Hormisdas to the Beloved Brother Caesarius, and to Those Who Are Under Your Guidance.

It is fitting that you, who rejoice in the Catholic communion, should also share in our joy over the unity that has come to the Church, so that just as we share one faith, we may also have undivided joy in good fortune. You know how the detestable Eutychian heresy has spread through the Eastern Churches and how often a general council has eradicated the poison of this superstition, and how often the followers of this superstition have rejected the salutary admonitions of the Apostolic See, as if ashamed to yield to the truth or to obey the teachings of the Apostolic See, and have persisted in this stubbornness. For arrogance always poses a danger to salvation, through which the devil himself, its inventor, was deprived of angelic power.

For this, your fraternity has often grieved with us, mindful of the apostolic lesson which shows that: “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12). But the Lord, who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, now, enlightening the minds of many, has instilled in them a desire for apostolic communion, so that what they once professed in speech, they now condemn by a confession of correction. Therefore, we welcome their return without suspicion because they confess their sin without any pretense of excuse, showing a clear desire for correction.

Thus, nearly all the bishops of Dardania and Illyricum, not wishing to be condemned by their past error, have sought communion with Blessed Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and have affirmed through letters and legations sent to us that they will obey the rules of the Apostolic See. For this, those whose faith is fervent know how much we should rejoice. You should know, therefore, that they also now anathematize Nestorius, who divides the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and thus tries to assert two sons. Eutyches, who denies the reality of the flesh and does not preach the two natures in one person, hoping to insert Manichean fantasy into the Churches of Christ, is condemned in a similar way.

To these are added Dioscorus of Alexandria, who, consenting to the aforementioned malice, was made a partner in condemnation at the holy Council of Chalcedon, and, having reaped the same evil fruits, fell into the pit he had prepared for the faithful. Their successors, Timothy the Weasel and Peter, everywhere shared the same wickedness and, never departing from their lying teachers, have surpassed them in all their corruptions. They are recognized as a universal source of harm, whose hands have been stained with the blood of priests, and who have destroyed the lives of the innocent. They bear the marks of eternal damnation from the Catholics throughout the world, who not only excluded them from communion but also stripped them of the name of Christians.

Peter of Antioch, along with his companions, is so aligned with those already condemned that, to avoid lengthy discourse, it is enough to say that Peter and his associates do not differ in any way from the doctrines of those who have been condemned. Acacius, who once condemned these men, turned all the mouths of Christians to praise him, and by attacking those who defended the Eutychian heresy, he appeared very pleasing to those who honored the faith. But the deceiver, envious of the glory that was denied to him, later sought to have these men as his accomplices and turned his weapons against the Catholics, finding his lot with those whom he wished to have as partners.

It would be lengthy to go through everything in the brevity of a letter. Hence, we have directed a portion of the whole matter to you for instruction, considering that such a significant matter could not remain unknown to you, especially since this was announced to your regions through the letters of our predecessors. For this reason, we have also made it our concern to instruct your fraternity on the recent events, so that nowhere, through the ignorance of the faithful, can any deception by the aforementioned wicked ones find a place, but that those who try to justify such things should be more clearly known to be excluded from the sacred fellowship of communion.

Therefore, where faith is concerned, let anything pertaining to the favor of this world be rejected, since even natural affection should not be placed before heavenly matters, so that the Lord’s command may be fulfilled: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10). Concerning the other matters related to the cause of religion, trusting in divine benefits, we again have hope for the present time from the Eastern parts, and we have sent legates.

Pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, [you who are] supplicants, that He, who by His mercy has granted a favorable beginning, may also deign to grant a similar end. We have sent Urban, the defender of the Apostolic See, who is also suitable for this matter, to your charity; through him, concerning the responses appropriate to all these causes, we hope to learn what is desired.

May God keep you safe, dearest brothers. Given on the sixth day before the Ides of September, in the consulship of the illustrious man Florentius.