Letter III, from Pope Anastasius II to Laurentius, Bishop of Lychnidos
Anastasius, bishop, to Laurentius of Lychnidos. Chapter I: The Eastern Reception of Felix III’s Letter on Acacius; The Roman Custom of Sending the Formula of Faith 1. In the lengthy letter of your charity you have filled Us with great joy in the part where you say that, when the letter of Our predecessor concerning […]
Letter I, from Pope Anastasius II to the Emperor Anastasius I
Bishop Anastasius to the Most Glorious and Most Clement Son Anastasius Augustus. Exordium: The See of the Most Blessed Peter Holds in the Universal Church the Primacy Assigned to It by the Lord God At the beginning of my pontificate I bear, as my first announcement, the peace offered to the peoples. I therefore come […]
Letter LXIX, from Pope Leo to Emperor Theodosius
Leo, bishop, to Theodosius, ever Augustus. Chapter I: Leo Suspends Consent to Anatolius’s Ordination; The Catholic Profession Required; To Be Published to the Apostolic See Amid the solicitude we bear for the faith, all your piety’s letters have offered us great hope of security, commending the Nicene council — so that, as you often write, […]
Letter LXVI, from Pope Leo to the Bishops of the Province of Arles
Leo, pope, to his most beloved brothers: Constantinus, Armentarius, Audientius, Severianus, Valerianus, Ursus, Stephanus, Nectarius, Constantius, Maximus, Asclepius, Theodorus, Justus Ingenuus, Augustalis, Superventor, Ynantius, Fonteius, Palladius. Chapter I: Both Petitions Heard; Justice Must Preserve the Privileges of Both Churches From reading the letters of your beloved, delivered by our sons the presbyter Petronius and the […]
Letter LXV, from the Bishops of the Province of Arles to Pope Leo
To the most blessed lord, Pope Leo: the prayers sent by all the comprovincial bishops of the metropolis of Arles. Chapter I: The Bishops Report Ravennius’s Election and Request the Restoration of Arles’s Ancient Privileges Mindful of how much honor and reverence is always due to the most blessed Apostolic See, over which our Lord […]
Letter XIV, from Pope Leo to Anastasius, Bishop of Thessalonica
Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to Anastasius, bishop of Thessalonica. How great the things entrusted to your brotherhood by the authority of the most blessed Apostle Peter, and how many also committed to you by Our own favor — if you were truly to weigh these with right reason and just judgment, we […]
Letter XIII, from Pope Leo to the Metropolitan Bishops of Illyricum
Leo, to the most beloved brothers Senecio, Carosus, Theodulus, Lucus, Antiochus, and Vigilantius, metropolitans established throughout the provinces of Illyricum. Chapter I: Leo’s Solicitude for the Churches; The Illyrian Churches Belong to the Care of Anastasius We receive with a grateful heart the testimony of your letters that Our writings — sent out of solicitude […]
Letter X, from Pope Leo to the Bishops of the Province of Vienne
Leo, bishop of Rome, to the most beloved brothers, all the bishops established throughout the province of Vienne. Chapter I: The Church Is Built on Peter’s Rock; Whoever Attempts to Infringe Its Power Acts with Impious Presumption Our Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, so established the observance of the divine religion that […]
Letter VI, from Pope Leo to Anastasius, Bishop of Thessalonica
Leo to our most beloved brother Anastasius. I. Leo Explains the Purpose of Fraternal Correspondence and the Duty of Pastoral Vigilance The charity of our fraternal fellowship makes us receive all priests’ letters with a grateful heart, embracing through the grace of the Spirit those with whom we are united by mutual correspondence. Yet our […]
Letter V, from Pope Leo to the Metropolitan Bishops of Illyricum
Leo to the most beloved brother bishops established as metropolitans throughout Illyricum. I. Illicit Attempts Against the Canons Must Be Prudently Forestalled Before They Are Made Every salutary admonition that we believe comes with the Lord’s inspiration benefits both the one who gives it and the one who receives it — and so we undertake […]
