papam. ^6M l3l d HUaruM Irenaeum episcopum, quem Nundinarius sihi successorem optavit queMtqite eiemi et poputus expetunt^ in Barcinonensi sede confirmet. De Silvani moHiionibuM iierato conqueruntur, quum nullum ad priores litteras responsum aceepissent, \ Beatissimo et apostolica reyerentia a nobis in ' ' Christo colendo papae Hilaro Ascanius et uni- yersi episcopi Tarraconensis proyinciae. 1. Quam^) curam apostolatus vester de provinciarum suarum sacerdotibus gerat^ filio nostro illustri Vincentio duce provinciae no- strae referente cognovimus: cujus impulsu votum nostrum in ausum .scribendi prona devotione surrexit. Ergo provineiali litterario ser- mone debita coronae^) vestxae obsequia deferentes^ his quaesimiuS; i ot dignatione^ qua ceteros^ etiam humilitatem nostram in orationibus Testris in mente habere dignemini; beatissime et apostolica reveren- I tia iu Christo a nobis colende pater: illud sp^cialius deprecantes; ut factom nostrum^ quod tam voto pene onmis provinciae quam exemplo Tetostatis in notitiam') vestram defertur^ perpensis assertionibus no- ttris roborare dignemini. 2. Episcopus Barcinonensium^) civitatis sanctus Nundinarius sortem explevit conditionis humanae. Hic episcopo venerabili fratri **) Plnres maB. (etiam F* H' H^) obtinere catholica audeat ecclesia (ct pauUo aotea H* quod a s. Peirf), mendose. ■) aliquot mas, Quoniam euram. Deinde F* apostolatus veslri et postcriori mana additam provideniia. Moxque cum F' H' H^ h' rcvocamus duce, quod in aliis deest. •; Variant in hac voce codices. Alii leg^nt Farohiensium , Varohiensium (F« H*), VarrokienMium (H'), Faroiensium, alii Vertenonensium , Vercenonensium , alii Bartinon^nMium et Barcilonensium. Mox H' Hierineo. :i. 464nostro Irenaeo, qiiem ipse autea in dioecesi^) sua nobis volentibas "" * constituerat, derelinquens ei quod potuit habere paupertas^ supremae voluntatis arbitrio in locum sumn ut substitueretur optavit: sed de- functi judicium in ejus meritimi non vacillat. Siquidem omnis cle- nis et plebs ejiLsdem civitatis et optimi et pliuimi provinciales, vt ^ idem in®) ejiis locimi observaret, a nobis speraverunt dato consenso. Noa cogitantes defuncti judicimn, et probantes ejus vitam et eomm = nobilitatem atcjue multitudinem qui petebant, simul et utilitatem ecclesiae memoratae, optimum duximus, ut tanto sacerdoti, qui ad divina migraverat, non minoris meriti substitueretur antistes, prae- sertim quum ecclesia illius municipii, in qua ante fuerat ordinataS| semper hujus civitatis ecclesiae fuisse dioecesis constet. Ergo sup- pliciter precamur apostolatum vestrum, ut humilitatis nostrae^) quod juste a nobis videtur factum vestra auctoritate firmetis. 3. Jamdudum sane questi fueramus litteris nostris de praesnm- ptione Silvani episcopi, et miramur, quod nulla^) apostolatus vestri responsa suscepimus. Nimc liaec eadem suggerentes petimus, ut quid super his rebus observandum sit, apostolicis sermonibns not dignemini informare. £t ne forsitan per negligentiam portitorit aut per longinqui itineris difficidtatem humilitatis nostrae ad tob scripta non potuerint ex hoc negotio pervenire, etiam suggestionem - nostram maluinms iterare. £t subscriptio : Orantem pro nobis san- ctum apostolatum vestrum jugi aevo divina conservet aetemitas no- bis onmibus et Ecclesiae suae, domine vere noster et*) aposto-; lice papa! * Fussalensi ad paroeciam Hipponensis ecclesiae pertinentc instituiBso, idem et Nuudiuario in quodam ditiouis suae municipio cum episcoporum provinciae sensu factum videtur. ^ Ita h* et mss. Editi addimt decretum. Et id quidem hic praeBolea repe*' tuut, quod initio postularant, ut Hilarus factum non decrctum ipsorum (i nostrae) roborarc dignetur. ®) F* nuUatenus vestra responsa. Moxque H' lonyi itineris faeuUatem, EPISTOLAE 14. 15. 159