Letter 216: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

The news of the beginnings of your office has long kept us in suspense, and in the very shared congratulation of our joy, we were very much surprised that the ancient custom had been neglected: because, with the concord of the churches restored by God's favor, the full duty of fraternal peace demanded it — especially since not personal arrogance, but the observance of the rules, claimed this for itself. For it would have befitted you, dearest brother, to have dispatched legates to the apostolic see at the very beginning of your pontificate, so that you might well know what affection we owe you, and you might properly fulfill the form of ancient custom. But although, with these matters omitted, you judged that merely written exchanges on the occasion sufficed, we nevertheless, compelled by stimulating grace, break off for the present the constancy of our just expectation, returning reciprocal words of mutual love: because both our mind, impatient with love, and the welcome report of our legates, have drawn us from the silence that the case demanded to kindly offices, by which we show for the present the signs of our joy and in some measure discharge the desired obligations of private friendship. But your legation we both endure with the grace that we have long maintained, and, supported by the ancient decrees, we require it, so that we may express more clearly how great a fruit of joy we receive either from the honor of your pontificate, or what thanks should be given to you for the services rendered in the business of promoting unity, as the account of our legates has manifoldly demonstrated.

Hormisdae papae ad Epiphanium episcopum Constantino- m ^i) politanum* L6. Arguit eum, guod ordinationem suam occasione data missis legatis ipsi noiam non fecerit, et ut veterem hunc morem non praetermittat , hortaiur. Hormisda Epiphanio Constantinopolitano episcopo. * Diu nos^) nuntiata tuae primordia dignitatis tenuere suspen- sos^ et in ipsa communis gratulatione laetitiae mirati admodum sumus morem pristinum fuisse neglectum*, quia reparata ecclesiarum Deo annuente concordia, plenum fratemae pacis id flagitabat offi- cium, praesertim quod sibi^) non arrogantia personalis, sed regula- ') Scil. Justini quae supra cpist. 108; Justiniani autem epistola simul an- nexa deperiit. ') Hoc est contentionis : quod de ScythiB monachis dictum, quorum in ver- borum novitatc procaciam ita arguit, ut nusquam cis haereticae labis notam innrat. Comelium (Com. epist. 2 u. .3): Quod autem scripta coUegarum nostrorum, qui illic ordinationi tuae adfuerant, desideravimus , non veteres mores obliti, novum aliquid quaerebamus. Nam saiis erat, ut tu te episcopum factis Hiteris nuntiares, nisi essct ex diverso discrepans faciio , quae , . . plurimorum mentes turbaret, Sed novas quas- dam leges majoris cautionis crgo tompus iuduxit, ct a diversis sedibus diversa BPISTOLAE BOMAN. PONTIF. I. 58 (a.520.)rum observantia vindicabat. Decuerat siquidem^ frater carissimey te legatos ad apostolicam sedem inter ipsa tui pontificatus initia destinasse, ut et quem tibi debeamus affectum bene cognosceres, et vetustae consuetudinis formam rite compleres. Sed licet his omissis paginalia tantum sufficere judicasses ex occasione coUoquia^ nos tamen gratia stimulante^) compulsi^ interim justae constantiam ex- spectationis abrumpimuS; reciproca mutuae caritatis verba reddentes: quia et noster animus amoris impatienS; et legatorum nostromm Yotiva relatio^) exclusum^ quod imperabat causa, silentium adofficia benigna traxerunt, quibus ad praesens gaudii nostri signa monstra- mus et privatae quodammodo araicitiae^) votiva persolvimus. Lega- tionem autem tuam et ea qua dudum gratia sustinemus^ et fulti veteribus constitutis exigimus^ ut quantum gaudii fructum vel de tui pontificatus honore capiamus, vel quas tibi gratdas referri con- veniat pro impensis in negotio propagandae unitatis officiiS; sicat nostrorum multipliciter adstruxit legatorum narratio^ exprimamus evidentius.