Letter 37: Unity of Faith is essential but the point at issue hardly required a general council, it is so clear Leo to Theodosius Augustus. On receiving your clemency's letter, I perceived that the universal Church has much cause for joy, that you will have the Christian Faith, whereby the Divine Trinity is honoured and worshipped, to be different or out o...

Unity of Faith is essential, but the point at issue hardly required a general council — it is so clear. Leo to Theodosius Augustus [Emperor Theodosius II, who ruled the Eastern Roman Empire 408-450]. Upon receiving your clemency's letter, I recognized that the universal Church has much cause for joy — that you insist the Christian Faith, by which the Divine Trinity is honored and worshipped, should be perfectly consistent and harmonious in every respect. For what more effective way can human affairs call upon God's mercy than when one thanksgiving and one unified confession is offered to His majesty by all? The devotion of bishops and all the faithful will reach its fullest expression when, in regard to what was accomplished for our redemption by God the Word, the only Son of God, nothing else is believed except what He Himself commanded to be preached and believed. Therefore, although every consideration prevents my attendance on the date your piety has set for the council of bishops — there are no precedents for such a thing, and the needs of the times do not allow me to leave Rome, especially since the point of Faith at issue is so clear that it would have been more reasonable not to call a synod at all [Leo initially opposed calling what became the Second Council of Ephesus in 449, which he later dubbed the "Robber Council" after it was manipulated to support Eutyches] — nevertheless, as far as the Lord enables me, I have devoted my efforts to obeying your clemency's commands. I have appointed my brethren, who are competent to handle the situation as it requires, to represent me — because no question has arisen on which there can or ought to be any doubt. Dated June 21, in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes (449).

Unity of Faith is essential but the point at issue hardly required a general council, it is so clear Leo to Theodosius Augustus. On receiving your clemency's letter, I perceived that the universal Church has much cause for joy, that you will have the Christian Faith, whereby the Divine Trinity is honoured and worshipped, to be different or out of harmony with itself in nothing. For what more effectual support can be given to human affairs in calling upon God's mercy than when one thanksgiving, and the sacrifice of one confession is offered to His majesty by all. Wherein the devotions of the priests and all the faithful will reach at last their completeness, if in what was done for our redemption by God the Word, the only Son of God, nothing else be believed than what He Himself ordered to be preached and believed. Wherefore although every consideration prevents my attendance on the day which your piety has fixed for the councils of bishops : for there are no precedents for such a thing, and the needs of the times do not allow me to leave the city, especially as the point of Faith at issue is so clear, that it would have been more reasonable to abstain from proclaiming a synod: yet as far as the Lord vouchsafes to help me, I have bestowed my zeal upon obeying your clemency's commands, by appointing my brethren who are competent to act as the case requires in removing offenses, and who can represent me: because no question has arisen on which there can or ought to be any doubt. Dated 21st of 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/3604037.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.