Letter 18: Hilary, bishop of Rome, to our beloved brothers the bishops of the various provinces of Gaul, greetings.

Of Pope Hilarus, to the bishops of the various provinces of Gaul. (Year 464.) [Summary: That no one should overstep his own boundaries, and that councils should be celebrated each year under the presidency of Leontius of Arles.] Hilarus the bishop, to his most beloved brothers, the bishops of the province of Vienne, of Lyons, of Narbonne the first and the second, and of the Alps. 1. Although we remember that your brotherhood holds fast to those things which have been established by you, and conceals nothing of those things which we have written, namely that, for the sake of ecclesiastical discipline and on account of the cases which, as is beyond doubt, frequently arise among the priests of the Lord, synodal councils should be celebrated each year, over which it has been resolved that the chief authority should rest above all in our brother and fellow bishop Leontius, the priest of the church of Arles, and although we believe that nothing else can be done than what the arrangement that is to please you established for the common house of the Lord; nevertheless, by repeated letters, we now likewise decree that these same things are to be observed, especially since the bishop of the city of Vienne is involved in a most grievous offense, having consecrated a prelate for the people of Die [Deensibus], to the injury of our brother and fellow bishop Leontius. Deferring our sentence as to the punishment fitting for his deed, we have for the time being replied to the report of the brethren concerning the things that had been seen. But since transgressions of such magnitude have brought us greater cause for anxiety, we have directed these things, written to your universal charity also through our brother and fellow bishop Antonius, by which the common concern of all, thus admonished, may take care that none of the brethren, about to break out into the injury of another, should overstep the boundaries established by the venerable fathers. [Footnote: He is not to be removed entirely from the priesthood for having been ordained contrary to what is lawful, both that he may furnish an example of brotherly moderation, and because that man had not without difficulty (compare section 2) merited this rank from Hilarus himself.] 2. Wherefore, confirming all the things that have been defined by you through our brothers and fellow bishops Faustus and Auxanius, may you deign to celebrate the annual gatherings, with our brother and fellow bishop Leontius arranging them and the metropolitans having been admonished (a thing which must often be said), in those places to which there is no difficulty for any of those traveling to assemble. To which diligence provision must also be added, so that the suitability of the times be established just as that of the places: so that anyone who might think that this so necessary and salutary constitution of ours should be neglected may appear the more inexcusable, dearest brothers. But as for the confirmation of that man whom the bishop of Vienne presumed grievously to ordain, one who was a stranger and in no way pertaining to himself, we have left it to the will of our brother and fellow bishop Leontius, whom we trust will weigh what is just not without humanity. May God keep you safe, dearest brothers!

UiUri papae ad episeopos diversaruni proTinciaruiii Oalliae. (a.464.) p. 3. .Ve qidg suos terminos transcendat , et ut concilia quotannis sub Leontii Arela- tensis praesidio celebrentur. Dilectissimis fratribus episcopis provinciae Vien- nensis, Lugdunensis, Narbonensis primae et secundae, Alpinae Hilarus episcopus. 1. Etsi meminerimus fratemitatem vestram ea quae sunt a vobis *) statuta retinere, nec aliquid ex his dissimulare quae scripsi- mus : ut scilicet pro disciplina ecclesiastica et pro causis, quas inter Domini sacerdotes oboriri plerumque non dubium est, synodalia quotannis conciHa, quorum maxime in fratre et coepiscopo nostro Leontio Arelatensis ecclesiae sacerdote siunmam^) placuit esse, cele- brentur, nec aliud fieri posse credamus, quam quod pro commiuiis Domini domo nostra ordiiiatio vobis placitura constituit; tamen re- petitis litteris eadem nimc quoque observanda decernimus, praecipue quum gravissima Viennensis civitatis episcopus involvatur offensa, in injuriam fratris et coepiscopi nostri Leontii Deensibus antistitem cousecrando. De cujus facto vindictae congruae sententiam diffe- renteSy relationi fratrum quae interim fuerant visa respondimus. Sed quoniam tanti excessus majorem nobis soUicitudinis materiam detulerunt, haec ad universam caritatem etiam per fratrem et co- episeopum nostrum Antonium scripta direximus, quibus admonita communis onmium sollicitudo procuret, ne quisquam fratrum in al- < *) Contra fas ordinatum non penitus a sacerdotio aiuovct, tuiu ut i^atcrnac modeTaiionis exemplum praebeat, tum quia ilie ipsomct Hilaro nou diiBtcute (cL n. 2) hunc gradum promeritus fucrat. a. 464. terius prorupturus injuriam transceudat terminos a venerandis pa- tribus constitutos. 2. Unde omnia quae a vobis suilt per fratres et coepiscopos nostros Faustum et Auxanium definita roborantes, congregationes annuas ordinante fratre et coepiscopo nostro Leontio, admonitis me- tropolitanis, quod saepe dicendum est, iis locis celebrare digneinini| ad quae oonveniendi nulla sit cuiquam'^) commeantimn difficultas. Cui diligentiae etiam provisio adhibenda est, utopportunitas quem- admodum locorum ita constituatur et temporum: ut inexcusabilior, quisquis tam necessarium et salubre constitutum nostrum negligen- dum putaret, appareat, fratres carissimi. Illius autem coufirmatio- nem, quem Viennensis episcopus alieniun^) et ad se mininie perti- nentem graviter • ordinare praesumpsit, fratris et coepiscopi nostri Leontii iieliquimus voluntati, quem confidilnus non praeter humaui- tatem ^) pensare quae justa sunt. Deus vos incolumes custodiat^ ftra- tres carissimi!