The Early Church and Peter's Primacy

Letter LXXXIII, from Pope Leo to Emperor Marcian

Leo, bishop, to Marcian, ever Augustus. Chapter I: Leo’s Confidence; The Church’s State and the Empire’s Might Strengthened Together; Legates Directed from the Apostolic See Your clemency’s letters, which I reverently received, and my fellow bishops returning from Constantinople have given me great confidence to write — demonstrating not only by words but by the […]

Letter LXXXII, from Pope Leo to Emperor Marcian

Leo, bishop, to Marcian, ever Augustus. Chapter I: Thanksgiving for the Catholic Faith and the Peace of the Empire; Leo’s Confidence in Marcian’s Governance How many things there are for which we must give thanks to our God — whose mercy it is that you, most glorious emperor, govern human affairs with such wise providence […]

Letter LXXXI, from Pope Leo to Bishop Julian of Cos

Leo, bishop, to Julian, bishop. Leo Encourages Julian; The Lapsed to Receive Communion Once They Condemn Perfidy; Legates Dispatched After Easter I received the letters of your brotherhood through our sons the Constantinopolitan clerics, announcing your salutation and indicating that you were burdened with great tribulations — for there was certainly no lack of cause […]

Letter LXXX, from Pope Leo to Bishop Anatolius of Constantinople

Leo, bishop, to Anatolius, bishop. Chapter I: Leo Rejoices in Anatolius’s Proven Faith; The Acts Are Approved; Leo’s Emissaries Returned After Easter We rejoice in the Lord and glory in the gift of His grace — which, as we learned from the letters of your charity and from the report of our brothers whom we […]

Letter LXXIX, from Pope Leo to Empress Pulcheria

Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to Pulcheria Augusta. Chapter I: Pulcheria’s Twofold Victory Over Nestorius and Eutyches What we always presumed of your holy piety’s mind we have confirmed fully by experience: the Christian faith — though assailed by the diverse snares of the perverse — cannot be disturbed, with you present and […]

Letter LXXVIII, from Pope Leo to Emperor Marcian

Leo, bishop, to Marcian, ever Augustus. Leo Thanks Marcian for His Letters and Defense of the Faith; Fuller Correspondence Sent Through Legates I rejoice to have received the letters of your piety and recognize that they pertain to the fulfillment of all prosperity — since the very words of your beginning make us confident in […]

Letter LXXVII, from Empress Pulcheria to Archbishop Leo

To Leo, most reverend bishop of the Church of the glorious city of Rome — Pulcheria, most venerable Augusta. Anatolius Has Subscribed to the Tome; A Synod to Be Held with Leo as the Authority; Flavian Buried in the Basilica of the Apostles; Exiled Bishops Recalled [Editorial note:] Sacred letters were sent by Pulcheria of […]

Letter LXXVI, from Emperor Marcian to Archbishop Leo

To Leo, most reverend bishop of the Church of the most glorious city of Rome — Marcian. Marcian Receives Leo’s Legates; Invites Leo to Convene a Synod or Designate Its Location; The Council Will Follow Leo’s Defined Rules On the tenth day before the Kalends of December, at Constantinople, in the seventh consulship of our […]

Letter LXXV, from Pope Leo to Presbyters Faustus and Martinus

Leo, bishop, to Faustus and Martinus, presbyters and archimandrites. Through Maximinus, count. Chapter I: Leo Declares It Intolerable That Ephesus Acted Against the Faith; By God’s Favor the Liberty of Catholics Has Greatly Increased Embracing every occasion to write, I do not cease to address your charity with episcopal affection — so that from the […]

Letter LXXIV, from Pope Leo to Presbyter Martinus

Leo, bishop, to his most beloved Martinus, presbyter. Leo Praises Martinus’s Faith; True God and True Man Confessed; Legates Sent for the Liberty of the Apostolic Faith We give thanks to God and take great confidence in pious joy, knowing that your charity and Catholic brotherhood thrive so vigorously in the spirit of faith that […]

Letter LXXIII, from Emperors Valentinian and Marcian to Archbishop Leo

Valentinian and Marcian, glorious victors and triumphators, ever Augusti — to Leo, most reverend archbishop of the glorious city of Rome. Valentinian and Marcian Announce Their Accession and Request Leo’s Leadership for a Synod to Ensure Catholic Peace We have come to this supreme empire by God’s providence and the election of the most excellent […]

Letter LXXI, from Pope Leo to the Archimandrites of Constantinople

Leo, bishop, to Faustus, Martinus, Petrus, Manueli, Job, Antiochus, Abrahamius, Theodorus, Pientius, Eusebius, Helpidius, Paulus, Asterius, and Charosus, presbyters and archimandrites, and Jacobus, deacon and archimandrite. Leo Complains of Anatolius’s Silence on Renouncing Errors; Legates Dispatched; The Archimandrites Called to Collaborate The cause of the faith — on which Christian salvation rests — compels me […]

Letter LXX, from Pope Leo to Empress Pulcheria

Leo, bishop, to Pulcheria Augusta. Leo Awaits Anatolius’s Profession of Faith; The Tome or Cyril’s Letter Required; The Italian Council Sought I rejoice in the faith of your clemency, which you worthily devote to renewing the ecclesiastical peace that has been seen to be disturbed by the dissensions of certain persons. It especially pertains to […]

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 LXVIII, from Bishops Ceretius, Salonius, and Veranus to Pope Leo

To the holy lord, most blessed father, and pope most worthy of the Apostolic See, Leo — Ceretius, Salonius, and Veranus. Chapter I: Thanks for the Tome; Its Doctrine Celebrated Throughout All the Churches; The Primacy of the Apostolic See Established Where the Apostolic Spirit’s Oracles Still Resound Having reviewed the letter of your beatitude […]

Letter LXVII, from Pope Leo to Bishop Ravennius of Arles

Leo, pope, to his most beloved brother Ravennius. Leo Sends Ravennius His Letter to Flavian and Commissions the Distribution of the Tome Throughout Gaul We long detained our sons Petronius, presbyter, and Regulus, deacon, in the City — as they merited this favor and the cause of the faith, now assailed by the error of […]

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 LXI, from Pope Leo to Presbyters Martinus and Faustus

Leo, bishop, to Martinus and Faustus, presbyters and archimandrites. Chapter I: Leo Informs Martinus and Faustus of the Letters Sent to Them That God is the author of good works and spiritual zeal — rousing minds and aiding actions — is beyond doubt. This has appeared clearly to us in present experience. For amidst the […]

Letter LX, from Pope Leo to Empress Pulcheria

Leo, bishop, to Pulcheria Augusta. Praise of Pulcheria’s Faith; The Eutychian Error Strikes at the Foundations of the Christian Religion; A General Council Is Sought Your piety’s letters have caused me very great joy and exultation in the Lord — through which it is clearly shown how much you love the Catholic faith and how […]

Letter LIX, from Pope Leo to the Clergy and People of Constantinople

Leo, bishop, to the clergy, honorati, and people dwelling at Constantinople. Chapter I: Joy at Their Fidelity to Flavian; Those Who Deny Christ’s True Humanity Are Confederates of the Manicheans; Leo’s Fatherly Care Although the memory of what was recently done at the council of priests at Ephesus afflicts Us with much grief — seeing […]

The Early Church and Peter's Primacy