Letter 158: Leo to the Catholic Egyptian bishops sojourning in Constantinople. He encourages them in their sufferings for the Faith, and in their entreaties for redress to the Emperor. I have before now been so saddened by tidings of the crimes committed in Alexandria, and my spirit has been so wounded by the atrocity of the deed itself, that I know not wha...

Leo to the Catholic Egyptian bishops sojourning in Constantinople. He encourages them in their sufferings for the Faith and in their appeals for justice to the Emperor. The news of the crimes committed in Alexandria [the murder of Proterius, the orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, by a pro-Eutychian mob in 457] has so saddened me, and the sheer horror of what was done has so wounded my spirit, that I hardly know what tears to shed or what grief to express. I can only echo the prophet's words: "Who will give water to my head and a fountain of tears to my eyes?" Yet anticipating your complaint, beloved, I have petitioned our most gracious and Christian Emperor for a remedy to these great evils. Through our sons and assistants Gerontius and Olympius, I have at various times urged him to act swiftly to purge that city's church of a heresy already condemned — a church in which so many Catholic teachers have flourished — and not to show leniency to murderous individuals whom no reverence for place or time could restrain from shedding their own bishop's blood, especially when they seek to reopen the Council of Chalcedon [the ecumenical council of 451 that defined orthodox Christology] in order to overthrow the Faith. Therefore, beloved, the same cause that drove you from your own sees should console you in your sufferings. For it is certain that afflicted souls who endure hardship for His name are never deprived of the Lord's protection. Bear it bravely, and mindful of the heavenly homeland that is yours, take joy even in your present exile. Do not grieve over your banishment or give way to sorrow over your present hardships — you who know that the Apostle takes pride even in his many sufferings on behalf of the Lord's Faith. You have One who knows your struggles and has prepared the rewards of recompense. Let no one shrink from this labor, whose reward is to reign and live forever. Let all who fight stand firm with their eyes fixed on the heavenly Jerusalem. In the hope of that reward, they need not fear the battlefield or the enemy's assaults. Victory is never hard, and triumph is never difficult, over the remnants of a broken foe who has been defeated by the whole world — especially over those whose ringleaders you can already see brought low. With unceasing prayers, therefore — as I also have not failed to do — seek the favor of the most Christian Emperor, who by God's mercy is ready to listen. May he, in accordance with the letter I have sent, strengthen the cause of our common Faith with the devotion we are confident he possesses, and in his piety remove all the harmful accusations that the madness of heretics has invented. May he arrange for your return, beloved, so that every province and all the churches with their bishops may rejoice in the unshaken peace of Christ. Dated December 1 in the consulship of Constantine and Rufus (457).

Leo to the Catholic Egyptian bishops sojourning in Constantinople. He encourages them in their sufferings for the Faith, and in their entreaties for redress to the Emperor. I have before now been so saddened by tidings of the crimes committed in Alexandria, and my spirit has been so wounded by the atrocity of the deed itself, that I know not what tears to show and what lamentation to utter over it, and am fain to use the prophet's language, who will give waters to my head and a fountain of tears to my eyes ? Yet anticipating your complaint, beloved, I have entreated our most clement and Christian Emperor for a remedy of these great evils, and by our sons and assistants Gerontius and Olympius have at a different time demanded that he should make haste to purge of a heresy already condemned the church of that city, in which so many Catholic teachers have flourished, and not allow murderous spirits whom no reverence for place or time could deter from shedding their ruler's blood, to gain anything from his clemency, more particularly when they desire to reconsider the council of Chalcedon to the overthrow of the Faith. Accordingly the same reason, beloved, which drove you from your own Sees, ought to console you for your sufferings; for it is certain that afflicted souls, that suffer adversity for His name, are in no wise deprived of the Lord's protection. Bear it therefore bravely, and mindful of that country which is yours, rejoice over your present sojourn in a strange land. Abstain from grieving over your exile and indulge not in sorrow for your present weariness, you who know that the Apostle glories even in his many perils on behalf of the Lord's Faith. You have One who knows your conflicts and has prepared the rewards of recompense. Let no one shrink from this labour, whose reward is to reign and live forever. Let the feet of all who fight be fixed in the halls of Jerusalem; for in the hope of that retribution they will have no cause to fear the camp nor the onsets of the enemy. Victory is never hard nor triumph difficult over the remnants of an abject foe who has been routed by the whole world alike, especially over those whose ringleaders you see already prostrate. With unceasing prayers, therefore (even as I also have not failed to do), entreat the favour of the most Christian Emperor, who in God's mercy is ready to hear: that in accordance with the letter I have sent , he may strengthen the cause of the common Faith with that devotion of mind, which we are well assured he possesses, and in his piety may remove all the harmful charges which the madness of heretics has invented, and arrange for your return, beloved, and so may cause each several province and all the churches with their priests to rejoice in the unshaken peace of Christ. Dated the 1st of Dec. in the consulship of Constantine and Rufus (457).