Letter 65: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

How great an eagerness and what desire the most pious and most Christian emperor has for the perfect union of all the churches, he has shown not merely by will but by his very deeds to those dwelling in this royal city, even before he came to the throne granted to him by God. To your holiness, moreover, he has made it especially manifest through the labors corrected from the beginning of his reign and up to now, through which he strives with a ready spirit to join all the members of the catholic church into the one body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what need is there to use many words, since — although we are able to stand as true witnesses of the facts themselves — your holiness nevertheless has the experience that it itself has come to know? What is now added confirms these things. For certain persons who are under his most powerful hand, from the regions of the eastern provinces, have presented petitions to the most religious priests, making known concerning those things which they wished. Not wishing this to be hidden from your holiness, he rightly determined that what has already been done should be made known to your holiness in the present, and shortly after to signify these things more clearly regarding the matter, so that with common counsel, and with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ going before, those things which pertain to the common benefit and are in every way irreproachable may shine forth in the corrections of the catholic faith. Therefore, judging it fitting to address your holiness with brotherly letters and most dear greetings, we ask that more greatly and more earnestly you deign to pray to the Lord God of all for our most pious emperor. I and those with me send abundant greetings to all the brotherhood in Christ that is with your holiness. And in another hand: Be well in the Lord, pray for us, beloved of God and most holy brother.

EXEMPLUM RELATIONIS lOHANNIS EPISCOPI C0N8TANTIN0P0LITANI. BOHNO MEO PER OMNIA AMABILI DEO SANCTISSIMOQUE FRATRI £T COMMINISTRATORI UORMISDAE lOHANNES IN DOMINO SALTPTEM. Quantam alacritatem aut quale desiderium piissimus et Christianissimus imperator circa perfectam unitionem uniuer- sarum ecclesiarum habeat, non uoluntate tantum sed operibus ipsis habitantibus in hac regia urbe uel ante quam ad regnum 13 Rustico F, correxi cons V 188. DaL ut ep, 181. Edd. Car. P 552; CoUect. Condl; Thiel 358, 17 lohannes V: *b1\m Epiphanius' manus recentissitna tidscripsit in marg, codicis Angelicani, ni fallor rationem habens eodicis Otto- honiam 474 (sc^c. 16) complectentis permultas paparum epistulas cum ecc aliis fontihus tum ex Auellanae codice a desumptcu. in quo codice OttobonioMO ctm et hic et in ep. 184 primo recte lohannis namen scriptum esset, postea tamen is qui coUectionem iUam composuit ei deleto ex coniectura substituit nomen Epiphanii a Carafa ceterisque editoribus receptum. qua coniectura nihil esse falsius demonstratti Beitrdge p. 41 sqq. 18 qualg F, corr. o 19 circa Thiel: cari F, caram Car. 20 uoluntatg F, corr. o 21 uel scripsi: ut F, et cod. Angelic. Epist. CLXXXII 4 — CLXXXm 4. 639 a deo sibi datum perueniret ostendit, sanctitati autem uestrae €x correctis ab initio regni eius et usque nunc laboribus maiime manifestauit, per quos omnia catholicae ecclesiae membra iu unum domini et saluatoris nostri lesu Christi 5 corpus cum prompto nititur animo coniungere. et quid opus 2 est uerbis uti prolixis, quia rebus ipsis, quamquam nos ueri test^s existere ualeamus, habet tamen et uestra sanctitas experimentum, quod et per se ipsa cognouit? confirmat quidem haec, quod et nunc additur. nam quidam, qui sub potentissima 3 10 eius manu sunt, religiosissimorum sacerdotum ei Orientalium partium regionibus preces porrexerunt docentes de his, quae uoluerunt. nec hoc latere uestram uolens sanctitatem bene deliberauit ut, quod iam factum est, in praesenti denuntiaret uestrae sanctitati paulo post de eo his manifestius significare, ia ut communi consilio praecedente omnium domino et saluatore nostro lesu Christo ea, quae ad utilitatem communem con- ueniunt et undique sunt inreprehensibilia, catholicae fidei correctionibus clarescant. oportune igitur existimantes fratemis 4 litteris uestram sanctitatem et carissimis alloquiis rogamus, «0 ut raaius et instantius pro piissimo principe nostro omnium dominum deum orare dignemini. omnem in Christo fraterni- tatem, quae cum uestra est sanctitate, ego quoque et qui mei plurimum salutamus. et alia manu: Incolomis in domino ora pro nobis, amabilis deo et sanctissime frater. nus V, corr. o 11 quaej hoc uocabulo desinit codicis V fol. 137, gua- iermo XIX; cui quod adiunxerat librarius folium unieum, excidit sup- pletumque est folio chartaceo saeculi XVII (cf. Proleg. cap. I). quare in hac parte sequimtir codicem a 14 ea a, correxi 18 correctionis a, corr, tdit. reg. 19 clarissimis a, corr. edit. reg. alloquiis a ante rasuram: alloqui o et post rasuram a 22 qui om. Car. 23 iucolomes a XXXV pan 2. 41 640 lohannes Cpolitanus Horniisdae; suggestio legatorum