Letter 73: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

The greatest thanks are indeed owed to you, for you do not hesitate to devote eager labor to gathering and uniting the venerable churches; but your perfect skill shines forth most especially in this: that you have chosen men who, with benevolent good will, can serve your holiness's sincere and upright purpose with a whole heart. For Germanus, the most reverend bishop, together with Felix, Dioscorus, and Blandus, most devout men, showed themselves attentive with such great industry and conducted themselves with such great wisdom that, as far as their office was concerned, with all matters fully transacted and worked out, nothing further of dispute remained. But since the condition of mortal weakness is such that it desires to be treated more gently and to have a plain response given to its inquiries — especially when some matter has devolved upon an immense multitude of people — it has come about that, while in this most flourishing city everything that has been arranged concerning the cause of religion and the unity to be celebrated with the apostolic see under the tenure of John of most revered memory [patriarch John II of Constantinople], when he was in the priesthood of this royal city, is by God's favor kept unshaken, and while in very many other cities your ordinance has been approved and accepted, the remaining ones nevertheless need a somewhat more lenient moderation regarding the names of their bishops — not those who are specifically enumerated in the letter which your holiness is known to have dispatched to us, but other bishops whose memory those very cities especially cherish, in which they are known to have flourished while still living. For this reason, indeed, your holiness's legates had no permission to go beyond the terms of their mandate with which they were sent; but the entire conclusion of the affair now depends solely on your judgment, so that he alone should conclude the peace who set its first beginnings in motion. But these things and certain others will be explained more clearly through our legate, who will be dispatched shortly hereafter; for the present, however, with the most devout men returning, we have thought it right both to address your reverence and to remind you to employ your prayers on behalf of our empire and for the unharmed state of the republic.

IVSTINUS AUGUSTUS HORMISDAE PAPAE. NOSTROS PER LEGATOS D) EST GERMANUJI lOHANNEM EPI8C0P0S FELICEM BIOSCORUM DIA- coNos ET BLANDUM PRESBYTERUM. Summa quidcm habenda 10 uobis est gratia, quod alacrem operam non dubitatis impendere ad colligendas adunandasque uenerabiles ecclesias, uerum in ea praelucet maxime perfecta soUertia, quod homines adoptatis, qui uoto beniuolo tuae sanctitudinis sincero ac integro possint animo deseruire. Germanus siquidem reuerentissimus epi- 2 15 scopus nec non Felix et Dioscorus et Blandus uiri religiosis- .simi tanta semet praebuerunt adtentos industria ac in tanta sapientia uersati sunt, ut, quantum ad officium eorura pertinet, transactis in plenum et elaboratis omnibus nihil altercationis superesset ulterius. sed cum ea conditione sit 3 20 mortalis fragilitas, ut remissius circa se agi desideret et interrogationibus suis planum praeberi responsum, maxime cum aliqua causa in immensam hominum multitudinem fuerit deuoluta, factum est, ut in hac quidem urbe florentissima, quicquid ordinatum est de causa religionis deque unitate 192, Dat. (simul cum epp. 194—198) a. 520 die 9 lulii, per Ger- manum etc: accepta die 17 Sept. Edd. Car. P 534; Collect. Concil; Thiel 918; commemorat Bar. ad a. 520, 28. 7 sqq. nostros . . presbyte- nim V minutiore charactere in margine 8 lohannenij lohannis nomen Jiic per errorem (noiarii apostolici ut uidetur) additum est, quippe qui deffritudine retentus (cf. ep. 200 § 2) demum die 9 Sept. cmto ep. ^32 Constantinopoli profectus sit. tacetur nimirum lohannis nomen et in huius epistulae § 2 et in ep. 195 §7 8 diac V 13 possit T', €orr. 0* 16 ac o^: hac V 18 im F 22 immensam scripsi: imniensa F, quo seruato multitudine o 650 lustinus Augnstus Hormisdae celebranda cum apostolica sede sub temporibus lohaunis religiosissimae memoriae, cum in sacerdotio regiae huius esset urbis, id fauente deo seruetur immobile, quin et in aliis compluribus ciuitatibus probata sit uestra ordinatio atque suscepta, ceterae uero clementiore quodam indigeantmoderamine b in nominibus antistitum, non eorum qui specialiter enumerati sunt in epistola, quam sanctitudo tua nobis destinasse noscitur, sed aliorum quorum memoriam maxim<e e>ae ciuitates diligunt, 4 in quibus floruisse noscuntur superstites. quam ob rem legatis quidem tuae sanctitudinis nulla fuit licentia mandati tenorem lo egrediendi, cum quo directi sunt; omnis autem finis negotii uestro iam tantum pendet arbitrio, ut solus pacem concludere 5 debeat, qui prima rei commouit exordia. sed ea quidem nec non quaedam commemorabuntur apertius per legatum nostruiQ, qui paulo post destinabitur; in praesenti uero redeuntibus 15 uiris religiosissimis tam appellandam uestram reuerentiam credidimus quam commonendam, ut suis orationibus pro nostro utatur imperio proque incolomi statu rei publicae. Data VII. Idus lul. Constantinopoli Uitaliano et Eusticio conss. 20