Letter 25: Theodore Studite, Letter 25; Greek heading: Νικηφόρῳ πατριάρχῃ.

Using our humble little letter as a kind of veil, out of reverence for the angel of your Beatitude, we, the lowly, present ourselves to her most sacred head as necessity requires. For just now John, our fellow servant and disciple, has reported to us that, when he was granted the honor of doing reverence to your venerable person, he heard from her certain strange and abominable things: "For you are" -- he says she said -- "schismatics from the Church." How then, O most blessed one, was it not fitting that our soul should be grievously disposed at these words? And how could we not speak out by way of defense to your Holiness, and not, by silence, ratify the accusation? But before the defense I bring this forward with reverence: that one ought not open one's ears casually to everyone who wishes to say something against someone, nor indeed pass judgment without examination upon the person accused. For does your law, He says [the Lord, John 7:51], judge a man unless it first hear from him and know what he does? So that, your Beatitude having heard this hard and pitiable thing concerning our humble selves -- for what greater evil is there than separation from the Church and the loss by the chief shepherd of the sheep, or rather of the fellow shepherd? For there belongs also to us sinners, though unworthily, a chrism [anointing] and a name from God as shepherd, I dare to say -- it would have been right to bear with it, to examine, to admonish, partly in private, partly in public, according to the teaching dictated by the Lord, between you and him alone, or with two [Matthew 18:15-17], and then thus, upon his persistence, as He Himself says, let him be to you as the heathen and the tax collector. But we, up to this present moment, have neither through an envoy nor in person heard anything of this kind from your holy soul, nor have we been admonished. And so let your Perfection consider whether to pass sentence has not become rightly grievous to your children. But let us proceed to the defense itself, making our discourse before God who beholds all things and before your high-priesthood. We are not schismatics, O holy head, from the Church of God -- may we never suffer this! But even if otherwise we exist in many sins, yet we are orthodox and nurslings of the catholic Church, rejecting every heresy [hairesis] and accepting every approved catholic and local synod, and moreover the canonical ordinances proclaimed by them; for he is not a complete orthodox, but only half a one, who thinks he holds the right faith but is not guided straight by the divine canons. And your Beatitude, when she was put forward [elected], we accepted, just as we made our defense to her subordinate. And from then and up to this present moment we mention her in the holy liturgy [mystagogia] as is fitting; and, as God is witness, if on that very day she had asked to commune with us, we would have communed together with her, making no distinction, since she has been longed for by us from the beginning. But on what account is the thing that is being noised abroad? On account of the steward [oikonomos], whom the truth herself deposed, since he had fallen under many canons; for even before the manifest adultery, while the one who had reigned before [the emperor Constantine VI] was committing adultery with various persons, he was not only serving and giving communion and feasting with him, but even