Letter 69: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

COPY OF THE LETTER OF JUSTINIAN. To the holy lord, most blessed in his merits and apostolic, the lord father Pope Hormisdas, Justinian. By the favor of the Divinity, which always establishes the catholic Church through the increase of the faith, the unity of the holy churches has come about on account of the teaching and authority of your apostolate. But since we have learned that certain men, monks by name, who are more devoted to discord than to charity and the peace of God, desiring to throw certain matters into confusion, have descended from here and undertaken a journey to your angelic person: may your beatitude, recognizing from the present writings the cause of their malice, deign to receive them as they deserve and to drive them far from your presence, since the empty babblings of these men, who hasten to introduce novelties into the Church which neither the four venerable synods nor the letters of the holy Pope Leo are known to contain, appear to stir up disturbances in every place. For which reason also, by most reverend men, bishops and deacons sent by your apostolate [... a lacuna is here indicated, where it is supposed words have fallen out to the effect that writings concerning these same men were sent; and as for what your beatitude shall write back, this by the same bearer; and likewise the name of the bearer, Eulogius, agens in rebus, seems to have dropped out] may your angelic person deign to direct to us, and command that those men, struck with fitting correction as was said above, be driven out. Therefore we ask this, that, as was said above, he greatly enjoin that letters of this kind be directed to us by the same carrier. Now their names are Achilles, Johannes, Leontius, and Mauritius. This is our greatest cause of solicitude, lest the unity which your labor and prayer has accomplished be scattered by restless men, hoping in God that, if there is anything which as yet dissents from the peace of the whole world, this too, by your prayers, may be joined to the communion of the apostolic see. Presuming, moreover, upon the benevolence of your beatitude, we very greatly ask for your paternal affection, that you may deign generously to make illustrious and to illuminate with the relics of the holy apostles both us and their basilica, constructed here in our house under the name of the aforesaid venerable ones, knowing that you can bestow upon us no greater gift nor benefit, most blessed lord father, than if you fulfill this our petition. And since the aforesaid agens in rebus is suddenly setting out upon his journey, we have also directed two palls of pure silk for the adornment of the altar of the holy apostles, which, on receiving them, command that perpetual memory of us be made with your most efficacious prayers.

EXEMPLUM EPISTOLAE lUSTINlANI. DOmNO SANCTO MERITIS BEATISSIMO BT APOSTOLICO DOMNO PATRi PAPAE HORMisDAE IU3TLMANUS. Pfopitia diuinitate, quae semper ecclesiam catholicam per incrementa fidei iustituit, unitas sanctarum ecclesiarum pro doctrina et auctoritate 2 apostolatus uestri prouenit. sed quoniam coraperimus quosdam nomine monachos, quibus magis discordia studio est quam caritas et pai dei, cupientes quaedam perturbare ad angelum uestrum hinc descendentes iter ampuisse: quos beatitudo uestra praesentibus scriptis causam liuoris eonim cognoscens ita, ut merentur, suscipere et a se longe pellere dignetur, quoniam uaniloquia ipsorum festinantium nouitates introducere in ecclesia, quod neque quattuor synodi uenerabiles neque sancti papae Leonis epistolae continere noscuntur, in omni 3 loco turbas excitare uidentur: quam etiam ob rem et a uiris reuerentissimis episcopis et diaconibus directis ab apostulatu uestro * * ad nos angelus uester destinare dignetur et ipsos digna correctione perculsos, ut superius dictum est, pellere iubeat. ergo hoc petimus, ut, sicut supra dictum est, ipsas huiusmodi Utteras per eundem portitorem ad nos dirigere magnopere praecipiat. sunt autem nomina eorum Achilles, 187. Bat. (simul cum epp. 216—218) a. 519 die 29 lunii, per IJuhgium, Edd. Car. r 524; Bar. ad a, 519, 96; CoUect, Condl; Thiel 875. 8 per doctrinam et auctoritatem Bar. 9 apostolatns o^: et apostolatus V 10 discrodia F, corr. a istudio F, corr. cod. Angelic: in studio o 12 discedentes Car. 13 liboris V 15 nane eloquia F, corr. p 20 lacunam indicauit Thiel, qui addi iubet scripta de iisdem missa sunt. quae autem rescripserit beatitudo uestra, haec per eumdem portitorem; sed etiam nomen portitoris Eulogii agentis in ''bus excidisse putandum est, cf. Beitrdge p. 24 adn. 2 Epist. CLXXXVI 5 — CLXXXVin 2. 645 lohannes, Leontius et Mauritius. haec nosti^a est inaxima 4 sollicitudinis causa, ne unitas, quam uester labor oratioque perfecit, per inquietos homines dissipetur, sperantes in deo, quia, si quid est quod adhuc a totius orbis pace dissentiat, 5 hoc quoque orationibus uestris apostolicae sedis comunioni societur. praesumentes autem de beatitudinis uestrae beni- 5 uolentia paternam dilectionem nimium petimus, quatenus reliquiis sanctorum apostolorum tam nos quam basilicam eorum hic in domo nostra sub nomine praedictorum uenerabilium 10 constructam illustrare et illuminare Large dignemini, cogno- scentes, quod nullum nobis maius nec munus nec beneficium praestare potestis, domine beatissime pater, quam si hanc nostram petitionem adimpleueritis. subito autem iter arripiente 6 praedicto agente in rebus etiam duo paliios holosericos ad 15 omamentum altaris sanctorum apostolorum direximus, quos suscipientes efficacissimis precibus uestris nostri iubete iugiter memoriam facere.