To Pope Hormisdas

To the Most Holy and Blessed Patriarch of the Whole World, Hormisdas, who holds the seat of the Prince of the Apostles, Peter, the petition and supplication of the lesser archimandrites and other monks of the province of Second Syria.

The grace of Christ, the Savior of us all, has led us to your blessedness, seeking refuge from the storm and tempest as to a tranquil harbor, and we no longer believe we are held captive by those who surround us. For though we suffer, we endure it with joy, knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. VIII).

Since Christ, our God, has appointed you as the chief shepherd, teacher, and healer of souls, it is fitting to disclose the sufferings we have encountered and to reveal the merciless wolves who scatter Christ’s flock: so that by the rod of your authority, they may be expelled from the midst of the sheep, by the word of doctrine the soul may be healed, and the medicine of prayer may calm them. You have certainly heard who these are, and who have armed them against us, most blessed one: Severus and Peter, who have never been counted among Christians, daily attacking the holy Council of Chalcedon and our most holy father Leo with public anathema. They disregard God’s judgment and trample on the venerable canons of the holy Fathers, forcibly producing bishops through secular power, and coercing us to mock the aforementioned holy council while tormenting us with indescribable sufferings.

Some of our number, unable to bear the inflicted wounds, have passed from this life, while many more of us have been killed. When we were traveling to the monastery of Lord Simeon for the sake of the Church, these defiled ones ambushed us on the way and, falling upon us, killed three hundred and fifty of us, wounded others, and slaughtered those who managed to seek refuge at the holy altars. They burned the monasteries, and through the night they sent a crowd of disorderly people, these wicked men consuming all the church’s resources. We hoped for justice against these actions, having sent venerable brothers John and Sergius to Constantinople with our case to your blessedness, but the emperor did not grant them an audience and, with great insult, drove them away, threatening those who presented these petitions.

Therefore, we now recognize that such evil deeds against the Churches were done with his authorization. Thus, we beseech you, most blessed father, fervently asking you to arise with zeal and justly grieve for the torn body (for you are the head of all), to avenge the despised faith, the trampled canons, the blasphemed Fathers, and the anathematized Council. To you, God has given the power and authority to bind and to loose. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matt. XVI). Arise, holy fathers, come to save us; be imitators of our Lord, who came down from heaven to seek the lost sheep. Consider Peter, the prince of the apostles, whose seat you adorn, and Paul, the chosen vessel, who traveled the world illuminating it; for great wounds need greater aid. The mercenaries who see the wolves coming leave the sheep to be scattered by them; but you, the true pastors and teachers, to whom the care for the salvation of the sheep has been entrusted, the flock itself hastens to recognize its shepherd, freed from the most ferocious beasts, and following the shepherd’s voice, as the Lord says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John X). Therefore, do not despise us, most holy one, who are daily wounded by fierce beasts. To complete our knowledge of your holy angel, we anathematize in this very petition all those who have been excommunicated by your apostolic see. We declare that Nestorius, who was once the bishop of Constantinople, Eutyches, Dioscorus, and Peter of Alexandria, who is called Balbus, and Peter, who was known as Fullo, as well as the Antiochene, and Acacius, who was the bishop of Constantinople, and all who defend any of these heretics.

• Alexander, by the mercy of God, priest and archimandrite of St. Maron
• Simeon, by the mercy of God, priest and archimandrite
• Joannes, by the mercy of God, deacon and steward
• Procopius, by the mercy of God, priest and archimandrite
• Petrus, by the mercy of God, priest
• Eugenius, by the mercy of God, priest
• Geladius, by the mercy of God, priest
• Bassus, by the mercy of God, priest
• Romulus, by the mercy of God, priest
• Eusealius, by the mercy of God, priest
• Malchus, by the mercy of God, priest
• Leontius, by the mercy of God, deacon
• Stephanus, by the mercy of God, priest
• Carufas, deacon
• Thomas, priest
• Samuel, deacon
• Theodorus, priest
• Joannes, by the mercy of God, priest
• Thomas, deacon
• Joannes, deacon
• Simeonius, deacon
• Salinus, archimandrite
• Eusebius, priest
• Mucymus, priest
• Simeonius, priest
• Thomas, priest
• Jacobus, priest
• Paulus, priest
• Priscus, priest
• Antonius, priest
• Julianus, priest
• Simeonius, priest
• Zachæus, priest
• Sergius, priest
• Eusebius, priest
• Sergius, deacon
• Item Sergius, deacon
• Julianus, priest
• Sergius, priest
• Ammonius, deacon
• Lucas, priest
• Flavianus, archimandrite
• Monimus, deacon
• Joannes, deacon
• Antonius, deacon
• Eliseus, priest
• Sergius, deacon
• Isaacius, priest
• Philippus, deacon
• Jacobus, priest
• Zenobius, priest
• Moras, deacon
• Ananias, priest
• Simeon, priest
• David Thos, deacon
• Lamneus, priest
• Daniel, archimandrite
• Abramius, priest
• Dorotheus, priest
• Thomas, priest
• Sergius, priest
• Eusebius, priest
• Simeonius, priest
• Marcellus, priest
• Priscus, priest
• Maras, priest
• Item Thomas, priest
• Salinus, priest
• Varasaldas, priest
• Joannes, deacon
• Marcellus, deacon
• Siméonius, priest
• Gennadius, priest
• Abramius, priest
• Isidorus, archimandrite
• Julianus, priest