placing the portion [of the Eucharist] together with him; from which he became eager also for the open licentiousness, having despised God and the divine judgments. And that what is said may be more manifest -- not for instruction, far from it, but only for a reminder -- let her, if she commands, take up the sacred liturgy concerning the crown-union [the rite of coronation/marriage], and let her observe how great a thing it is here to suppose the provocation of the Holy Spirit in such contradictory acts; for assuredly whatever the priest signifies, these things God also promises to ratify, according to the great Dionysius [Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite]. But for this reason we beseech your Perfection to cause the man who has been deposed by the canons, and who was barred by the one who preceded your Holiness for fully nine years, to cease from the priestly office, since he entered it contrary to right reason. For only now have we opened our humble mouth, when we were accused; for when that assembly took place -- that small one, and I do not know what to call it -- I had just at that very time come out from prison. And since I saw these men gathered together, those who both formerly had accepted the adultery and had embraced the adultery-joiner [the priest who performed the adulterous union], I remembered that prophetic saying, that he who is prudent at that time will keep silence, because it is an evil time [Amos 5:13]. But since the same prophet says, I kept silence [Isaiah 42:14] -- shall I then keep silence forever? For this reason, in a suitable moment, having been slandered, I brought up the matters at hand; for as far as it lay in me I guarded myself in every way in these two years not to bring the affair out into the open, saying this within myself: that, since I am not one having the dignity of a bishop able to reprove, my own confinement is sufficient for me, and that I not partake of his communion or of those who knowingly concelebrate with him, until the scandal be removed from the midst. This, therefore, we entreat and beseech: that your holy soul be moved to put away the man, so that your blameless sanctity not be reproached, nor the divine altar be defiled by the liturgy of a deposed man, nor that there be reasonable causes of schisms. For let your Beatitude know truly and purely that, if this be not done -- by the assent also of the God-loving soul of our most pious and triumphant emperors (for they are zealous) -- as for our own part, however it may stand, since we stand firm for the commandment, it is known to God; but a great schism, with God and His elect angels as witness, will come to be in the Church among us. But have mercy, O good shepherd; but help, O skilled physician, your flock, your sheep, your churches -- by the ways of your wisdom, by the words of your understanding, by the medicines of your healing -- to bar the one sheep alone from the priestly office and to gain the whole, and not, by the mange of the one, to let the Church be corrupted, which the Lord and our God acquired by His own blood [Acts 20:28].

