Letter 80: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

With what great reverence we venerate your blessedness, you know from the many letters written since our most serene emperor, your son, has reigned. In the present as well, greeting your holiness with due respect, we more earnestly ask that you labor with assiduous prayers and most frequent supplications for the concord of the venerable churches, and that — as we also wrote through your own legates after all other matters — your apostolate deign to send us a complete and unequivocal response through Eulogius, the honorable tribune and notary, both concerning the expression over which the controversy revolves [the Theopaschite formula, "one of the Trinity suffered in the flesh"] and concerning the names of the bishops who died under Acacius [patriarch of Constantinople, 471-489, whose communion with heretics caused the Acacian Schism], with everything that was arranged in the presence of your legates, of course, enduringly firm in perpetuity. For the devout bishop John, who is to come to Rome, is detained by bodily illness. Nothing, however, prevents concord from coming about even before his arrival, once the doubt regarding religion has been removed — and we are nevertheless sending him soon with the divinity's favor, since he is already doing better — because neither are the matters which have fallen into ambiguity difficult, nor is it expedient for the cause of eternal life to be drawn out any longer, lest with the times being delayed something more uncertain arise. Therefore, not unmindful of the eternity above and the terrible judgment, let your holiness hasten to deliver to efficacy those things which have been entrusted to it, so that all may understand that you have rightly obtained the primacy of the apostolic see. Therefore, command that these things which are written to you by your children be fulfilled as quickly as possible with fatherly affection. For you know how admirable a glory it is for the errors of so many years to be abolished root and branch during the time of your pontificate.

EXEMPLUM EPISTOLAE lUSTINIANI. DOmNO BEATISSIMO ATQUE APOSTOLICO PATRI HORMISI)AE PAPAE URBI3 ROMAE lusTiNiANus. Quanta reuereutia uestram beati- tudinem ueneremur, multis epistolis, ex quo serenissimus imperator filius uester regnauit, cognoscitis. in praesenti 2 quoque debito pudore salutantes tuam sanctitatem postulamus ^ eniiius, ut assiduis precibus et frequentissimis orationibus pro concordia laboretis ecclesiarum uenerandarum nobisque, sicut per legatos etiam uestros post omnia scripsimus, tam de sermone, quo uertitur controuersia, quam de nominibus episcoporum sub Acacio defunctorum per Eulogium u. s. 80 tribunum et notarium dignetur apostolatus uester integrum indubitatumque destinare responsum, omnibus uidelicet, quae praesentibus legatis uestris ordinata sunt, in perpetuo firmiter duraturis. uir namque religiosus lohannes episcopus, qui uenturus est Bomam, detinetur aegritudine corporali. nihil 3 e enim prohibet ante eius quoque aduentum concordiam proue- nire sublata dubitatione re<Ii>gionis (et eum tamen mox dimit- timus fauente diuinitate, quia iam melius habet), quoniam nec difiQcilia sunt, quae ceciderunt in ambiguitatem, nec expedit diutius causam uitae protrahi sempiternae, ne dilatis 4 transmittemus 6 roma V octub V 200. Data et aceepta ut ep. 199. Edd. Car. P 553; Bar. ad a. 520, 40; Collect. Concil; Thiel 939. 18 <de> quo Bar., at rf. ep. 243 § 25 concordia F, corr. 26 regionis F, corr. Car. dirait- temuB Car. 660 Horraisda lastino; Hormisda lustino 4 temporibus aliquid nascatur incertius. aeternitatis igitur supemae tremendique iudicii non immemor sanctitas uestra, quae sibi commissa sunt, efficaciae tradi deproperet, ut intel- legant cuncti recte uos apostolicae sedis esse primatum sortitos. haec igitur, quae uobis scribuntur a filiis, afFectu paterno iubete quantocius adimpleri. scitis namque, quam sit admirabilis gloria tantorum errores annorum uestri pontificatus tempore stirpitus aboleri.