Letter 166: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

We received the letters of your magnificence, full of love for the holy faith, in which you announced that an opportunity has come to us divinely for exercising among you the firmness of apostolic preaching. Whence we give thanks unceasingly to our Lord, who has given both the time and the disposition for such excellent remedies. And we indeed acknowledge that these things are ordered from above, since the divine majesty has conferred the empire upon one who shows himself appointed for composing the peace of the churches. Therefore it remains for all bishops of the Eastern part to testify, according to the text of the libellus [formula of submission], that they have attained the effect of correction. The way of venerable concord lies open; the remedies of the desired healing are known. Let priests who desire Catholic peace not refuse a Catholic profession; for error must not be corrected in parts, but uprooted entirely. Therefore persist, as you have begun, so that the reward with God which has its beginning from the inception of a good work may achieve its effect from its completion. Your communications sent to us testify that your disposition is such that you do not greatly need exhortation toward the fullness of good purpose; yet the prayer that gave hope has further kindled the ardor of our desire, and we more eagerly wish to see fulfilled the joys which we judge to be now divinely at hand. Hence it is that we daily beseech the blessed apostle Peter as a suppliant, that for you, through whom his holy Church now hopes to have its members restored, God may grant both a speedy result and a longer life. We have indeed, in obedience to your wishes, dispatched men to consolidate concord under the direction of apostolic authority. It is for you to see to it that, just as we have not wished to fail your good intention, so you cause them to bring back to us the desired result. Your gift has been received in the venerable sanctuaries: which offering you will make even more pleasing to the blessed apostle Peter if through you the churches receive the desired unity.

(a.5i9m. Hormisdae papae ad Justinianum domesticorum cmnitem. Febr.) ^ *^ Utteras iltius amore fidei plenas cum muneribus se aecepisse ac legaios misisse p significat, utque pacem, quam speral, ad effectum perduci cmrei, instat. Hormisda Justiniano viro illustri. 1. Magnitudinis vestrae litteras sanctae fidei plenas amore suscepimus, quibus ad exercendam apud vos praedicationis apostoli- cae firmitatem opportimitatem nobis provenisse divinitus nontiastis. Unde indesinenter Domino nostro agimus gratias/ qui ad tam prae- clara remedia et tempus vobis et animum dedit. £t nos quidem desuper ista agnoscimus ordinari^ postquam ei detulit divina maje- • stas imperium^ qui se ad componendam ecclesiarum paeem indicat ordinatum. Ergo restat, ut universi episcopi partis Orientalis juxta libelli seriem ad correctionis pervenisse se testentur effectum. Patet venerandae via concordiae, nota^) sunt optatae remedia sanitatis. SacerdoteS; qui catholicam pacem desiderant^ professionem cathoh- cam non recusent; non enim opus est partibus^) errorem corrigi; sed radicitus amputari. Insistite igitur, sicut coepistis, ut merces 66 *) Theodorae iixoris Jusliniani soror , teste Prooopio hist. arc. c. 9, Anssta- sia niincupabatur. 57 ^) G* a* notata, rectius b nota, Quocirca et ad ipsummet Johannem inepi* stola sequeuti scribitur: licet quae pro fidei unitate facienda suni tuae eariialtis m- titiwn latere non possint. EPISTOLAE 66 — 68. 849 apud Deum vestra, quae de boni operis inchoatione habet initium, (a. 619.) de perfectione consequatur eflFectum. Animum quidem vestrum talem missa ad nos testantur alloquia; ut ad plenitudinem boni propositi Don multum indigeatis hortatu; nostri tamen desiderii ea, quae spem , dedit, oratio^) amplius accendit ardorem, et avidius gaudia impleri cupimus, quae instare jam divinitus arbitramur. Hinc est, quod beatum Petrum apostolum quotidie suppliciter obsecramus, ut vobis, per quos integrari membra sua sancta jam sperat Ecclesia, et effe- etum Deus celerem et salutem tribuat longiorem. 2. Nos quidem, vestris animis obsequentes, viros direximus ad solidandam sub apostolicae dispositionis ordinatione concordiam. Vestrum est, ut sicut nos bonae intentioni deesse noluimus, ita eos ad^) nos optatum referre faciatis effectum. Munus vestrum vene- randa sacraria susceperunt: quod amplius beato Petro apostolo facietis acceptius, si per vos optatam ecclesiae receperint unitatem.