Letter 171: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

It would not befit my insignificance to presume upon such great things, and to send these small and humble pages, written in the speech of a lowly man, to your pious and holy apostleship. But because, with the humanity innate in you, you have been accustomed to protect all things with a pious and propitious spirit by the nod of the Divinity, you have restored a bright day, full of all festivity, to the whole world, and by your praiseworthy prayers you have recalled all things to their original state of unity; and you have deigned to bring them into one accord and submission by your praiseworthy and adorable merits. And so, although overwhelmed by my iniquities and pressed on every side by them, yet revived as from the very depths, through my fellow servant, the devout Pullio [subdeacon], who returns to your glorious footsteps, I have ventured to present myself, both through him and through these small and meager writings, at your praiseworthy and adorable footsteps, imploring divine favor with all my strength, and singing with a clear voice together with all: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors" [Luke 2:14] — who in his incomprehensible piety, through your wondrous prayers, has illuminated and freed all things, and has granted a bright day, full of all festivity, to the whole world through your God-worthy prayers, and has snatched it from all iniquity, and has loosed every bond of constraint, and has opened every path. Offering therefore this page, full of congratulation, to your pious apostleship in peace, I beg that you deign to remember in your pious prayers my wretched insignificance, holy and blessed and apostolic fathers\! Received on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of July [June 19], in the consulship of the most distinguished lord Eutharicus [519 AD].

seu a. 5i9d. Exemplum epistolae Theodoriti episcopi LignideiiBis M ad 22ApriL — . . , acc. d. Honnisdam papam. ' Suam ei laetitiam de ecclesiis ad unitatem ipsius opera revocatis significat, p Domino sancto, beato, praedicabili et adorando apostolico patri, Hormisdae papae urbis Ro- mae, humilis famulus tuus Theodoritus. Meae quidem exiguitatis non esset, tam magna praesmnere, et ad vestrum pium sanctum apostolatum pusilli sermone pracsentes parvulas destinare paginas. Sed quia pro insita vobis humanitate pio propitiationis aiiimo omnia nutu Divinitatis protegere consuevi- stis, lucidum diem et totius festivitatis repletum omui reddidistis mundo, et omnia') veatris praedicandis precibus ad pristinum uni- ") G^ J' a^ b cci* duhitare. B? correxit deviare. ") J 0 c* c* i* add. Ora pro nobis sanctissime et beatissime frater. •3) G' a' b cc die XXVI I, Verius JO i* die vicesimo octavo^ utpote quum feria quiuta hebdomadae sauctae , quac hoc anno 519 in 28 Martii diem incide- bat, libellum a Johanne subscriptum legati iu epistola 64 n. 2 testentar. '^) JO c' c' i* consulibus domno Justino imperatore et EracUo (seu Uer&cHo^ vv. cc. consulibus era DLVll^ corrupte. 62 *) G' Litunideftsis f al. Litanidensis. Ex epist. 60 liquet, legendum esse Ltgm- densis. — Mox ed. non essc tam. BPISTOLAB 61 — 63. 855 tatis reyocastis statani; et in unmn concordare vel subjugare vestris a. 619. praedicabilibus et adorandis meritis annuistis. Ideoque etsi meis obrutus iniquitatibus et ab eis undique oppressus, ex ipsis^) recrea- tus infernis, recurrente ad gloriosa vestigia vestra confamulo meo viro religioso Pullione, usurpavi me tam per eum quam etiam his parvulis et exiguis ^), vestris praedicandis et adorandis repraesentare vestigiis, divinum omnibus viribus exorans favorem, et clara voce cum omnibus omnino cantans : Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra Luc. pax hominibus bonae voluntatis: qui pro sua incomprehensibiK pietate^'^^* vestris mirificis precibus omnia illuminavit et liberavit; et lucidum et totius festivitatis repletum diem in toto orbe vestris Deo dignis precibus praestitit, et ab omni iniquitate eripuit; et omnem nodum coUigationis absolvit, et omnem semitam aperuit. Hanc itaque gra- tulationis repletam pio vestro pacem *) offerens apostolatui, deprecor, uti pro meae flebilitatis exiguitate vestris piis precibus memores esse dignemini, domini sancti beati apostolici patres ! Accepta XTTI Calendas Julias, domino Eutharico viro clarissimo consule.