Letter 20: Simplicius congratulates Acacius that Timothy, the Catholic bishop, has been restored to the Alexandrian church, and...

[Editorial heading: Of Pope Simplicius to Acacius of Constantinople. The 3rd before the Ides of March (i.e. March 13). Simplicius gives thanks that Timothy, a Catholic, has been restored to the church of Alexandria, and wishes him also to be admonished to wash away the stain he once admitted when the name of Dioscorus was recited among the altars.] Simplicius the bishop to Acacius the bishop of Constantinople. How effective is the perseverance of priests as they make supplication to the Lord, and with how welcome a result that zeal rejoices which is offered with sincere hearts for the defense of the faith, is recognized from the letters of your charity, since after such great struggles, in which the mercy of God, appointing servants and ministers of His own power in the cause of true religion, has made them most approved victors for Himself. For indeed, since the church of Alexandria has at last been set free by the divine judgment, and is summoning us into a fellowship of common rejoicings, you bear witness that the man who had been put to flight by the heretic has returned to his own see. Wherefore, with exulting spirits, for the peace of the universal Church we make supplication to Christ our God first for the welfare of the most faithful prince, to whom, for the devotion by which he surpasses all priests, this divine favor is granted, which renders us free to be intercessors on behalf of the Christian peoples before the heavenly omnipotence. Just as, therefore, we give thanks at the return of our brother and fellow-bishop Timothy, so we desire, with your charity admonishing him, that he be found beyond reproach; you who remember this, that he formerly did not possess the constancy of a faithful prelate, when it was wrung from him that the name of the condemned Dioscorus should be recited among the altars. Given on the third day before the Ides of March, when Illus, a most distinguished man, was consul. [The source text here is followed by a block of editorial apparatus (variant-reading footnotes citing manuscripts and the historian Liberatus), which is not part of the letter and is not translated as letter content.]

Simplieii papae ad Acaeium Constantinopolitiinum. is^Mart p. 7. Gratulaiur Simplicius, guod Timolheus caihoUcus Alexandrinae ecclesiae sit resti- iutus^ ac moneri eumdem vulty ut admissam quondam recitato inler altaria Dioscori nomine iabem diluat. Simplicius episcopus Acacio episcopo Constanti- nopolitano. Quani sit efficax supplicantium Doraino perseverantia sacerdo- tum, et quam jucundo gratuletur efFectu') studiuni, quod defensioni fidei sinceris mentibus exhibetur, litteris tuae dilectionis agnoscitur, quando post tanta certamina, quibus Dei misericordia in causa pro- priae religionis famulos et ministrbs suae constituens potestatis, pro- batissimos sibi fecit esse victores. Siquidem Alexandrina ecclesia diviiio tandem judicio liberata, in consortinm communium nos ad- vocans gaudiorum, eum, qui ab haeretieo fugatus fuerat, ad ejus sedem rediisse testaris. llnde animis exsultantibus ad universalis Ecclediae quietem Christo Deo nostro pro sahite primmn fidehssimi. principis supplicamus, cui pro devotione, qua cunctos antevenit sa- cerdotes, pietas haec divina concedit, quae nos liberos ])ro populis (Jlhristianis apud omnipotentiam coelestem praestat interpretes. Sicut ergo in reditu fratris et coex)iscopi nostri Tiniothei gi^atulanmr, ita euni commonente dilectione tua cupinms irrepreliensibilem reperiri^): <(ui meministi hoc, eum jamdudum fidelis j^raesulis non habnisse constantiam, quando ei, ut damnati Dioscori nomen inter altaria recitaretur, extortum est. Data tertio Idus Martii IIIo^) viro claris- simo consule. •«) D* secundis curis et pro ipsis et pro nohis ipsis. «») Ita E> E« F« HM 0 a» cc. At d' d« cuin mas. D (etiam 2^0« D'') quae vobis eat, Paulo ante d' fraternitatem vestram. '*) Msa. I 0 i* In Domino ora pro nohis justissime pater. ') Editi affeciu ... constituens poiestaii. G' sequimur. LiberattiB 1. c. cap. 17, quod hic ip8i auctor fuisBet, ut id nibi oxtorqueri sineret. ') a* iil.y ut pronomen, quod substituere solebant antiqui loco nominis pro- prii, qaod vel ignorabant vel diHsimulabant, cujusque loco recentioros ab ali- quot saeculis litteram A^. pingimt. Pro It/o autem, (juod projirium est consulis anni 478 nomen, in vulgatis Liberati exemplia K/lus legitur, quamvis in scriptiB, consentientibus Graecis scriptoribus, liius ubique occurrat. i3*