Letter 43: Already and from the beginning, in the synods which have been held, we have received such freedom of speech from the most holy Peter, chief of the Apostles, as to have the power both to maintain the Truth in the cause of peace, and to allow no one to disturb it in its firm position, but at once to repel the mischief. Since then the council of bi...

To the most glorious and serene Emperor Theodosius: Leo, Bishop of Rome. I. He protests the conduct of Dioscorus at the Council of Ephesus From the beginning and in all the synods that have been held, we have received from the most holy Peter, chief of the Apostles, such freedom of speech as to have the authority both to uphold the truth in the cause of peace and to permit no one to disturb it, but to repel every attack at once. Since, then, the council of bishops that you ordered to be held at Ephesus on account of the case of Flavian is doing harm to the faith itself and inflicting wounds on all the churches -- and this has been brought to our attention not by some unreliable messenger, but by the most reverend bishops whom we sent as our representatives, and by our most trustworthy deacon Hilarus, who have recounted to us what took place -- and since these events must be attributed to the fault of those who assembled there, who did not, as is customary, render their judgment with a pure conscience and right discernment, but produced a verdict that injures all the churches: We have learned that not all who should have been present at the proceedings were admitted: some were expelled, others brought in, and those who remained were ensnared into an impious act of subscription by the machinations of Bishop Dioscorus. The declaration he forced through was of such a nature as to damage the entire Church. When our delegates from the Apostolic See saw how exceedingly impious and hostile to the faith it was, no pressure could force them to consent. They protested vigorously, as they were bound to do, that the Apostolic See could never accept it. II. He asks the emperor to restore the ancient Catholic doctrine Therefore, most peace-loving prince, for the sake of the faith, avert this danger from your own godly conscience, and do not allow human presumption to do violence to Christ's Gospel. In my sincere desire -- shared by the bishops who are with me -- that you, most Christian and revered emperor, should above all things please God, to whom the prayers of the whole Church are poured out in one voice for your reign, I offer you this counsel. I fear that if we keep silent on so great a matter, we shall face punishment before the tribunal of Christ. I entreat you, therefore, before the undivided Trinity of the one Godhead, which is injured by these proceedings and which is the guardian of your empire, and before Christ's holy angels: let all things remain as they were before this judgment. Let them await the weightier decision of a new synod, at which the full number of the world's bishops may be gathered together, so that a most firm decree may be enacted -- one that no one will dare oppose, one that will be for our benefit not only in the present but in all time to come. Dated the 13th of October (AD 449).

I. He complains of the conduct of Dioscorus at the Council of Ephesus To the most glorious and serene Emperor Theodosius, Leo the bishop. Already and from the beginning, in the synods which have been held, we have received such freedom of speech from the most holy Peter, chief of the Apostles, as to have the power both to maintain the Truth in the cause of peace, and to allow no one to disturb it in its firm position, but at once to repel the mischief. Since then the council of bishops which you ordered to be held in the city of Ephesus on account of Flavian, does mischief to the Faith itself and inflicts wounds on all the churches — — ; and this has been brought to our knowledge not by some untrustworthy messenger, but by the most reverend bishops themselves who were sent by us and by the most trusty Hilarus our deacon, who have narrated to us what took place. And the occurrences are to be put down to the fault of those who met, not having, as is customary, with a pure conscience and right judgment made a definite statement about the faith and those who erred therefrom. For we have learned that all did not come together in the conference who ought, some being ejected and others received: who were ensnared into an ungodly act of subscription by the designs of the aforesaid priest. For the declaration effected by him is of such a nature as to injure all the churches. For when those who were sent by us saw how exceedingly impious and hostile to the Faith it was, they notified it to us. II. He asks him to restore the ancient Catholic doctrine. Wherefore, most peace-loving prince, vouchsafe for the Faith's sake to avert this danger from your Godly conscience, and let not man's presumption use violence upon Christ's Gospel. In my sincere desire, which is shared by the bishops that are with me, that you, most Christian and revered prince, should before all things please God, to whom the prayers of the whole Church are poured with one accord for your empire, I give you counsel, for fear lest, if we keep silence on so great a matter, we incur punishment before the tribunal of Christ. I entreat you therefore before the undivided Trinity of the one Godhead, which is injured by these evil doings, and which is the guardian of your kingdom, and before Christ's holy angels that all things remain intact as they were before the judgment, and that they await the weightier decision of the Synod at which the whole number of the bishops in the whole world is gathered together: and do not allow yourselves to bear the weight of others' misdoing. We are constrained to say this plainly by the fear of a constraining necessity. But keep before your eyes the blessed Peter's glory, and the crowns which all the Apostles have in common with him, and the joys of the martyrs who had no other incentive to suffering but the confession of the true Godhead and the perfect continuance in Christ. III. And asks for another Synod to be summoned. And now that this confession is being godlessly impugned by some few men, all the churches of our parts and all the priests implore your clemency with tears in accordance with the request which Flavian makes in his appeal, to command the assembling together of a special Synod in Italy, in order that all opposition may be expelled or pacified, and that there may be no deviation from or ambiguity in the Faith: and to it should also come the bishops of all the Eastern provinces, that, if any have wandered out of the way of Truth, they may be recalled to their allegiance by wholesome remedies, and they who are under a more grievous charge may either be reduced to submission by counsel or cut off from the one Church. So that we are bound to preserve both what the Nicene canon enjoins and what the definitions of the bishops of the whole world enjoin according to the custom of the Catholic Church, and also (to maintain) the freedom of our fathers' Faith, on which your tranquillity rests. For we pray that when those who harm the Church are driven out, and your provinces enjoy the possession of justice, and vengeance has been executed on these heretics your royal power also may be defended by Christ's right hand. 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/3604043.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.