Letter 105

From: Pope Hormisdas, Rome To: Unknown recipient (unknown) Date: ~515-523 AD Context: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and Constantinople over the condemnation of the Monophysite patriarch Acacius. Pope Hormisdas (514-523) worked tirelessly to resolve this schism, which was finally healed in 519 under Emperor Justin I. [This letter is part of the extensive diplomatic correspondence generated by the resolution of the Acacian Schism. The schism had divided the Eastern and Western churches for thirty-five years over the condemnation of Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, who had promoted a compromise formula (the Henotikon) that Rome rejected as insufficiently orthodox. Hormisdas conducted negotiations through multiple embassies to Constantinople, exchanging letters with emperors, patriarchs, imperial officials, and powerful aristocratic women at court. The correspondence reveals the machinery of late antique ecclesiastical diplomacy: formal theological demands, careful diplomatic language, networks of lay and clerical allies, and the constant anxiety of a pope trying to manage events happening months away by letter.]

EXEIPLUM £PISTOLA£ lUSTINLAifl. DOMINO UIRO BEATIS8IM0 SANCTOQUE PATRI HORMISDAE URBIS ROM.\E poNTiFici lusTiNiANus. Quautam uenerationem religionis habeamus quamque solliciti semper fuerimus propter uniendas sanctas ecclesias, testis est quoque uestra beatitudo. postquam regnauit etenim domnus noster inclitus imperator, per omnes ^ad Italiam uenientes direximus litteras apostolatum tuum rogantes sicut decebat. nunc etiam, ne quid eorum, quae 2 fieri conuenit, praetennittatur, lohannes uir reuerentissimus antistes, Heraclianus presbyter et Constantinus diaconus sacro- sanctae ecclesiae buius inclitae ciuitatis destinati sunt ad urbem feliciter, ut super omnibus, quae scripsit filius uester serenissimus imperator, integrum responsum accipiant. dignetur ergo sanctitas tua suscipere memoratos uiros religiosissimos libenter et habitis orationibus placataque diuinitate sic omnia debeat ordinare uenerabiliter, ut nihil ultra reraaneat in ambiguum. nobis etenim uidetur, quoniam filius dei uiui 3 dominus noster lesus Christus ex uirgine Maria natus, quem praedicat summus apostoloinim carne passum, recte dicitur unus in trinitate cum patre spirituque sancto regnare, maiestatisque eius personam in trinitate et ex trinitate non infideliter credimus. de nominibus autem defunctorum episco- 4 porum clementer et ut decet pacificum patrem disponite; quia uester quoque praecessor beatae recordationis ad memoriae 22 Petr. I 4, 1 1 strotonici^ 7 2 lidie F 285. Baia et accepia ut ep. 233. Edd. Car P 553; Collect. ConciL; Thiel 954; commemorat Bar. ad a. 520, 59. 6 romane F, corr. Car. 7 unigendas F, corr. o 12 pretermittetur F, corr. p 17 memoratos ex memoratns corr, V 18 et F: ut Hartel 24 per- sona F, corr. edit. reg. 716 Hormisda lustino Augusto principalis Anastasium scripsit, ut, si nomen Acacii tantummodo tolleretur, una nobis esset communio. non est igitur Cgraue, quod> suasit uestra sedes, ut praestet. imitari debetis etenim sanctissimum Leonem Romanum pontificem ac, sicut ille scripsit Leoni, ita et uos omnibus amputatis dubitationibus & perfectas pacificasque paginas ad inuictissimum principem filium uestrura rescribere * * ecclesiae, ut ante tribunal uenturi iudicis participes eorum sitis, quorum sedem iure sacerdotaii 5 tenetis. ostendat ergo tuus apostolatus, <quod merito> Petro successit apostolo, quoniam dominus a uobis utpote summis lo pastoribus exacturus est uniuersorum salutem, qui poterunt esse salui fiimata concordia. nos etenim finitis capitulis, de quibus scripta suscepistis, ultra non patiemur a quoquam controuersiam religionis in re publica nostra moueri nec uestram sanctitatem conuenit audire superflua concertantes. i&