Letter 100: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

The death of the catholic John has gravely afflicted us, whom you report was killed by the madness of the heretic Dorotheus. For we have learned that the same Dorotheus has been summoned to Constantinople by command of the emperor. Against him you must insist before our lord and son, the most clement emperor, that he not return again to that same city, but that, having been deposed from the honor of the episcopate which he never administered well, he be relegated from that place to a church far away, or at the very least be directed here to the city of Rome under suitable escort. You must also be vigilant in this matter: that Aristides, the instigator and accomplice of all the evil, not be ordained in his place by any subversive means; for it profits nothing to change the person if his vile wickedness persists; rather, you ought to choose such a man that the entire congregation of catholics may rejoice in your judgment. With these things observed, the effort of your affection must also bear down vigorously on behalf of the persons of our brothers and fellow bishops Thomas and Nicostratus. For what does it profit to have restored the church if we see priests who have been received into our communion through your careful and reasonable action estranged from its body? Therefore this matter grieves us not lightly, if those who follow the teaching of the apostolic see neglect those who have been received in its faith and agreement. For this reason, as we have urged, insist most vigorously before the most serene emperor on behalf of their communion and their position; for in the same cause we have directed letters to our lord and son, the most clement emperor, and to the illustrious Justinianus our son, urging that they ought to deal with your charity regarding the restoration of their churches. On this point we suspect you are forgetful of our instruction: for we said that, with the occupiers excluded, those of whom we speak should return to their own churches, so that the others may be ordained elsewhere, if they are indeed of the right faith. Regarding the persons of the Scythian monks, the illustrious Justinianus has written to us, and we have directed copies of his letters to your brotherhood. Since they refused to await the arrival of your affection and said they could not bear the delays of the restrictions, [they have departed for Rome].

HORMISDA CfERMANO £T lOHAXNI EPISCOPIS ET BLANDO PRES- BYTERO. Grauiter nos lohannis catholi<ci> afflixit interitus, quem haeretici Dorothei uesania perhibetis extinctum. nam eundem Dorotheum Constantinopolim iussu principis didicimus lo 2 euocatum. aduersus quem domno et filio nostro clementissimo principi debetis insistere, ne ad eandem ciuitatem denuo reuertatur sed episcopatus, quem numquam bene gessit, honore deposito ab eodem loco ad ecclesiam longius relegetur uel cei-te huc ad urbem sub prosecutione congrua dirigatur. u 3 ad hanc etiam partem iuuigilare debebitis, ne in loco eius Aristides totius mali incentor et conscius quibuslibet subrep- tionibus ordinetur, nam nihil prodest mutari personam, si eius deformis nequitia perseueret; sed talem uirum debetis eligere, ut de iudicio uestro cuncta catholicorum congregatio so 4 gratuletur. his igitur obseruatis pro Thomae atque Nicostrati Iratrum et coepiscoporum nostrorum personis intentio dilectionis uestrae uehementer debet incumbere. nam quid prodest ecclesiam redintegrasse, si ab eius corpore sacerdotes uideamus extraneos, quos in nostram communionem uos caute atque » rationabiliter non ignorastis esse susceptos? unde non leuiter nos res ista contristat, si ab his, qui sedis apostolicae 2 de inseruit Bar. 227. JDat. (simul cum ep, 175) a. 519 die 3 Dec; per Paulinum. Edd, Car. P 515; Bar. ad a. 519, 134; Collect. Concil; BTA I 438; Thiel 903. 8 catholi F, corr. a 12 insiste F, corr. a 14 ad ec- clesiam V: ac ecclesia Car., ab ccclesia Bar. 18 nt (= nihil) F: nul a, tmde nulli o 19 eius deformis nequitia scripsi: eldem formis nequicie F, eiusdem fonnam nequitiae a, eiusdem fonna nequitiae o' 23 pde F 24 corpore ex corporis F Epist. CCXXVI 8 — CCXXVm 2. 693 praedicationem sequuntur, neglegantur qui in eius fide et consensu recepti sunt. idcirco, sicut hortati sumus, pro eorum 5 eommunione atque loco serenissimo principi ueheraenter insistite; nam in eadem causa domno et filio nostro clemen- 5 tissimo principi et uiro illustri lustiniano filio nostro scripta direximus, hortantes, ut cum uestra, quantum ad ecclesiarum suarum receptionem pertinet, debeant caritate tractare. de quo uos articulo nostrae ordinationis 'suspicamur immemores : diximus enim, quemadmodum exclusis occupatoribus hi, de 10 quibus loquimur, ad proprias reuertantur ecclesias, ut illi alibi, si tamen rectae sunt fidei, ordinentur. de personis 6 Scytharum monachorum uir illustris lustinianus nobis scripsit, quarum exemplaria litterarum fraternitati uestrae direximus. qui cum noUent sustinere uestrae dilectionis aduentum et 15 obseruationum moras se dicerent ferre non posse, temptauerunt clam de urbe discedere. quos tamen nos fecimus soUicitius custodiri, ea, quae de uobis contraria dixerunt, uolentes agnoscere, ut, cum reuersi deo propitio fueritis, eorum error rationabilibus adhoilationibus corrigatur. Data 111. Non. jo Decembr. Eutharico u. c. cons.