Letter 78: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Copy of the letter of Juliana Anicia. To the most blessed lord and most approved pontiff of the Apostolic See, Pope Hormisdas, our father, from Juliana Anicia. As is fitting first of all, we render to your Beatitude the dutiful homage of a greeting, desiring that the Divine power may cause this page to be examined by your venerable gaze, and that, for the strength of His church, it may deign to grant to your life the saving increase, so far as by your ever-watchful care the condition of the church may be defended against hostile and rabid dogs. For indeed, venerable father, that you exercise care over the integrity of our faith is fitting to the vicars of the glorious apostle Peter, upon whom the Lord laid the office of feeding the sheep. Let therefore your holy solicitude on our behalf know that we hold all the more firmly the unmovable boundary-line of the right faith, on behalf of which, lest we should violate its sanctity, we have resisted until now. But as for what your Apostolate has enjoined us to do, namely to take up the care for the cause of so great a piety, insofar as we have been able, according to our strength we have not ceased to admonish our adversaries in a spirit of gentleness, with the grace of God cooperating with us [...]

EXEMPLUM EPISTOLAE lULIANAE ANICIAE. DOIINO BEATISSIMO ATQUE APOSTOLICAE SEDIS PROBATISSIMO PONTIFICI HORMISDAB PAPAE PATRI lULTANA ANICIA. QuaC prima sunt, tuae beatitudini salutationis obsequium persol- uimus, optantes ut hanc paginam tuis uenerandis optutibus diuinitas faciat recenseri et pro suae ecclesiae uigore aug- 108. Bat. ut ep. 192. Edd. Car. D 536; Collect. Concil; Thiel 920. 42* 658 lastinus Hormisdae; lustinianus Hormisdae menta salutaria uestrae uitae suifragare dignetur, quatenus te peruigili poterit contra aduersos et rabidos canes statiis ecclesiae uindicari. etenim, uenerabilis pater, quod de nostrae fidei integritate curam geris, uicariis gloriosi Petri apostoli ista ^ conueniunt, cui dominus pascendarum ouium iniunxit 5 2 ofBcium. cognoscat ergo tua pro nobis sancta soUicitudo nos firmius tenere rectae fidei finaitatem immobilem, pro qua, ne eius uiolaremus sanctimoniam, hactenus repugnauimus. quod uero tuus apostolatus pro tantae pietatis causa curara ferre praecepit, in quantum potuimus, pro nostris uiribus non 10 desiuimus spiritu lenitatis aduersos admonere dei nobis gratia cooperante.