Letter 114: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

As the most blessed Solomon says in a certain place regarding all the miracles of the divine commandments: "Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" [Prov. 25:25]. And the sacred David, striking the spiritual lyre, sings: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" [cf. Rom. 10:15; Isa. 52:7], thus indeed teaching us all. For what is so sweet to the soul of man, or what so fattens the bones, as to learn by a hopeful report: that a nurturer of true peace and a champion of the right faith who never fails has come to the helm of the holy churches, and that, as though from a certain citadel, the scattered members of the Church, which Christ our God entrusted to you, are hastening with consent to God to the primacy of your see, yielding to the supplications of a venerable father; that those who formerly despised concord are now coming to unity, and that the preceding division and discord are being destroyed solely by the authority of your ordination; and that now in concord and serenity the entire boundary of holy Mother Church stands firm? We have learned these things not long ago; and since perfect charity drives us, we transcend even the scruple of custom and write and address the blessed head of your holiness, signifying that we rejoice with the blessed see of the most sacred apostle Peter that it is governed by such a hand — one who received the leadership not as one who seizes honor but who is seized by it — and who, as manifold report relates and we believe to be so, is a nurturer of peace and a fighter for the right faith, crowned as with precious stones by the humility of mind and the charity which extends to all. I wish you, venerable father, to know all things: that receiving from the ancient holy and venerable fathers the devotion to that blessed see, and guarding it as a paternal inheritance, I desire and hasten to add this — that a useful conclusion may come to this endeavor through the mercy of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the intercessions of the most blessed apostle Peter in all things and of the most wise Paul in all matters, so that the honor justly owed to their venerable see and to your blessedness may be guarded and rendered, so that in our times, as though according to the primacy of the apostolic see, it may receive fitting honor, and all discord may depart, and the churches of all of us, by the catholic will and that of our Lord and God Jesus Christ — with Nestorius and Eutyches the impious ones and those who keep their teachings, and those who were or are their followers, and every heresy being always anathematized, and the right and uncontaminable faith being held unshaken as a certain and firm anchor — may be prepared for peace, with no one, God forbid, impeding: especially since your venerable head, as we have learned, abhors contentious people, for whom the separation of the priests of God among themselves is both life and food, so that, being swiftly recognized by all as wolves in sheep's clothing, they may easily be driven from the apostolic Church. These things I have now written to the blessed head of your holiness through Patricius, a man of spectacle rank, our common son; and, surpassing custom by the impulse of affection, and bound by charity toward that blessed see, and desiring every day to see the fitting and due veneration preserved for it. Write therefore, most blessed one in all things, as to one who is of one mind and willing to offer even his life for the orthodox faith and the peace of the holy churches, and so that what is fitting to the venerable see of the blessed Peter in all things may be preserved; which will easily be done when the unity of all has been arranged, and all hasten to you as to a secure harbor. For divisions are accustomed to despise even what is contrary to them, and do not preserve what befits good order. All the brotherhood that is joined to your holiness, both I and those who are with me greet warmly in the Lord. And in another hand: Pray that I may be saved in the Lord, most holy and most blessed fathers!

^' ^^ ^- Dorothei episcopi Thessalonicensis ad Hormisdam panmm. taO Ju.aru. (Jraiulatur, quod apostoHcam sedem regendam susceperit vir fauiar et ammtor p. pacis. De ecclesiarum unitate ut gaudere vaieat precatur, Addit^ et ') Ita G*. Ed. reverendissimis ep. quod. 2 ') Non igitur lata excommunicationis eententia, sed duritia sea ▼enos oon- EPISTOLAE 1--3. 743 ciesiat Nestorium et Eulychetem eontmque socioe detestari, et se imprimis apo- ^. 515. ^Hcw sedis venerationi addicium esse {n. 1 et 2). Tandem ut ad se pro pace ecclesiarum scribat obtestatur, Sacro, beatissimo et commiuistro patri Hormis- dae Dorotheus episcopus Thessaloniceusis iu Domiuo salutem. 1. Ait quodam loco cimcta beatissimus diviuorum praeceptorum neufl miracula Salomon : Sicut aqua frigida animae sitienti suavis J^^^^- sic henignum nuntium longinqtUs ex terris. Et sacer David spiri- * em pulsans lyram psallit: Quam speciosi pedes eorum, qui evange-^^^- nt bona, sic equidem et uos cunctos docens. Quid^) autem sic * ' animae hominis suave, aut quid ita impinguat ossa, quam spe- 0 nuntio cognoscere: verae pacis nutritorem et rectae nunquam ntes propugnatores fidei ad ecclesiarum sanctarum transire gu- lacula, et tamquam ex arce quadam ad conseusum Dei congre- ) dispersa, et continuo quidem in ^) principatum tuae sedis festi- tes; membra EcclesiaC; quae vobis Christus et Deus noster cre- b venerandi patris supplicationibus annuenS; coutemnentia prius ^rdiam, ad unitatem venire, et praecedentem divisionem atque liam vestrae tautum ordinationis perimere calculo^); et nunc in iordiam atque serenitatem^) constare omnem terminum sanctae 3 Ecclesiae? 