Παραπετάσματί τινι χρώμενοι τῷ εὐτελεῖ ἡμῶν γραμματείῳ αἰδοῖ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς μακαριότητός σου ἐμφανίζομεν ἑαυτοὺς οἱ ταπεινοὶ τῇ ἱερωτάτῃ αὐτῆς κορυφῇ κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον. ἤδη γὰρ τὸ παρὸν ἀπήγγειλεν ἡμῖν Ἰωάννης ὁ σύνδουλος καὶ μαθητὴς ἡμῶν, ὡς ἀξιωθεὶς τῆς σεπτῆς σου προσκυνήσεως ἀκήκοεν παρ' αὐτῆς ξένα τινὰ καὶ ἀπευκταῖα· "4ἀποσχίσται γάρ"5, φησιν, "4ἐστὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας"5. πόσον οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὦ μακαριώτατε, οὐκ εἰκότως ἦν ἡμῶν διατεθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν λυπηρῶς; πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἐκλαλῆσαι ἀπολογητικῶς τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ σου καὶ μὴ τῇ σιωπῇ κυρῶσαι τὴν κατηγορίαν; Ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἐκεῖνο μετ' αἰδοῦς προσαναφέρω, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν δεῖ τὰ ὦτα ἀνοίγειν παντὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ κατά τινός τι λέγειν, οὐδ' οὐ μὴν ἀποφαίνειν ἀκρίτως εἰς τὸ διαβληθὲν πρόσωπον· μὴ γὰρ ὁ νόμος ὑμῶν, φησί, κρίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ πρότερον καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ. ὥστε ἀκουσάσης τῆς μακαριότητός σου τοῦτο τὸ δύσφορον καὶ ἐλεεινὸν περὶ τῆς εὐτελείας ἡμῶν (τί γὰρ μεῖζον κακὸν τοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας χωρισμοῦ καὶ τοῦ τὸν ἀρχιποίμενα τὸ πρόβατον ἀπολέσαι εἴτουν τὸν συμποιμένα; ἔστι γάρ, εἰ καὶ ἀναξίως, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς χρῖσμα καὶ ὄνομα παρὰ θεοῦ ποιμένος, τολμῶ λέγειν), ἐνεγκεῖν, ἀνακρῖναι, νουθετῆσαι, πῆ μὲν ἰδίᾳ, πῆ δὲ δημοσίᾳ κατὰ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπαγορευομένην μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου ἢ μετὰ δύο διδασκαλίαν καὶ εἶθ' οὕτως τῇ ἐπιμονῇ, ὡς αὐτός φησιν, ἔστω σοι ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης. ἡμεῖς δὲ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο οὔτε δι' ἀποστόλου οὔτε αὐτοψεί τι τοιοῦτον πρὸς τῆς ἁγίας σου ψυχῆς ἀλλ' οὔτε ἀκηκόαμεν οὔτε νενουθετήμεθα· καὶ οὕτως τὸ ἐνεγκεῖν ἀπόφασιν σκοπησάτω ἡ τελειότης σου, εἰ οὐκ ἀξίως λυπηρὸν γεγένηται τοῖς τέκνοις σου. Ἴημεν δὲ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀπολογίας, θεῷ τε τῷ παντεφόρῳ καὶ τῇ ἀρχιερωσύνῃ σου ποιούμενοι τὸν λόγον. οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἀποσχίσται, ὦ ἁγία κεφαλή, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας, μήποτε τοῦτο πάθοιμεν. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἄλλως ἐν πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ὑπάρχομεν, πλὴν ὀρθόδοξοι καὶ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας τρόφιμοι, πᾶσαν αἵρεσιν ἀποβαλλόμενοι καὶ πᾶσαν καθολικὴν καὶ τοπικὴν σύνοδον ἐγκεκριμένην ἀποδεχόμενοι, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκφωνηθείσας κανονικὰς διατυπώσεις· μηδὲ γὰρ τέλειον εἶναι ὀρθόδοξον, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἡμισείας, τὸν τὴν πίστιν ὀρθὴν οἰόμενον ἔχειν τοῖς δὲ θείοις κανόσι μὴ ἀπευθυνόμενον. καὶ τὴν μακαριότητά σου, ἡνίκα προεβλήθη, ἀπεδεξάμεθα, καθὰ εἰς ὑπήκοον αὐτῆς ἀπελογησάμεθα. καὶ ἔκτοτε καὶ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο ἐν τῇ μυσταγωγίᾳ ὡς καθήκει ἀναφέρομεν καί, ὡς μάρτυς θεός, εἰ κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐζήτησεν κοινωνῆσαι ἡμᾶς, συνεκοινωνοῦμεν ἂν αὐτῇ μηδὲν διακρινόμενοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ ποθητὴ ἡμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Οὗ χάριν δὲ τὸ θρυλλούμενον; διὰ τὸν οἰκονόμον, ὃν καθῆρεν αὐτὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια, πολλοῖς κανόσιν ὑποπεσόντα· ἐπειδὴ καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐμφανοῦς μοιχείας, μοιχεύοντι τῷ προβεβασιλευκότι ἐν διαφόροις προσώποις, οὐ μόνον ἦν