Letter 15

From: Pope Felix III, bishop of Rome To: Emperor Zeno Date: ~484 AD (submitted via council decree) Context: Felix III, letter 4; the formal memorial from the Roman synod to Emperor Zeno, transmitting the synod's decision regarding Acacius and the situation in Alexandria. The holy synod assembled in Rome, under the presidency of Bishop Felix, to the most clement Emperor Zeno, greetings. We communicate to your Majesty the following: that the holy synod has examined the charges against Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople and has found them proven to the satisfaction of the assembled bishops; that Acacius has been formally separated from the communion of the Catholic Church; and that the synod asks the Emperor's cooperation in addressing the consequences of this action. We do not ask the Emperor to be a theological judge. The determination of what the faith requires is the church's responsibility, and the church has made its determination. We ask the Emperor, rather, to ensure that the peace of the church is maintained and that those who seek to remain faithful to the Chalcedonian definition are protected from harassment and persecution by those who have chosen a different path. The situation in Alexandria remains of grave concern. The occupation of the Alexandrian see by Peter Mongus — whose reception into communion by Acacius was the immediate occasion of the crisis — continues to cause distress among the orthodox faithful there. We ask the Emperor to act on behalf of those faithful. The synod assembled under Felix, bishop of Rome

seu Mart. Libellus a Felice papa decreto concilii ad Zenonem imperatorem transmissus. l/t gaudium de initiis imperii sui conceptum non^sinat per invasionem sedit Ale- P? xandrinae in moerorem mutari (n. 1). Acacium ad diluendas incriminaiionet ohjectas Homam vocatum esse (n. 2). 1. Quum sibi redditam pacem, compressis per vos haereticis qui se'^) nitebantur attollere, universalis gauderet Ecclesia, et vestrae pietatis imperium etiam de inimicis suis victoriam reportasset; et per universum orbeni pro salute vestrae serenitatis oratio cunctorum erat-*) ad Dominum saeerdotum, ut vestra pietas fidei custos et defensor orthodoxae, sub aeterni regis propitiatione regnaret: quando venerandi apices vestri et Deo proxinia currens de sacro pectore frequenter auctoritas inter gaudia recepti imperii Petrum*) conver- satum cum haereticis et parricidae illi Timotheo cohaerentem, a pro- «) Ita E' E« F« H^ Editi omittunt Deo. ') Hic observare hbet discriraen, quod inter episcopos et defensoreiii poni- tur, quo hic a latere nostrOj illi de coUegio nostro missi dicuntur. Notant fial- lerinii in Leon. epist. 32 not. 3, formulam illam ex imperatorum stilo aasmnpttm, qua clerici pontifici vel Romanae ecclesiae peculiariter addicti adhaerenteaque signabantur. Primum ipsa occurrit in Hilarii Pictav. fragm. 4, syn. Sardic. c 7 et Bonifacii I epist. 13 n. 5. ') Ita E* E^, nisi quod E> sentehantur, unde F< sentiebantttr , H^ «enliefttfter attoUere; editi sentiebantur attoHi. Mox E' E* imperio. EPISTOLAE 3. 4. 241 fanisy quia nec ab aliis talis fieri poterat, Alexaudrinae ecclesiae a. 483. episcopuiHy quantum sibi ejcistimaverat, ordiiiatum, acceptissima Deo praeeepiione dqecerat, et tyranni litteras^), quas in eversionem coutra fas sacrosancti^) Calchedonensis concilii definitionis mens in- sana dictaverat^ pro regni tui commendatione evacuavit. Haec deinde illicitas ordinationes ejus vel") Timothei, utpote haeretico- rum, irritas fecit, atque eos; quantum extra Ecclesiam fuerint, judicavit. Sed nunc eum, mutatis omnium gaudiis in moerorem, ecclesiae Alexandrinae cognovimus praesidere. Quod si verum est, ut Christianissimo principi coram Deo fiducialiter est faciendum, di- vino judicio suggerimus non leviter esse pensandum, nisi celerius^) remediis, quod in contumeliam Dei factum dicitur, fuerit expiatum. Et quia^ sicut scriptum est, unius membri tactum^) totum corpus P«- jo 26 iiiur passiones, in persona ejus totius Orientis concutiuntur ecclesiae. 2. Quod fratrem et coepiscopum meum Acacium^^) Constanti- nopolitanum respicit sacerdotem, adversus quem in conventu mihi ab eo, cujus sedem praefatus fertur tenere, libelhis oblatus est^ quem deplorationibus meae humilitatis annexui: ut idem frater et coepi- scopus meus Acacius, sicut ecclesiasticis necesse est et vestris legi- bus fieri decet, ad'*) haec, quae de se pervidet intimari, apud bea- tum Petrum apostolum diluere ob^dientiae ^^) sodulitate procuret, nec uUo modo existimet differendum. Qui sibi^^), quemadmodum con- fidimus, bene conscius apostoUcum debere judicium j^ro sacerdotii sui moderatione non ambigit: ut sacerdotalibus actibus et j^raedicatione fidei comprobatus, primum Christi Domini nostri atque omnium sa- cerdotum ac deinde pietatis vestrae gratia gloriosius perfruatur. •) Ita E' E* F* H^. Editi et sacrosancti . . . definitlones . . , reyni sui . . . Ita iieinde (E« Hac, E« Hec). T) E* E* vel, F« H« vetut, b cc vet etiam, moxque E« fuerit, F» H» fuerat, editi cnm E* fuerint, •) Ita E* E*. H* ceteris, F* a certis, unde b cc certis. ») E* E* P* tactum (E* tactus, F^ tantum) totum, Editi omittunt tactum et totius. lo) Edili cum F* H'' omitt. Acacium, "■) Abundat prorsus ad, sed codicura consona auctoritate probatur. •*) Ita E* E*; H* ohedientiae omisso sedulitate, unde bcc obedienter. r.PlSTOLAE BOMAlf. POHTIP. I, 16