Letter 79: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

When we were dismissing from this royal city the most blessed bishop Germanus and those who had been dispatched with him by you, we gave them instructions of this kind: that the articles pertaining to the perfect unity of the churches we would make known to your apostolate through the most reverend bishop John, who would follow after them — articles which, however, had been set forth in their presence while they were here. But it happened that the aforesaid bishop John was detained by a long illness. Therefore, lest any adverse opinion enter your reverence, as though through some voluntary negligence on our part we were failing to bring our promises to fulfillment, we have seen it necessary to set forth for you the cause of the delay through Eulogius, the honorable tribune and notary, whom we have dispatched to the exalted King Theodoric [Ostrogothic king of Italy] on certain matters of business, adding this as well: that when the favor of the majesty of our Lord and God shall have willed to restore the same most religious John to his former health, we shall immediately send him to your holiness, just as we once promised. It remains that your holiness may deign to obtain divine protection for us through your prayers.

EXEMPLUII SACRAE lUSTINI AUGUSTI. lUSTINUS AUGUSTUS HORMISDAB PAPAE. Dum beatissimum 15 Germanum episcopum uel eos, qui cum eo a uobis fuerant destinati, de hac dimitteremus regia ciuitate, huiusmodi illis mandata tradidimus, quod capitula, quae ad perfectam unitatem ecclesiarum pertinebant, apostolatui uesti-o per reuerentissimum lohannem episcopum sequenter manifesta faceremus. quae 20 2 tamen ipsis hic praesentibus fuerant declarata. sed euenit praefatum lohannem antistitem longa aegritudine detineri. ne qua igitur uestram reuerentiam ingrediatur aduersa sententia quasi nobis promissa nostra desidia quadam ultronea minus ad eflectum perducentibus, necessarium esse perspeximus »5 dilationis causam uobis exponere per Eulogium u. s. tribunum et notarium, quem ad praecelsum regem Theodoricum super negotiis quibusdam transmisimus, hoc quoque adicientes quod, 5 cf loh. 21, 17 1 sufiFragari Car. 2 possit 5 iniuncxit V 8 uiolaretur o* sanctimonia Fo, correxi 11 <et> dei inepte Car. subitmgens dtinde *dee8t reliquum' Epist. CLXXXXVIII 2 — CC 3. 659 dum propitia domini et dei nostri maiestas eundem uiiaun religiosissimum lohannem pristinae uoluerit reddere sanitati, sicut semel promisei-amus, statim illum ad tuam sanctitatem transmittimus. superest, ut sanctitudo tua diuinum nobis 3 5 praesidium orationibus suis dignetur acquirere. Data pridie Kal. Septemb. Constantinopoli. Accepta Romae Kal. Octob. Kusticio u. c. cons.