λειτουργῶν καὶ μεταδιδοὺς καὶ συνεστιώμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν μερίδα μετ' αὐτοῦ τιθέμενος, ἐξ οὗ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀναφανδὸν ἀσέλγειαν πρόθυμος γέγονεν, καταφρονήσας θεοῦ καὶ τῶν θείων κριμάτων. καὶ ἵνα ἐκδηλότερον εἴη τὸ λεγόμενον, οὐ πρὸς διδαχήν, ἄπαγε, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον πρὸς ὑπόμνησιν, αὐτήν, εἰ κελεύει, τὴν κατὰ τὴν στεφανικὴν συνάφειαν ἱερὰν μυσταγωγίαν ἀναλήψεται καὶ κατίδοι πόσον ἐστὶν ἐνταῦθα ὑπολαβεῖν τὸν παροξυσμὸν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐναντιολογίαις· πάντως γὰρ ὅσα ὁ ἱερεὺς ὑποφαίνει, ταῦτα καὶ θεὸς κυροῦν ἐπαγγέλλεται κατὰ τὸν μέγαν Διονύσιον. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο δεόμεθά σου τῆς τελειότητος τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν κανόνων καθῃρημένον καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ προηγησαμένου τὴν ἁγιωσύνην σου εἰρχθέντα ἐν ὅλοις ἐννέα ἔτεσιν παῦσαι τῆς ἱερουργίας, παραλόγως εἰσελθόντα. ἄρτι γὰρ τὸ ταπεινὸν ἡμῶν στόμα ἠνοίξαμεν, ἡνίκα ἐνεκλήθημεν· ὁπηνίκα γὰρ ἐγεγόνει ἡ συνέλευσις ἐκείνη ἡ μικρὰ καὶ οὐκ οἶδ' ὁποία εἰπεῖν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς ἤμην καταυτὰ ἐξεληλυθώς. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἑώρων τούτους συνηθροισμένους, τοὺς καὶ πρότερον τὴν μοιχείαν καταδεξαμένους καὶ τὸν μοιχοζεύκτην ἀσπασαμένους, ἐμνήσθην τοῦ προφητικοῦ ἐκείνου, ὅτι ὁ συνιῶν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ σιωπήσεται, ὅτι καιρὸς πονηρός ἐστιν. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ὁ αὐτὸς λέγει· ἐσιώπησα· μὴ καὶ ἀεὶ σιωπήσομαι; διὰ τοῦτο ἐν καιρῷ εὐθέτῳ συκοφαντηθεὶς ἀνένεγκα τὰ παριστάμενα· ἐπεὶ τὸ ὅσον ἐν ἐμοὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ ἐφυλαξάμην ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν ἔτεσι τούτοις μὴ εἰς προῦπτον ἐκβεῖν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ἐκεῖνο ἐν ἐμαυτῷ λέγων, ὅτι, ἐπεὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐπισκόπου ἔχων ἀξίωμα δυνάμενος ἐλέγχειν, ἀρκετόν μοι ἡ οἰκεία φυλακὴ καὶ τοῦ μὴ μετασχεῖν με τῆς τε ἐκείνου κοινωνίας καὶ τῶν ἐκείνῳ ἐν γνώσει συλλειτουργούντων, ἕως ἂν ἐκ μέσου γένηται τὸ σκάνδαλον. Τοῦτο τοίνυν παρακαλοῦμεν καὶ δεόμεθα, δυσωπηθῆναί σου τὴν ἁγίαν ψυχὴν παρασταλῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα πρὸς τὸ μὴ μωμεῖσθαί σου τὴν ἄληπτον ὁσιότητα μηδὲ χραίνεσθαι τὸ θεῖον θυσιαστήριον καθηρημένου λειτουργίᾳ μηδὲ εἶναι αἰτίας εὐλόγους σχισμάτων· γινωσκέτω γὰρ ἀψευδῶς καὶ ἀκραιφνῶς ἡ μακαριότης σου ὅτι, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο γένηται νεύσει καὶ τῆς φιλοθέου ψυχῆς τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων καὶ καλλινίκων ἡμῶν βασιλέων (ζηλωταὶ γάρ εἰσιν), τὸ μὲν ἡμέτερον ὅπως ἂν ἕξει, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐνισταμένων, θεῷ ἐγνωσμένον, σχίσμα δὲ μέγα ὑπὸ μάρτυρι θεῷ καὶ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ ἀγγέλων γενήσεται ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίᾳ. ἀλλ' ἐλέησον, ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ἀλλὰ βοήθησον, ὁ ἰατρὸς ὁ ἐπιστήμων, τὴν ποίμνην σου, τὰ πρόβατά σου, τὰς ἐκκλησίας σου, τρόποις σοφίας σου, λόγοις συνέσεώς σου, φαρμάκοις ἰατρείας σου τὸ ἓν πρόβατον ἀπεῖρξαι μόνης τῆς ἱερουργίας καὶ τὰ ὅλα κερδῆσαι, καὶ μὴ τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ψώρᾳ λυμανθῆναι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἣν περιεποιήσατο ὁ Κύριος καὶ θεὸς ἡμῶν τῷ οἰκείῳ αἵματι.