To my most holy and blessed lord, brother, and fellow minister, Hormisdas, Epiphanius, Bishop, sends greetings.

We wish to send more frequent letters to your Beatitude and enjoy the affection of brotherly love. But now, desiring that your Holiness not remain unaware of what has transpired, we have used the present writings. For, amid many disturbances over a considerable period, the great city of Antioch, which is the first in the Oriental diocese, was surrounded by troubles under the pretext that Paul, beloved of God, held the episcopate of the aforementioned city. Many of the city’s inhabitants, as some have said, separated themselves from the Catholic faith, constantly bringing complaints to our most serene and faithful prince and petitioning for a clear investigation of the matters that were brought into accusation.

These issues began some time ago, as was not hidden from the legates, beloved of God, sent by your Holiness while they were staying in the royal city, fully aware of all these matters. Therefore, the aforementioned Paul, beloved of God, thinking it advantageous to himself, chose to desert the episcopate and the city by his own letters and preferred to display universal tranquility and withdrawal from such matters. We know that all of this has been clearly communicated to your Reverence by our beloved in Christ prince. But now, above all, it is more precious to all of us that we receive a good report by day and night from the legates, beloved of God, who have been sent by our most loving prince and by us to your Beatitude, proclaiming the peace that is pleasing to God, and announcing the unity of the holy Churches in all beauty and dignity. We pray that you will kindly send them back to us swiftly, so that the present matter may yield heavenly profit to those who are swiftly the authors of good correction, most blessed and holy brother.

All those with your Beatitude in Christ we, and those with us, greet for many years.