Letter 172: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Copy of the report of Andreas, bishop of Praevalitana. 22 April. [Summary:] That certain bishops of New Epirus, and especially the archbishop of that province, have in vain feigned to oppose unity; that the bishops of Scampa and of Lychnidus, as well as the people of Constantinople, have returned to peace; that he here appends their letters. To my lord, ever most blessed, and to be set before all with the inmost veneration of the apostolic see, and to be equaled with the merits of the angels, the father of fathers, Pope Hormisdas, from Andreas. Commending myself most humbly to your most pious footsteps, I report concerning the synod of New Epirus, that they have pretended to anathematize certain persons among themselves. They employed this stratagem only [...] so that they might catch us in their malice. But the divine Trinity resisted them through your holy prayers; and when they had been caught in their malice, we were never able to persuade their archbishop to be turned toward the way of truth and toward your precepts. But just now, when the most blessed and most holy lord bishops and the deacons sent by your holy crown arrived, Scampinus, the most blessed bishop Troius, met them with all joy and with lights; and, the petition having been presented according to your instruction, they were at once received into the peace of Christ, and they celebrated mass with him in the city of Scampa. And the people of Lychnidus, seeing what Scampinus had done, in like manner themselves followed suit. For while we were drawing up this letter, there arrived a magistrianus [imperial courier] from the city of Constantinople, who reported that, by God's favor and through your holy prayers, the people of Constantinople too had pronounced the anathema upon Acacius, and had celebrated Easter in peace. Now as for what follows, let your intercession with God labor for it, that we may be found perfectly to serve the apostolic see. Moreover, the letters which the above-mentioned most blessed bishops sent to my humility, I have transmitted to your piety joined herewith. Received on the day above [stated].

Beu Exemplum relationis Andreae episoopi Praevalitani. 22Aprn Frusira quosdam Epiri novi episcopoSy tnaxtme iUius arcldepiscopum , contra ^^^ ^' unitatem simulasse; Scampinum et Lignidonensem episcopos nec non Constantino- polilanos ad pacem rediisse; epistolas iUorum se hic adjungere. Domino semper meo beatissimo et apostolica sede intima veneratione praeferendo atque angeli- cis meritis coaequando patri patrum, papae Hormisdae Andreas. Commendans me humillime vestigiis vestris piissimis, indico propter synodum Epiri novi, quoniam finxerunt anathematizare intra^) semetipsos aliquas personas. Hoc tantummodo ingenio usi •)»Ita G'. Ed. ipsius, Mox G' a* gloriosa ... cum famulo meot b cc religiosa, omitt. deinde cum, Ubi haud dubitavimus corrigere confamulo meo, ex graeco airp^ovlm, quomodo antiquis familiare est sese vocare conservos^ condiaconos, consacerdotes et comministros. Leonem Augustum subscribunt metropolitanus Dyrrachinus, et episcopi Scam- pinus, Lignidi, Vallidi ApoUoniadis , Aulonae, et secundum superiorem obser- 85G S. nORMISDAE rAPAE a 519. simt; ut nos in sua malitia caperent. Quibus restitit divina Trinitag per vestras sanctas preces ; et quum deprehensi fuisscut in sua ma- litia, nunquam potuimus archiepiscopo suorum^) suadere, ut ad viam veritatis et ad vestra praecepta flecteretur '). Sed modo quum advenerunt beatissimi atque sanctissimi domini episcopi vel diacones directi a sancta corona vestra, occurrerunt illis Scampinus episcopus vir beatissimus Trojus cum omni gaudio et luminaribus: et, porrecto libello secundum vestram praeceptionem, statim recepti sunt in pace Christi, et missas celebraverunt cum ipso in Scampina civitate. Et videntes Lignidonenses *) quod fecit Scampinus, simili modo et ipsi secuti sunt. Nam dum istas litteras ordinaremus, supervenit ma- gistrianus de urbe Constantinopolitana , qui nuntiavi^, quia Deo propitio precibus sanctis vestris et Constantinopolitani miserunt ana- thema Acacio, et cum pace Pascha celebraverunt. Jam quid se- quatur, vestra intercessio apud Deum laboret, ut ad perfectum serri sedis apostolicae inveniamur. Epistolas vero, quas destinaverunt ad raeam humilitatem supra memorati viri beatissimi episcopi^), pietati vestrae junctas transmisi. Accepta die qua supra*).