Letter 166: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[Editorial heading: Pope Hormisdas to Justinian, Count of the Domestics. February (a. 519).] [Editorial summary: He indicates that he has received that man's letters, full of love of the faith, together with gifts, and that he has sent legates; and he urges that the peace which he hopes for be brought to completion.] Hormisdas to Justinian, most illustrious man. 1. We have received your Greatness's letters, full of holy faith and of love, in which you announced to us that an opportunity had come to us by divine providence for establishing the firmness of apostolic preaching among you. For this reason we give thanks unceasingly to our Lord, who has granted you both the time and the will for remedies so distinguished. And we indeed recognize that these things are ordained from above, since the divine Majesty has bestowed imperial power upon him who shows himself appointed for the composing of the peace of the churches. It remains, therefore, that all the bishops of the Eastern part testify, according to the wording of the document, that they have arrived at the effect of correction. The way to venerable concord lies open; the remedies of the longed-for health are known. Let the priests who desire the catholic peace not refuse the catholic profession; for there is no need for the error to be corrected by parts, but rather to be cut away by the roots. Press on, therefore, as you have begun, so that your reward with God, which has its beginning from the commencement of a good work, may attain its effect in its completion. The addresses sent to us testify that your spirit is indeed such that you do not greatly need exhortation toward the fullness of a good purpose; yet that prayer of ours, which has given hope, kindles the ardor of our desire all the more, and the more eagerly we long to see those joys fulfilled which we already judge to be at hand by divine providence. Hence it is that we daily and humbly beseech the blessed apostle Peter that to you, through whom the holy Church already hopes that her members may be made whole, God may grant both a swift effect and a longer well-being. 2. We indeed, complying with your wishes, have directed men to make firm the concord under the ordinance of apostolic arrangement. It is your part that, just as we did not wish to be wanting to a good intention, so you should cause them to bring back to us the longed-for effect. The venerable sanctuaries have received your gift: which you will render still more acceptable to the blessed apostle Peter, if through you they receive the longed-for unity of the Church. [Editorial footnote on "sister": According to Procopius (Secret History, ch. 9) she, the sister of Theodora the wife of Justinian, was called Anastasia.] [Editorial footnote on "known" (nota): G and a read "notata" (noted); more correctly b reads "nota" (known). Hence also it is written to John himself in the following letter: "although the things which are to be done for the unity of the faith cannot lie hidden from your Charity..."]

(a.5i9m. Hormisdae papae ad Justinianum domesticorum cmnitem. Febr.) ^ *^ Utteras iltius amore fidei plenas cum muneribus se aecepisse ac legaios misisse p significat, utque pacem, quam speral, ad effectum perduci cmrei, instat. Hormisda Justiniano viro illustri. 1. Magnitudinis vestrae litteras sanctae fidei plenas amore suscepimus, quibus ad exercendam apud vos praedicationis apostoli- cae firmitatem opportimitatem nobis provenisse divinitus nontiastis. Unde indesinenter Domino nostro agimus gratias/ qui ad tam prae- clara remedia et tempus vobis et animum dedit. £t nos quidem desuper ista agnoscimus ordinari^ postquam ei detulit divina maje- • stas imperium^ qui se ad componendam ecclesiarum paeem indicat ordinatum. Ergo restat, ut universi episcopi partis Orientalis juxta libelli seriem ad correctionis pervenisse se testentur effectum. Patet venerandae via concordiae, nota^) sunt optatae remedia sanitatis. SacerdoteS; qui catholicam pacem desiderant^ professionem cathoh- cam non recusent; non enim opus est partibus^) errorem corrigi; sed radicitus amputari. Insistite igitur, sicut coepistis, ut merces 66 *) Theodorae iixoris Jusliniani soror , teste Prooopio hist. arc. c. 9, Anssta- sia niincupabatur. 57 ^) G* a* notata, rectius b nota, Quocirca et ad ipsummet Johannem inepi* stola sequeuti scribitur: licet quae pro fidei unitate facienda suni tuae eariialtis m- titiwn latere non possint. EPISTOLAE 66 — 68. 849 apud Deum vestra, quae de boni operis inchoatione habet initium, (a. 619.) de perfectione consequatur eflFectum. Animum quidem vestrum talem missa ad nos testantur alloquia; ut ad plenitudinem boni propositi Don multum indigeatis hortatu; nostri tamen desiderii ea, quae spem , dedit, oratio^) amplius accendit ardorem, et avidius gaudia impleri cupimus, quae instare jam divinitus arbitramur. Hinc est, quod beatum Petrum apostolum quotidie suppliciter obsecramus, ut vobis, per quos integrari membra sua sancta jam sperat Ecclesia, et effe- etum Deus celerem et salutem tribuat longiorem. 2. Nos quidem, vestris animis obsequentes, viros direximus ad solidandam sub apostolicae dispositionis ordinatione concordiam. Vestrum est, ut sicut nos bonae intentioni deesse noluimus, ita eos ad^) nos optatum referre faciatis effectum. Munus vestrum vene- randa sacraria susceperunt: quod amplius beato Petro apostolo facietis acceptius, si per vos optatam ecclesiae receperint unitatem.