Letter 241: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

I have been filled with much joy, because concerning the peace of the Church, both the most holy emperor and your love have shown such zeal as you have communicated through your letters and as I have learned through the arrival of my legates. For from this a clear proof of heavenly grace comes forth, when the rulers of the world join their efforts for the faith with the governance of the state, and the leaders of the churches, mindful of what pertains to their own stewardship, carry out what is fitting. Such a one the Christian religion found as its helmsman after the storms of discord — one who, steered by the most provident guidance of the Spirit, restored to the long-desired peace the memory of earlier serenity when the tempest had passed, and extending the examples of his own foresight to the ages to come, shows that they inscribed themselves indelibly, and if the later generations will do something pleasing to God from their own imitation. We therefore commit to your brotherhood the task of restoring the remaining churches of the East to the unity of the apostolic see. Those bishops who desire peace, let them subscribe the libellus [formula of submission] and condemn those whom the apostolic see condemns. In this work observe the following rules: receive the willing with charity; do not drive away the hesitant with harshness, but draw them with patience; against the obstinate, maintain the canonical discipline. Let no one be admitted to communion who has not first satisfied the requirements of the faith. But be moderate in what you require beyond the substance of the faith, lest by demanding too much you achieve nothing. Concerning the church of Thessalonica, we reserve this cause to our own judgment, as the gravity of the matter demands. Let the bishop Dorotheos know that he must render account to the apostolic see for the things that have been done. We commend to you our legates, who have served us faithfully, and we ask you to receive them with the honor they deserve and to assist them in their return journey.

26Ma]^ Hormisdao papae ad Epiphauium GonstantinopoUtaimm. Vices suas ei ad redintegrandas reliquas Orientales ecclesias committit^ et quas in p. i^. hoc opere regulas servari deceat praescribit (n. 1 — 6). Tkessalonicensium tamen causam sibi reseruat (n. 6 et 7). Legatos a regia urbe missos laudat, 'OQ^iodag 'EjtKpavic) i%C- Hormisda^) Epiphanio 0x6n(p K(av(SzavxLvov- episcopo Constantino- noksiog, politano. 1. IloXX^g iTtkrjadTiv xaQag^ 1. Multo gaudio sum repleh^; «) Ita G« a'. b cc delenda, ") Ed. omitt. e/, moxque quia. Deinde G* nos inhumana, 141 «) Ita G' a' et text. graec. ; J 0 c< c« i« Dilectisimo frairi Epiphamo episeepo Hormisda, EPISTOLAE 140. 141. 971 OTL tcbqI tiqv elQijvriv trjg ixxXri- iSiag xal tov &yi(atdtov fiadikiiog xal tiig 6ijg dydnrig tOLavtrjv 6novSifv oiav Sid tAv yQa^^d- tav iiLrjvv6ag, xal Svd trjg t(Sv ififSv 7CQi6^B(QV %ata^i6£G}g iy- v(ov, £aq>rlg yaQ ivtev^sv trjg ovQavCov Bv<snkay%vlag dnoSnl^cg jCQOBLifLVj otav xal ot tov xoiS^ov §a6ikElg tdg vno^iCBig tdg nsQl trjg nl(Sts(og iiitd t^g SiOLxrliSecag trjg nokiteCag 6vlevyvv(o6i ^ xal o[ rc5v ixxXrj^KOV ^yovfifwot td OvvteCvovta elg tf^v ISCav olxo- vo(LCav (lenvriiiivoL tov xad^ijxov- tog ixteX(o0L, ToLovtov exQviae lietd tdg trig S^xovoCag xataiyC- dag riXQi6tiavixri^Qri6xeCa Idvv- Tr]Q(oVj 01 tiveg xatevva6^ei6av TtQOvorjtixcatdtrj SiatvndoeL tiov ^veXXiov^ triv invnolv iev(o^el- dav elQ7]vriv H^caad^ivtog rot; x£t- ^(ovog inavdl^c36ij xal eCg tovg ^iXlovtag ^etd taika aCdvag f^g CSCag nQO^i^ecag td vno- SeCyiiata inexteCvovteg . eavtolg inLyeyQd(p^aL dvayiipi^oXciig ini- SeCi^ovaiv^ et ti tm &ep dQiiSxov ot netayeviateQOL dno trjg avtcav fLL^^ifecog noLrjaovaLV, 2. EvXoyrlacDiiev tov 0e6v, dSeXifol, tatg iJftcJv Tovro fj(ii- QaLg avyxexGiQVI^i^^ov yeyovivai, xai ndaaLg evx(ov xal (ieQLiivc5v Swd^eaLV ineQeLa^aiiev , Iva SneQ SLd t^g tov &eov ^(i(ov quod circa Ecclesiae pacem eta.52i. sanctissiini imperatoris et dile- ctionis tuae tale studium^ quale litteris indicasti; legatorum^) quo- et 130. que meorum assertione cognovi. Manifesta enim hinc supemae misericordiae documenta produn- tur, quando et mundani^) prin- cipes causam fidei cum reipubli- cae ordinatione conjungunt, et ecclesiarum praesules, quod ad dispensationem suam pertinet, officii memores exsequuntur. Ta- libus indigebat post discordiae procellas religio Christiana recto- ribus, qui compressis provida dispositione *) turbinibus diu per- egrinatam pacem depulsa tem- pestate reducerent, et in futura post saecula propositi sui exem- pla tendenteS; sibi adscribendum indubitanter ostendorent, quidquid Deo placitum posteri pro sua imitatioue fecissent. 2. Benedicamus Dominum, fra- ter carissime, nostris hoc diebus fuisse concessum, et totis ora- tionimi et curarum viribus an- nitamur, ut quae Dei*) ope bene coepta sunt, ipso adjuvante ») Germani scilicet aliorumque qui proxime redierant. Subinde in J 0 c* c* sequitur: Manifestum enim Mnc (J» ri«: manifeste hic (i« fUnc) enim) supemae wi- sericordiae documentum perdocetur (i* documento perdocetur). ') Ita G* J 0. At a^ b cc humani principes. Jam in epistola 40, quae pariter graece exstat, n. 8 legimus: Si enim qui mundani sunl. ■*) 0 cc dispensatione , moxque a* b seq. omitt. posi. 972 9^621. OvvBQyiag xccXdg ^]QX^Vf «i^trov Porid-ovvrog iv na6i xlriQ(o^c56iv, ^Elnlg yaQ i6tvv, onnsQ eig t^v aQfioviav roi) olxaiov ^ciiiatog xal td XotTtd xal iti vvv SiyQri- [liva fiikri 6novdd<fov0i^ xal dno t(3v XQBi666v(ov td fjttova ov di.a<p(DvrJ6ov6LV • elg o inBiitBQ fta 1} 6yi Sid^B6ig tfj 6novdfj t^g XQC6tLavtxrjg dydnr^g TCQOtQiiCB- taCy 6(pEiX6ig elg o SuyeCQSv dxo- Xovd^rj^aL^ xal oitBQ dyand^^ai 6v^PovXBV6t , nBQintv^a6^av, 'OyLoCav ydQ Xomov trjg nC6tB(og (pQOvtCSa XBCQC^ovtBg^ Slu t^g bv- CBfiovg vnoiiovrjg lcov xccl ro ina^Xov tov dyad^ov iQyov ix- ^d6Bi ilnC^o^BV. OvtB yaQ tatg Sv^xBQBCaig i6tl itaQax^oQtitiov ov xatanovBttav tolg tQaxi^iv ij nC^ttgj ovS\ Big td rc5v ovQav(Qv vtl^ciiiata Scd xatco(pBQOvg tvg inBxtBCvBtai^ ovtB trjg dvtaiiBC- iffBcag avBv trjg tov xafidtov yvfi- vadCag ttg d^iovtav, dio Zva ^iri ixxaxcjiiBV ro dyad^ov noiovvtag^ iScxcig vnoiiciivrjtfxioiiBd^a. Kai Psalm. y^Q naxdQCOL^ cjg iiaQtVQBi 6 * ' ipaXiiaSdg^ ot (pvXd66ovtBg xqColv xal noLOVvtBg ScxaL- o6vvriv iv navtl xaLQ(p' or^ ox>xi dQx^ tov xa^idtov trjv dv- tdiLBLtlfLV tov ind^Xov Bta^d^BV BVQL6XBLV dkkd ro tiXog. ToLyaQ- ovv tarjv ^novSrjV trjg iiBQCiivrig dvaXafioiiBVOL^ olg iaxL ^iCa iv tfj xoLVovCa: xcd ty nCotBL ij itaLQCa^ ovtQonov nsQl trjg ivod^BCarjg nBQl ro5 dno6toXLX^ d^Q^v^o trjg Kg)v- atavtLvovn6XB(ag ixxXrjaCag inC- per omnia compleantur. Speran- dum enim est, ra ad compagem corporis sui reliqua quoque, quae adhuc divisa sunt, membra festi- nent, et a potioribus minora bod discrepent. Ad quod quom me dilectio tua Cliristianae stndio caritatis hortatur, debet') qQO invitat sequi^ et quod amandom suadet amplecti. Similem enim jam fidei curam gerentes, per religiosam patientiam par etiam praemium de boni operis spera- mus effectu. Neque enim diffi- cultatibus est cedendum. Non fatigatur asperis fides, nec ad coelorum ardua per proclive con- tenditur, nec remuneratioBem citra^) laboris exercitium quis meretur. Unde ne facientes bona deficiamus^ specialiter admone- mur: Bead etiam, teste Psal- mista^ qm custodhmt judicium et faciunt justitiam in omni tempore; quia non initium laboris remune- rationem praemii consuevit in- venire, sed terminus. Ergo par studium sollicitudinis assumentes, quibus est una in communioue et credulitate societaS; quemad- modum de adunata sedi aposto- licae Constantinopolitana ecclesia pariter exsultamus in Domino, ita de reliquarum quoque, sicut afiectuose admones^ redintegra- tione laetemur^), et euremus pri- mum; ut fidem integritatemque nostram inunaculatam ab omni contagioue servemus.