Letter 84: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Hormisdas to Epiphanius, bishop of Constantinople. For a long time the announced beginnings of your office kept us in suspense, and amid the common rejoicing of our shared gladness we were greatly astonished that the ancient custom had been neglected, since the restored concord of the churches, with God granting it, demanded the full duty of fraternal peace, especially because it claimed this for itself not by personal presumption but by the observance of the rules. For it would have been fitting, dearest brother, that you should have sent legates to the Apostolic See at the very outset of your pontificate, so that you might both well recognize what affection we owe you and duly fulfill the form of the time-honored custom. But although, these things having been omitted, you had judged that letters alone were sufficient on the occasion of our communications, we nevertheless, driven on by the spur of grace, have for the present broken off the steadfastness of a just expectation, rendering in return the reciprocal words of mutual charity; for both our own spirit, impatient of love, and the longed-for report of our legates have drawn the silence that the cause enjoined into kindly offices, by which we display for the present the signs of our joy and in a certain manner pay the longed-for tributes of personal friendship. We support your legation both with that favor which we have long shown and, relying on the ancient ordinances, we require it, so that we may more clearly express how great a fruit of joy we receive from the honor of your pontificate, and what thanks it is proper to render to you for the offices bestowed in the business of propagating unity, just as the narration of our legates has manifoldly established.

H0RM18DA EPIPHANIO EPISCOPO CONSTANTINOPOLITANO. Diu nos nuntiata tuae primordia dignitatis tenuere suspensos et in ipsa communis gratulatione laetitiae mirati adroodum sumus moreni pristinum fuisse neglectum, quia reparata 5 ecclesiai-um deo annuente concordia plenum fratemae pacis flagitabat ofBcium, praesertim quod sibi non arrogantia personalis sed regularum obseruantia uindicabat. decuerat siquidem, frater karissime, te legatos ad apostolicam sedem inter ipsa tui pontificatus initia destinasse, ut et quem tibi 10 debeamus aifectum bene cognosceres et uetustae consuetudinis 2 formam rite compleres. sed licct his omissis paginalia tantum sufficere iudicasses ex occasione colloquia, nos tamen gratia stimulante compulsi interim iustae constantiam expectationis abrupimus reciproca mutuae caritatis uerba reddentes, quia et 15 noster animus amoris impatiens et legatorum nostrorum uotiua relatio exclusum, qnod imperabat causa, silentium ad officia benigna traxerunt, quibus ad praesens gaudii nostri sigua monstraraus et priuatae quodammodo amicitiae uotiua persol- 3 uimus. legationem autem tuam et ea, qua dudum, gratia so sustinemus et fulti ueteribus constitutis exigimus, ut quantum gaudii fructum uel de tui pontificatus honore capiamus uel quas tibi gratias referri conueniat pro impensis in negotio propagandae unitatis officiis, sicut nostrorum multipliciter adstruxit legatornm nan-atio, euidentius exprimamus. t5 2a6. Data a. 620 post diem 17 Sept. Edd. Car. P 540; Bar. ad a, 5.20, 9; Collect. Concil; BTA I 443; Thiel 913. 3 nos <non> Car. 7 <id > flagitabat Bar, 11 cognosceris F, corr. 0 14 iuste F, corr. Thiel 15 abrumpimus a 17 excluso . . silentio BuU. Taur. 21 et fuhi effulti V 23 in negocio a: inegotio V Epist. CCV 1 — CCVI 5. 665 (3060 HORMisDA lusTiNiANo ILLU8TRI. Quos celsitndo uostra auimi circa me sui beniuolentiam dignatur ostendere, facitis rem deo placitam et rectae conscientiae congruentem. sed non 6 parua uobis sunt huius emolumenta propositi : maior in uos fructns de tali bonitate reuertitur; neque enim uacua honori- ficentia est, quae defertur antistiti. indubitatum siquidem est, 2 quia honor ministri cultus est domini, et qui personam sacer- dotis magni habet, maiorem remunerationem ab eo, cui sacer- 10 dos famulatur, accipiet dicente domino lesu, qui prophetas in honore susceperint, suam mercedem esse reddendam. et apud me quidem magni est gratia uestra momenti, eo tamen pretiosior, quia, quicquid mihi gratiae dignanter impenditis, in ecclesiarum defensione monstratis. sed ut ad id, quod 3 i& eelsitudo uestra desiderat, noster sermo dirigatur, quamquam et clementissimus imperator et uos promittatis legationem esse uenturam et id cum ratione conuenerit, ut eorum, qui dirigendi sunt, super omnibus nos decuerit expectare praesentiam, tamen, quia gratum nobis est studium, quod circa religionem 20 uos babere declarastis, non grauat praelibare dicendo non opus, ut stabilitatem fidei uestrae intentionis potius quam rationis sequaces procaci uerborum nouitate confundant. sancta 4 trinitas pater et filius et spiritus sanctus deus unus est. hanc Israel iussus adorare, cuius inseparabilis et indiscreta 25 substantia non potest diuidi, non potest sacrilega distinctione separari, seruata tamen proprietate sua unicuique personae. haec interim commenda<nda> fidei uestrae epistolaris stili 5 tenninum cogitantes congrua credimus breuitate sufficere, 10 Matth. 10, 41 206« Dat a. 520 metise Fehr. uel Mart.; respondet luatintani epi- stulae deperditae datae (siinul cum epp. 181 182 183 185) die 19 lan. eiusdem anni. Edd, Car. P 554; Bar. ad a. 520, 5; Collect. Condl.; BTA I 446; Thiel 912. 10 <ii8> qui Car. 11 susciperint V: susci- pinnt 0 17 conueneris F, corr. Car. 23 unus est deus irsp. Car. 27 commenda F, corr. o' 666 Honnisda lustiniano; Dorotheus Hormisdae plenius disserenda, cum florente imperio clementissimi principis promissam legationem et suscipere nos deo propitiante conti- gerit et cognitis omnibus cum adiutorio dei nostri responso reddito pro uniuersitatis informatione remittere.