Your beatitude has already learned from other letters sent through your servant Pollio how we communicated in the Church of Constantinople with the order and caution due to God’s mercy. Similarly, in other letters, not once, but twice, we have made it known what kind of men hostile to religion are attempting, so that nothing might be done or planned that escapes your beatitude’s notice. We stand with what is ordered in the Church of Constantinople, with God’s help. The spiritual joys celebrated by the Catholics are not shaken.

The matter of the ordination of the Church of Antioch has caused us not only toil but also great tribulations, for those hastening to obstruct the general unity created various impediments in various ways. Our proposal was to ordain a priest in the aforementioned Church who had lifted themselves from anathema. However, they did not keep the coming judgment in view, openly saying, “All who communicated with the Apostolic See are Nestorians, and they should not believe those who now seem to have been recalled to communion with the Apostolic See.” After much affliction and struggles extended by the Fathers for nearly three months, the most pious emperor, by his authority, chose a certain Paul, a presbyter from the Church of Constantinople, to be made bishop in the Church of Antioch, saying, among other things, this testimony about him: that for two years he stayed in Antioch and firmly resisted the heretic Severus. Similar testimonies were agreed upon by all Catholics. The emperor promised to report all these things concerning the aforementioned person to your beatitude.

However, the Scythian monks, who were later expelled and assigned by all to think of nothing peaceful, have been the instigators, partners, and impediments to the unity of the Churches. They rushed to your beatitude, hoping to sneak in and confirm their intentions through the letters of your See. They accuse the bishops of their own province, including Paternus, bishop of the city of Tomis. They submitted petitions, and by the frequent orders of the most pious prince and lord Vitalian, the master of soldiers, we were often brought together to hear the case—not because we wished to occupy ourselves with these matters, as the instructions of your beatitude are ever before our eyes, instructing us to concern ourselves only with the matter for which we had come, mixing in no other business—but hoping to bring about peace through their intentions, we condescended to this.

Since, despite our long efforts and their lack of reason, nothing was accomplished, the most merciful emperor, in a public assembly where we were also present, brought Paternus, the aforementioned bishop, and the noble man Vitalian back into favor. He commanded his accusers to beg pardon from their bishop. However, when the monks were likewise sought to be reconciled, they preferred to flee from the city rather than come to peace. These monks, upon coming to Italy, have some chapters they wish to present, among which is one stating that one of the Trinity was crucified, hoping that this might be confirmed by your beatitude’s authority. As we have stated in other letters, we now also say that no novelty should be written by the Apostolic See, for we have declared before the emperor and the senate: “Outside the four synods, outside the letters of Pope Leo, we neither say nor admit anything not contained in the aforementioned synods, nor do we accept anything not written by Pope Leo.” For if our lord wishes to write any new thing, it will be a worse beginning than what happened through Eutyches. The Church should be content with what it has endured for sixty years, from Eutyches to now. What we deemed proper we have written; it is in your power to decide as God commands you, for these people strive to assert that we should profess and say that one of the Trinity suffered, which neither the Fathers nor the synods have declared.

We have laid out these matters one by one so that their cunning may not glory in our simplicity because of their new intentions. They deceived the noble man Vitalian to avenge such matters and to bring whatever obstacles he could against us, whose change all the Church laments with us. Therefore, we ask that, with the accustomed caution and vigilance of our lord, you may consider how those who have departed from us and have been separated from our communion should be suspended, and what response should be given to them, or how their chapters may be repelled; for the entire Catholic Church of Constantinople abhors them. Given on the second day before the Kalends of July, at Constantinople.