2. Haec didicimus, non ante multa spatia temporis; spera- L« Symmachi ac decessorum iu caosa foit, cnr Auastasius a litteranim con- dine sese abBtineret. ) Ita G^; b c c Quidquid autem est ita animae h, s, aut ita ... pads nuntia- ) Ita 6*; b c c ad princ. t. s, festinantes v. fratris suppUcationibus annuentes mtbra Ecclesiae quae ... credidit, contemnentia. ^ G* a* claneulo; b c c calcido, Quae seqnitur ordinatio idem sonat quod sitio* ) Ita G^ a^; b cc societatem confluere (vel conflare), Mallem in concordia serenitate constare, ) b cc sperabamus ... cognoscentes ... audientesy contra ms. fidem. ') Ita G^; b cc mutarunt: tempus ... retinuisse consideratur et aptum et debi' 'tUt plenam. ) Neque hic cum Baronio praefcrendum putamus etiam scabra transire; enim sibi vult, eum, qui perfecta caritate agitur, nimiam et scrupulosam Sdis diligentiam, ubi interest, missam facere, adeoque licet Hormisda ut- novissime ordinatus, secundum receptum morem prior scribere teneretur, tamen consuetudini se scrupulosius servire uoluisse. ;i riiT). scrupulosa trausire: scribo atque alloquor beatiim vestrae sanctiiafe laput, si^miicuns oollaetari uos beatae secli sacratissimi Petri apo- stoli, quud tali regitur nianu, quae suscepit principem^), uon qm lionorem raperet sed qui raperetur ab eo, et, sicut sermo multiplex tradit et iios ita se habere credimus, nutritorem pacis et rectae lidei certatorcui, et humanitate") mentis et caritat^, quae circa c\m- ctos est, tamquam ]>retiosis hxpidibus corouatum. Et^uini euncta te voh), venerande pater, agnoscere, quod ex autiquis sanctis et veue- randis patribus suscipiens illius beatae sedis aiiectum^**), et hunc tanuiuam paternam sortem custodiens, addere hoc opto atque festino, ut veniat in lioc studio termiuus utilis humanitate quiclem Domiiii et Dei nostri Jesu Christi, intercessionibus autem in cuuctis beatis- simi apostoli Petri et in omnibus sai^ientissimi Pauli: ut veneran- dae eorum sedi et tuae l3eatitu(Hni juste debitus honos custodiatui ati{ue reddatur, ut nostris temporibus velut secundiun princii>a- tum sedis apostolicae honorem congruentem suscipiat, et omnis dis- cordia recedat, et ecclesiae^*) omniiun nostrum catholica voluntate, Domini etiam et Dei nostri Jesu Ohristi, et Nestoriimi et Eut)'che- tem impios et horum servantes dogmata, et qui istorum fuere secta- tores aut exstiint, et omnem haeresim anathematizantium semj)er, et rectam atque incontaminabilem fidem inconcussam tamquam an- chonun certam atque firmam tenentiiun, et paratorum^ ad pacern, nullo'*), quod absit, impediente: praesertim venerando capite vestro, sicut didicimus, homines contentiosos horrente, quibus et vita et (»sca est sacerdotum Dei iuter se altercimtium sepanitio, ut*"*) uou ab ouiJiibus velociter cogniti tamquam lupi in vestinientis oviuin tacile ab apostolica Ecclesia repellantur. '"') CJ' a' hiWKinilatcm m. e. caritatem ... coronantem^ b cc humHitatif. "\") a' a/fcctu; h cc a/fectnm ad hanc. *') Ferri aliqiiatenns sensiis posset, si infra legeretur a nuUo ... imjtetliamtur. aut ex antecedentibus resunienduin honnrem conyinientem suscipiant. Scilicot voces anathcmatizantium^ tenentium, paratoriun ad nostrum roferendae snnt. b CC luutjl- verunt: anathcmatizent ... teneant ... pm'ent Jam pacem. Nobis retiniiisae codicit auctoritutem satius visum est. — Ubi simul advertendum, cavero Dorotheum a (laninaudo Aeacii noniine. Immo dum testatur eccleBias praedictas detestAn eos, qui Nestorii aut Kutychetis placitis adhaereant vel adhaeserint, addendum fuerat: vcl tjui his cummunicauerint. In eo enini tota erat controversia quod A<"jieius Eutyehianae seetae fautoribus nominatimquc Petro Mongt) coizimuui- eaverut, eauique ob eausam merito fucrat excommunicatus, atquc hinc sunimi pontiliees inter veneranda mysteria reticendum illius nomeu volebaut, inde Orien- tales repujjnabunt. horrentes. ' / b ee (/ui non. Kedditur ratio, cur praedicti ament sacerdotum Dei dis- MiiiJiunes, ut .«jeilieet m illa eonfusione facihus lateant. EPISTOLAE 3. 4. 745 3. Ista nunc scripsi beato capiti vestro^*) per Patricium vinima. 515. spectabilem^ communem jQliiun; et consuetudinis affectu superans rationem, et circa illara beatam sedem caritate devinctus, et omni die videre desiderans congruentem atque debitam venerationem ei servari. Scribe igitur, in cunctis beate, tamquam unanimi et optanti aiiimam quoque offerre pro fide orthodoxa et ecelesiarum pace san- ctarum, et ut custodiantur venerandae sedi in omnibus beati Petri convenientia: quod facile fiet, ordinata unitate cunctorum, et omnium acl vos tamquam ad firmum festinantium portum. Divisiones etenim et*^) contra contemnere consueverunt, et ordini decentia non ser- vant. Onmem fraternitatem , quae est vestrae sanctitati conjimcta, et ego et qui mecum sunt, multum in Domino salutamus. Et alia mann : Salvari me in Domino orate, sanctissimi et beatissimi patres ! Aecepta epistola Dorothei episcopi Thessalonicensis ecclesiae missa per Patriciiun virum sublimem die^^') quinto Calendas Aprilis, FIo- rentio viro clarissimo consule.