Letter 45: Leo, the bishop, and the holy Synod which is assembled in the City of Rome to Pulcheria Augusta. I. He sends a copy of the former letter which failed to reach her.

Leo, Bishop of Rome, and the holy synod assembled in the City of Rome: to Pulcheria Augusta. I. He sends a copy of a former letter that failed to reach her If the letters we dispatched to your Grace concerning the faith, entrusted to our clergy, had reached you, you would certainly have been able -- with the Lord's help -- to provide a remedy for the outrages committed against the faith. For when have you ever failed the priesthood, or the religion, or the faith of Christ? But since those we sent were so completely prevented from reaching your clemency that only one of them -- our deacon Hilarus -- escaped with difficulty and returned, we thought it necessary to write again. That our prayers may carry greater weight, we have attached a copy of the very document that failed to reach your clemency. We entreat you even more earnestly than before to take under your protection that faith in which you excel, knowing that it will win you the greater glory in proportion to the gravity of the offenses against which your royal devotion requires you to act. The integrity of the Christian faith must not be violated by any human scheme. For the matters that were supposed to be settled and healed by the synod at Ephesus have resulted not only in still greater disturbances of peace but -- what is even more to be lamented -- in the overthrow of the very faith by which we are Christians. II. He sends a copy of his letter to the Emperor and explains its contents Our delegates who were sent -- one of whom, escaping the violence of the Bishop of Alexandria, who claims everything for himself, faithfully reported to us what took place at the synod -- opposed what I would call the frenzy, not the judgment, of one man. They protested that the proceedings being forced through by violence and intimidation could not overturn the mysteries of the Church or the Creed itself, composed by the Apostles, and that no injuries could sever them from the faith they had brought, fully set forth and explained, from the See of the blessed Apostle Peter to the holy synod. Since this statement was not allowed to be read aloud -- so that the faith which has crowned patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs might be rejected, and the confession of Christ's birth according to the flesh, His true death, and His resurrection might be denied (we shudder to say it) -- we have appealed to the piety of the most clement emperor: that, since the conspiracy of a single bishop wrought this devastation, a general synod be commanded to assemble, one that may either restore those who have erred to soundness of mind or, if they persist in their corrupted views, separate them from the communion of the saints with finality, so that the body of the Church may have no diseased members. We commend to your clemency the church of Constantinople and our brother Bishop Flavian, and all the Lord's priests who agree with us. As your faith is known throughout the world, we are confident that you will act in this matter as befits a daughter of the Church and a guardian of the truth.

Leo, the bishop, and the holy Synod which is assembled in the City of Rome to Pulcheria Augusta. I. He sends a copy of the former letter which failed to reach her. If the letters respecting the Faith which were dispatched to your Grace by the hands of our clergy had reached you, it is certain you would have been able, the Lord helping you, to provide a remedy for these things which have been done against the Faith. For when have you failed either the priests or the religion or the Faith of Christ? But when those who were sent were so completely hindered from reaching your clemency that only one of them, namely Hilary our deacon, with difficulty fled and returned, we thought it necessary to rewrite our letter: and that our prayers may deserve to receive more weight, we have subjoined a copy of the very document which did not reach your clemency, entreating you even more earnestly than before to take under protection that religion in which you excel which will win you the greater glory in proportion to the heinousness of the crimes against which your royal faith requires you to proceed, lest the integrity of the Christian Faith be violated by any plot of man's devising. For the things which were believed to require setting at rest and healing by the meeting of a Synod at Ephesus, have not only resulted in still greater disturbances of peace but, which is the more to be regretted, even in the overthrow of the very Faith whereby we are Christians. II. He also sends a copy of his letter to the Emperor and explains its contents And they indeed, who were sent, and one of whom, escaping the violence of the bishop of Alexandria who claims everything for himself, faithfully reported to us what took place in the Synod, opposed, as it became them, what I will call the frenzy not the judgment of one man, protesting that those things which were being carried through by violence and fear could not reverse the mysteries of the Church and the Creed itself composed by the Apostles, and that no injuries could sever them from that Faith which they had brought fully set forth and expounded from the See of the blessed Apostle Peter to the holy synod. And since this statement was not allowed to be read out at the bishop's request, in order forsooth that by the rejection of that Faith which has crowned patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, the birth according to the flesh of Jesus Christ our Lord and the confession of His true Death and Resurrection (we shudder to say it) might be overthrown, we have written on this matter according to our ability, to our most glorious and (what is far greater) our Christian Prince, and at the same time have subjoined a copy of the letter to you to the end that he may not allow the Faith, in which he was re-born and reigns through God's grace, to be corrupted by any innovation, since Bishop Flavian continues in communion with us all, and that which has been done without regard to justice and contrary to all the teaching of the canons can, under no consideration, be held valid. And because the Synod of Ephesus has not removed but increased the scandal of disagreement (I have asked him) to appoint a place and time for holding a council within Italy, all quarrels and prejudices on both sides being suspended, that everything which has engendered offense may be the more diligently reconsidered and without wounding the Faith, without injuring religion those priests may return into the peace of Christ, who through irresolution were forced to subscribe, and only their errors be removed. III. He asks her to assist his petition with the Emperor. And that we may be worthy to obtain this, let your well-tried faith and protection, which has always helped the Church in her labours, deign to advance our petition with our most clement Prince, under a special commission so to act from the blessed Apostle Peter; so that before this civil and destructive war gains strength within the Church, he may grant opportunity of restoring unity by God's aid, knowing that the strength of his empire will be increased by every extension of Catholic freedom that his kindly will affects. Dated 13th of October 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/3604045.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.