Letter 66: Leo, the pope, to the dearly-beloved brethren Constantinus, Armentarius, Audientius, Severianus, Valerianus, Ursus, Stephanus, Nectarius, Constantius, Maximus, Asclepius, Theodorus, Justus Ingenuus, Augustalis, Superventor, Ynantius, Fonteius, and Palladius. I. The Bishop of Vienne has anticipated their appeal.

Leo's reply to Letter 65. Leo, the pope, to the dearly beloved brethren Constantinus, Armentarius, Audientius, Severianus, Valerianus, Ursus, Stephanus, Nectarius, Constantius, Maximus, Asclepius, Theodorus, Justus, Ingenuus, Augustalis, Superventor, Ynantius, Fonteius, and Palladius. I. The Bishop of Vienne has anticipated their appeal. He proposes to arbitrate impartially. When we read your letter, beloved — brought to us by our sons Petronius the presbyter and Regulus the deacon — we recognized the deep regard in which you hold our brother and fellow bishop Ravennius. For your request is that the privileges his predecessor [Hilary of Arles] deservedly lost for his excessive presumption may be restored to him. But your petition, brothers, was anticipated by the Bishop of Vienne [a rival city also claiming ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Gaul], who sent a letter and legates complaining that the Bishop of Arles had unlawfully claimed the right to ordain the bishop of Vaison. Since we had to show proper respect both for the canons of the Fathers and for your good opinion of us — so that in matters of the churches' privileges we would allow no violation or loss — it was our duty to preserve peace within the province of Vienne by exercising such fair moderation as would disregard neither ancient custom nor your wishes. II. The Bishop of Vienne is to retain jurisdiction over four neighboring cities; the rest is to belong to Arles. After considering the arguments put forward by the clergy present on each side, we find that the cities of Vienne and Arles within your province have always been so distinguished that in certain matters of ecclesiastical privilege, now one, now the other, has alternately taken precedence — though the traditional arrangement was that they formerly shared these rights. Therefore, we do not allow the city of Vienne to be entirely stripped of honor in matters of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, especially since it already possesses our decree granting it certain privileges — specifically the authority that, when taken from Hilary, we thought proper to confer on the Bishop of Vienne. And so that he should not seem suddenly and unfairly diminished, he shall hold authority over four neighboring cities — Valence, Tarentaise, Geneva, and Grenoble — with Vienne itself as the fifth. The bishop of Vienne shall have pastoral responsibility for all these churches. But the other churches of the same province shall be placed under the authority and governance of the Bishop of Arles, who, given his measured temperament, will we believe be so committed to love and peace that he will by no means consider himself deprived of anything by what is granted to his brother. Dated May 5, in the consulship of Valentinian Augustus (seventh time) and the distinguished Avienus (450).

Leo's Reply to Letter LXV. Leo, the pope, to the dearly-beloved brethren Constantinus, Armentarius, Audientius, Severianus, Valerianus, Ursus, Stephanus, Nectarius, Constantius, Maximus, Asclepius, Theodorus, Justus Ingenuus, Augustalis, Superventor, Ynantius, Fonteius, and Palladius. I. The Bishop of Vienne has anticipated their appeal. He proposes to arbitrate with impartiality. When we read your letter, beloved, which was brought to us by our sons Petronius the presbyter and Regulus the deacon, we recognized how affectionate is the regard in which you hold our brother and fellow bishop, Ravennius: for your request is that what his predecessor deservedly lost for his excessive presumption may be restored to him. But your petition, brothers, was forestalled by the bishop of Vienne, who sent a letter and legates with the complaint that the bishop of Arles had unlawfully claimed the ordination of the bishop of Vasa. Accordingly, as we had to show such respect both for the canons of the fathers and for your good opinion of us, that in the matter of the churches' privileges we should allow no infringement or deprivation, it were incumbent on us to preserve the peace within the province of Vienne by employing such righteous moderation as should disregard neither ancient usage nor your desires. II. The bishop of Vienne is to retain jurisdiction over four neighbouring cities: the rest to belong to Arles. For after considering the arguments advanced by the clergy present on either side, we find that the cities of Vienne and Arles within your province have always been so famous, that in certain matters of ecclesiastical privilege, now one, now the other, has alternately taken precedence, though the national tradition is that formerly they had community of rights. And hence we suffer not the city of Vienne to be altogether without honour, so far as concerns ecclesiastical jurisdiction, especially as it already possesses the authority of our decree for the enjoyment of its privilege: to wit the power which, when taken away from Hilary, we thought proper to confer on the bishop of Vienne. And that he seem not suddenly and unduly lowered, he shall hold rule over the four neighbouring towns, that is, Valentia, Tarantasia, Genava and Gratianopolis, with Vienne herself for the fifth, to the bishop of which shall belong the care of all the said churches. But the other churches of the same province shall be placed under the authority and management of the bishop of Arles, who from his temperate moderation we believe will be so anxious for love and peace as by no means to consider himself deprived of that which he sees conceded to his brother. Dated 5th of May, in the consulship of Valentinianus Augustus (7th time), and the most famous Avienus (450.) 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/3604066.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.