Letter 243: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Of Pope Hormisdas to the bishops of the province of Baetica [southern Spain], in April. He rejoices over the mutual peace among them. He informs them once again about the Easterners who have been recalled to the unity of the Church. He testifies that he is in no way overturning their ancient privileges. To his most beloved brothers, all the bishops established throughout the province of Baetica, Bishop Hormisdas. 1. What is so sweet to one full of care as that those things which I desire concerning you become known to me? What is so fitting to religious institutions as that priests should preserve among themselves the peace which it is necessary for them to proclaim to others as a duty? With full thanksgiving, I confess, I received the news that you indicated to me by letter the longed-for tidings about the charity which exists among you and about the peace of the churches. Of its own accord there has been brought to me whatever I might have urged, whatever I might have admonished. May God confirm this, which He works in us; and may He Himself enjoin that those things which He commands to be done for the salvation of souls be made easy by that mercy with which He redeemed us! 2. But in return for these such good tidings we too render in turn the office of religious messengers, and whatever has been done anew with the Easterners -- whom we signified some time ago by the letters we dispatched as having been recalled to the body and unity of the Church by the help of our God -- we share with you by sending word again with repeated reports. Soon after the return of our envoys a legation was sent by the Easterners. It hoped for certain things; it consulted about certain things. But for us a summary of the things that had to be said was made -- rather sending to you, for the instruction of your knowledge, the very things which were answered by us -- so that nothing should claim for itself either opinion or assume error under the expanse of the more far-flung lands, since for the trustworthiness of the matter it suffices to hold the truth itself. 3. But as for what pertains to the content of your letters, it would indeed have been fitting that the requests be set forth more plainly, so that, all things being weighed, an answer agreeable to reason might be rendered. But because in those same letters you inserted a mention of ancient privileges and of the statutes of the fathers, we have written back to our brother and fellow bishop Salustius concerning this matter, indicating to you also briefly the things which have been said more fully to him: that we do not overturn the privileges that have been granted, and that we judge nothing so fitting to the faith as that the decrees of the fathers be preserved in their own honor. And may God keep you unharmed, most dear brothers!

Hormisdae papae ad episeopos Baeticae provinciae, ^ Apriir liJl. De mntua inter ipsos pace yaudet. De Orientalibus ad Ecclesiae unitatem revo- catis denuo eos certiorcs facit. Vetera eorum privilegia se minime convellere iestatur. Dilectissimis fratribus universis episcopis per Baeticam provinciam constitutis Hormisda episcopus. 1. Qpid tam dulce soUicito, quam quod mihi de vobis innote- seunt illa quae cupio? Quid tam religiosis conveniens institutis, quam ut inter se ') sacerdotes pacem, quam eos necesse est aliis pro officio aununtiarey conservent? Plena, fat^r, gratulatione suscepi, quod votiva mihi de caritate, quae inter vos est, et ecclesiarum pace litteris indicastis. Sponte mihi, quidquid hortari poteram, quidquid monere, delatum est. Confirmet hoc Deus, quod operaiur in nobis: et quae ^«aj™. praecipit pro animarum salute facienda, haec ipse esse praecipiat * pro ea, qua nos redemit, pietate facilia! 2. Sed his tam bonis nuntiis nos quoque religiosorum vicem reddimus nuntiorum, et quidquid cum Orientalibus , quos ad Eccle- siae corpus unitatemque revocatos dudum Dei nostri ope^) litteris ep. 26. siguificavimus destinatis, denuo^) actum fuerit, repetitis vobis- cum participanius indiciis. Mox post^) nostrorum reditum ab Orien- talibus missa legatio est. Gerta speravit, certa consuluit. Sed faci- •') Ita J |3 ri*. Al. omitt. Eo fiet. 143 ') cc bmitt. sc. Deindc a* Plane, Mox cc est ecclesiarum et pace. (a. 52i.)inus de his, quae fuerunt dicenda, compendium^ ipsa') potius ad op. 141. instruendam notitiam vestram, quae') a nobis sunt responsa diri- gentes, ne quid sibi sub spatio proh*xiorum terrarum aut opinio vin- dicet aut error assumat, quum ad rerum fidem ipsam tenere sufficiat veritatem. 3. Quod autem ad continentiam vestrarum pertinet litterarum, oportuit quidem desideria planius^) expediri, ut aestiniatis onmibus responsum rationi congruum redderetur. Sed quia privilegiorum veterum et statutorum paternonmi indidistis iisdem litteris mentio- nem, ad Salustium fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum super^) hac parte rescripsimus , vobis quoque strictim, quae dicta sunt'"i latius, indicantes, nec privilegia nos indulta convellere et nihil tam conveniens fidei judicare, quam ut in honore suo a patribus decreta serventur. Deus autem vos incolumes custodiat, fratres carissimi!