Letter 2006: Avitus, bishop, to the most illustrious Senarius.

From: Avitus, bishop of Vienne To: Senarius, an illustrious man (a Roman official at the Burgundian court) Date: ~515 AD Context: A critical letter in which Avitus asks Senarius to help facilitate communication between the bishops of the province of Vienne and Pope Hormisdas, explaining that the bishops need to consult Rome about the state of the faith but cannot travel freely due to the fixed borders between kingdoms. Avitus, bishop, to the most illustrious Senarius. Having often experienced the favor of Your Magnificence — which you graciously extend — I have sent this page of greeting through the service of a letter-bearer. And since you know it is the rule of synodal law that in matters pertaining to the state of the church, if any doubt arises, we as members following the head should have recourse to the chief bishop of the Roman church [the Pope], I have sent, with the consent of the bishops of the province of Vienne, a message of due reverence to the holy Hormisdas — or whoever may currently hold the papal office — wishing to hear from the authority of that see what it has learned about the outcome of the embassy it dispatched to the East. Since, as I say, my fellow provincials consult me, I do not presume to respond without first consulting a higher authority. I therefore need the assistance of your administrative support so that this may be properly completed in both directions: that our inquiry may reach Rome, and that the response may come back to us from the one who answers it. The state of the church does not pertain to priests alone — this concern belongs to all the faithful. Whoever we are and wherever we seem to be governing the church, we are managing your business in the Catholic religion. When something in the rule of faith is either ailing or being healed, you ought to rejoice or grieve with us. So you should not think that anything in the matter I am consulting about is unknown to you. If I were acting only for myself, your knowledge would suffice for my inquiry — we can hear no more truth from the Pope than from you. But the welfare of the churches requires that what you know by your own understanding be confirmed to the bishops by the authority of the Roman pontiff.

Avitus episcopus viro illustrissimo Senario. Magnificentiae vestrae gratiam frequenter expertus, quia dignanter accipitis, salu- tationis officium pagina famulante direxi. Et quia scitis synodalium legum esse, ut in rebus, quae ad ecclesiae statum pertinent, si quid fuerit dubitationis exortum, ad Romanae ecclesiae maximum sacerdotem quasi ad caput nostrum membra sequentia recurramus, ex consensu antistitum provinciae Viennensis ad sanctum Hormisdam, seu quicumque nunc ille est, papam debitae venerationis obsequium cum sollicitudine desti- navi, audire a praefatae sedis auctoritate desiderans, quid de effectu directae a se ad Orientem legationis agnoverit. Cum ergo, ut dixi, a provincialibus meis consulor, respondere etiam ego, nisi priorem consulam, non praesumo. Adminiculo igitur ordi- nationis vestrae opus est, ut istud ab utraque parte per ordinem compleatur, ut vel a nobis interrogatio perveniat, vel ad nos redeat ab exponente responsio. Non ad solos sacerdotes ecclesiae pertinet status: cunctis fidelibus sollicitudo ista communis est. Quicumque vel quocumque videmur ecclesiam regere, vestram in catholica re- ligione rem gerimus. Cum de fidei regula vel aegrotat aliquid vel sanatur, nobis- cum vos aut gaudere oportet, aut gemere. Vnde nec vos aliquid de causa, quam consulo, latere credendum est. Si mihi soli agerem, satis interrogationi meae notitia vestra sufficeret: nihil plus a papa quam a vobis possumus veritatis audire. Sed ecclesiarum poscit utilitas, ut, quae vos nostis, doctor insinuet. Ego tamen peculiaris vester rescriptum, si dignamini, a vobis peculiarius praestolabor, quo revera, ut dixi, tantum mihi veritas innotescere poterit, quantum se Romanae urbis antistes auctori- tatis privilegio expectantibus respondisse gaudebit.