Letter IV, from Pope Leo to the Bishops of Campania, Picenum, Etruria, and All Provinces
Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to all bishops established throughout Campania, Picenum, Etruria, and all the provinces, greeting in the Lord. While the peaceable order of the Churches fills us with joy, we are deeply grieved whenever we learn of anything presumed or committed against the ordinances of the canons and the discipline […]
Letter IV, from Pope Symmachus to Avitus, Bishop of Vienne
To Our most beloved brother Avitus, Symmachus. Chapter I: The Annulment Did Not Prejudice Avitus’s Right; He May Present His Case 1. Your charity ought not to have been offended by the fact that We recently wrote in response to Our brother and fellow bishop Aeonius. No prejudice was made to Your right, most beloved […]
Letter III, from Pope Symmachus to Aeonius, Bishop of Arles
To Our most beloved brother Aeonius, Symmachus. Chapter I: The Vienne Dispute Has Arisen Because Anastasius II’s Ruling Departed from the Older Discipline 1. We have received the letters and directives of Your beloved, brought by Our son Crescentius the presbyter, the intermediary messenger, from which it is established that some struggle has arisen between […]
Letter II, from Pope Symmachus to Aeonius, Bishop of Arles
To Our most beloved brother Aeonius, Symmachus. Chapter I: The Vienne Bishop Obtained a Ruling From Anastasius II by Stealth Procurement; The Case Is to Be Reheard at Rome 1. The report of Your beloved has indeed moved Us, in that it has declared: namely that, contrary to the rules of ecclesiastical order and against […]
Letter XI, from Pope Hilarius to the Bishops Judging Mamertus’s Case
Hilarus, bishop, to his most beloved brothers — Victurus, Ingenuus, Ydatius, Eustasius, Fonteius, Viventius, Eulalius, Veranus, Faustus, Auxanius, Proculus, Ausonius, Paulus, Memorialis, Coelestius, Projectus, Eutropius, Avitianus, Ursus, and Leontius. With Us most solicitous, and suspended in much expectation by those things which the recent and certain report had brought to Us, the letters of your […]
Letter X, from Pope Hilarius to the Bishops of Various Provinces of Gaul
Hilarus, bishop, to his most beloved brothers, the bishops of the provinces of Vienne, Lyons, Narbonensis Prima and Secunda, and the Pennine Alps. Although We remember that your brotherhood retains the things that have been established by Us, and does not conceal any of those things which We have written — namely that, for the […]
Letter IX, from Pope Hilarius to Leontius
Hilarus, bishop, to his most beloved brother Leontius. How Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, has in coming forward transgressed the constitutions of the Apostolic See and exceeded priestly moderation, We have learned from your charity’s report — and on hearing such things, We marveled, wondering how We might bring forward a fitting judgment according to the […]
Letter VIII, from Pope Hilarius to the Bishops of Various Provinces of Gaul
Hilarus, bishop, to his most beloved brothers, the bishops of the provinces of Vienne, Lyons, Narbonensis Prima and Secunda, and the Pennine Alps. Although the extent and character of the wrongs long committed in the churches of Narbonne and Béziers are not hidden from your charity, and the improbity of presumption which has come all […]
Letter, from Leontius, Bishop of Arles, to Pope Hilarius
Letter of Leontius, bishop of Arles, to Pope Hilarius. That death has taken away your most holy predecessor Leo — who kept watch against heresies and uprooted the tares that were sprouting all too thickly, alas, in the Lord’s field — we grieve; that he has repaired the loss through Your Holiness, we rejoice. For […]
Letter IV, from Pope Hilarius to Leontius, Veranus, and Victurus, Bishops
Hilarus, pope, to his most beloved brothers Leontius, Veranus, and Victurus, bishops. We are moved by the rationale of justice — which, though it ought to be guarded by all who hold right views, is especially not to be negligently ignored by the priests of the Lord, by whose institutions the rest are to be […]
