Letter 34: Leo, the bishop, to Julian Bishop of Cos, the bishop, his well-beloved brother. I. Eutyches is now clearly seen to have deviated from the Faith.

Leo, the bishop, to Julian, Bishop of Cos [a small island near Constantinople; Julian served as Leo's trusted liaison in the East], his beloved brother. I. Eutyches is now clearly seen to have departed from the Faith. Your letter, beloved, which has just reached me, shows the spiritual love for the Catholic Faith that inspires you. It makes me very glad that devout hearts all share the same conviction, so that, as the Holy Spirit teaches, there may be fulfilled among us what the Apostle says: "Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). But Eutyches [a monk in Constantinople who denied Christ's full human nature] has placed himself entirely outside this unity — if he persists in his stubbornness and still fails to understand the chains with which the devil has bound him, imagining that anyone who shares his ignorance and madness can be counted among the Lord's priests. For some time we were uncertain about what exactly was troubling Catholics about him. When we received no letter from our brother Flavian [Patriarch of Constantinople], and Eutyches himself complained in his letter that the Nestorian heresy [the teaching that Christ was two separate persons] was being revived, we could not fully discover the source or motive of so cunning an accusation. But as soon as the official minutes of the bishops' proceedings reached us, everything hidden beneath the veil of his deceptive complaints was exposed in all its ugliness. II. He announces the appointment of personal legates. And because our most gracious Emperor, in his kindness and godliness, wished a more careful judgment to be passed regarding a man who until now had seemed highly respected, and for this purpose thought it right to convene a council of bishops — through our brothers Julius the bishop and Renatus the presbyter, and also my son Hilary the deacon, whom I have sent as my personal representatives — I have addressed a letter to our brother Flavian suited to the needs of the case [the Tome of Leo]. From this letter, you also, beloved, and the whole Church may know about the ancient and unchanging Faith that this unlearned opponent has attacked: what we hold as handed down from God and what we preach without alteration. Yet, because we must not forget our duty of mercy, we have judged it consistent with our priestly moderation that if the condemned presbyter corrects himself fully, the sentence binding him should be lifted. If, however, he chooses to remain in the mire of his foolishness, let the decree stand, and let him share the fate of those whose error he has followed. Dated June 13 in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes (449).

Leo, the bishop, to Julian Bishop of Cos, the bishop, his well-beloved brother. I. Eutyches is now clearly seen to have deviated from the Faith. Your letter, beloved, which has just reached me, shows with what spiritual love of the Catholic Faith you are inspired: and it makes me very glad that devout hearts all agree in the same opinion, so that according to the teaching of the Holy Ghost there may be fulfilled in us what the Apostle says: Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same things, and there be no divisions among you: but that you be perfect in the same mind and in the same judgment 1 Corinthians 1:10 . But Eutyches has put himself quite outside this unity, if he perseveres in his perversity, and still does not understand the bonds with which the devil has bound him, and thinks any one is to be reckoned among the Lord's priests, who is a party to his ignorance and madness. For some time we were uncertain in what he was displeasing to Catholics: and when we received no letter from our brother Flavian, and Eutyches himself complained in his letter that the Nestorian heresy was being revived, we could not fully learn the source or the motive of so crafty an accusation. But as soon as the minutes of the bishops' proceedings reached us, all those things which were hidden beneath the veil of his deceitful complaints were revealed in their abomination. II. He announces the appointment of legates a latere. And because our most clement Emperor in the loving-kindness and godliness of his mind wished a more careful judgment to be passed about the position of one who hitherto has seemed to be in high esteem, and for this purpose has thought fit to convene a council of bishops, by the hands of our brothers Julius the bishop, and Renatus the presbyter, and also my son Hilary, the deacon whom I have sent ex latere in my stead, I have addressed a letter suited to the needs of the case to our brother Flavian, from which you also, beloved, and the whole Church may know about the ancient and unique Faith, which this unlearned opponent has assailed, what we hold as handed down from God and what we preach without alteration. Yet, because we must not forget the duty of mercy, we have considered it consonant with our moderation as priests, that, if the condemned presbyter corrects himself unreservedly, the sentence by which he is bound should be remitted: if, however, he chooses to lie in the mire of his foolishness, let the decree remain, and let him have his lot with those whose error he has followed. Dated 13th June in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes (449). About this page Source. Translated by Charles Lett Feltoe. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3604034.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.