Letter 38: He acknowledges the receipt of a letter and advises mercy if Eutyches will recant. Leo to Flavian, bishop of Constantinople. When our brethren had already started whom we dispatched to you in the cause of the Faith, we received your letter, beloved, by our son Basil the deacon, in which you rightly said very little on the subject of our common a...

He acknowledges the receipt of a letter and advises mercy if Eutyches will recant. Leo to Flavian [Patriarch of Constantinople], bishop of Constantinople. Our brothers whom we dispatched to you in the cause of the Faith had already departed when we received your letter, beloved, through our son Basil the deacon. In it you rightly said very little about our shared concern, both because the reports that had already arrived had given us full information on everything, and because it was easy to discuss matters privately with Basil himself. Now, through him, by the grace of God in whom we trust, we urge you in reply, beloved, using the Apostle's words: "Be in no way frightened by your adversaries. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you" (Philippians 1:28). For what is more disastrous than trying to destroy all hope of human salvation by denying the reality of Christ's Incarnation, and contradicting the Apostle who says plainly: "Great is the mystery of godliness, which was revealed in the flesh"? What is more glorious than fighting for the Faith of the gospel against the enemies of Christ's birth and cross? About this most pure light and unconquered power, we have already laid out our convictions in the letter sent to you, beloved [the Tome], so that nothing might remain doubtful between us on matters we have learned and teach in accordance with Catholic doctrine. But since the evidence for the Truth is so clear and compelling that anyone who does not immediately free himself from the fog of falsehood in the bright light of reason must be considered thoroughly blind and stubborn, we urge you to apply the remedy of patience in curing this madness of ignorance. Through your fatherly guidance, let those who — though old in years — are infants in understanding learn to submit to their elders. And if they abandon the empty conceits of their ignorance, come to their senses, and condemn all their errors to embrace the one true Faith, do not deny them the compassion of a bishop's kind heart — although your judgment must stand if their wickedness, which you have rightly condemned, persists in its depravity. Dated July 23 in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes (449).

He acknowledges the receipt of a letter and advises mercy if Eutyches will recant. Leo to Flavian, bishop of Constantinople. When our brethren had already started whom we dispatched to you in the cause of the Faith, we received your letter, beloved, by our son Basil the deacon, in which you rightly said very little on the subject of our common anxiety, both because the accounts which had already arrived had given us full information on every thing, and because for purposes of private inquiry it was easy to converse with the aforesaid Basil, by whom now through the grace of God, in whom we trust, we exhort you, beloved, in reply, using the Apostle's words, and saying: Be in nothing affrighted by the adversaries; which is for them a cause of perdition, but to you of salvation Philippians 1:28 . For what is so calamitous as to wish to destroy all hope of man's salvation by denying the reality of Christ's Incarnation, and to contradict the Apostle who says distinctly: great is the mystery of Godliness which was manifest in the flesh ? What so glorious as to fight for the Faith of the gospel against the enemies of Christ's nativity and cross? About whose most pure light and unconquered power we have already disclosed what was in our heart, in the letter which has been sent to you beloved : lest anything might seem doubtful between us on those things which we have learned, and teach in accordance with the Catholic doctrine. But seeing that the testimonies to the Truth are so clear and strong that a man must be reckoned thoroughly blind and stubborn, who does not at once shake himself free from the mists of falsehood in the bright light of reason; we desire you to use the remedy of long-suffering in curing the madness of ignorance that through your fatherly admonitions they who though old in years are infants in mind, may learn to obey their elders. And if they give up the vain conceits of their ignorance and come to their senses, and if they condemn all their errors and receive the one true Faith, do not deny them the mercifulness of a bishop's kind heart: although your judgment must remain, if their impiety which you have deservedly condemned persists in its depravity. Dated 23 July in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes (449). About this page Source. Translated by Charles Lett Feltoe. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3604038.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.