Letter 80: Leo, the bishop, to Anatolius, the bishop. We rejoice in the Lord and glory in the gift of His Grace, Who has shown you a follower of Gospel-teaching as we have found from your letter, beloved, and our brothers' account whom we sent to Constantinople: for now through the approved faith of the priest, we are justifying in presuming that the whole...

Leo, Bishop of Rome, to Anatolius, Bishop of Constantinople. I. He rejoices that Anatolius has proved himself orthodox We rejoice in the Lord and give glory to the gift of His grace, who has shown you to be a follower of the Gospel's teaching, as we have learned from your letter, beloved, and from the account of our brothers whom we sent to Constantinople. Now, through the approved faith of the bishop, we are justified in trusting that the whole church committed to his care will have "no wrinkle or spot" of error (Ephesians 5:27). For as the Apostle says, "I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). That virgin is the Church, the bride of Christ alone, who permits herself to be corrupted by no error, so that throughout the whole world we share one entire and pure communion. In this communion we now welcome you as a partner, beloved, and we confirm the proceedings which have been ratified, as was proper, with the necessary signatures. So that your spirit might in turn be strengthened by our words, beloved, we have sent back our sons -- Casterius the presbyter, and Patricius and Asclepias the deacons, who brought your letters to us -- after the Easter festival, together with this letter. As we stated above, we rejoice at the peace of the church of Constantinople, over which we have always exercised such care that we will not allow it to be polluted by any heretical deceit. II. Penitent bishops who erred at Ephesus are to be received back into communion upon a plan to be determined by Anatolius and Leo's delegates Concerning those brothers who, as we learn from your letters and from our delegates' report, desire communion with us on the grounds that they grieve at having failed to resist the violence and intimidation at Ephesus -- having given their assent to another's crime when terror overwhelmed them, ministering hastily to the condemnation of the Catholic faith and the innocent Flavian -- we wish the following course to be pursued. Since our delegates are present, let a council be held before you in which all who were swept along by that unholy storm shall be examined. Those who truly repent of having yielded to fear and who condemn without reservation the heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches alike, anathematizing their authors and their doctrines in plain and unambiguous terms, are to be received back into communion on terms that your prudence, together with our delegates, shall determine. For the Lord desires not the death of the sinner but his repentance, and the Church must temper justice with mercy when the erring truly return. Those, however, who persist in defending what was done at that disgraceful assembly -- which does not and cannot deserve the name of a synod -- must remain separated from our communion until they come to their senses. Dated from Rome.

To Anatolius, Bishop of Constantinople. I. He rejoices at Anatolius having proved himself orthodox. Leo, the bishop, to Anatolius, the bishop. We rejoice in the Lord and glory in the gift of His Grace, Who has shown you a follower of Gospel-teaching as we have found from your letter, beloved, and our brothers' account whom we sent to Constantinople: for now through the approved faith of the priest, we are justifying in presuming that the whole church committed to him will have no wrinkle nor spot of error, as says the Apostle, for I have espoused you to one husband to present you a pure virgin to Christ 2 Corinthians 11:2 . For that virgin is the Church, the spouse of one husband Christ, who suffers herself to be corrupted by no error, so that through the whole world we have one entire and pure communion in which we now welcome you as a fellow, beloved, and give our approval to the order of proceedings which we have received, ratified, as was proper, with the necessary signatures. In order, therefore, that your spirit in turn, beloved, might be strengthened by words of ours, we sent back after the Easter festival with our letters, our sons, Casterius, the Presbyter, and Patricius and Asclepias, the Deacons, who brought your writings to us, informing you, as we said above, that we rejoice at the peace of the church of Constantinople, on which we have ever spent such care that we wish it to be polluted by no heretical deceit. II. The penitents among the backsliding bishops are to be received back into full communion upon some plan to be settled by Anatolius and Leo's delegates. But concerning the brethren whom we learn from your letters, and from our delegates' account, to be desirous of communion with us, on the ground of their sorrow that they did not remain constant against violence and intimidation, but gave their assent to another's crime when terror had so bewildered them, that with hasty acquiescence they ministered to the condemnation of the Catholic and guiltless bishop (Flavian), and to the acceptance of the detestable heresy (of Eutyches), we approve of that which was determined upon in the presence and with the co-operation of our delegates, viz., that they should be content meanwhile with the communion of their own churches, but we wish our delegates whom we have sent to consult with you, and come to some arrangement whereby those who condemn their ill-doings with full assurances of penitence, and choose rather to accuse than to defend themselves, may be gladdened by being at peace and in communion with us; on condition that what has been received against the Catholic Faith is first condemned with complete anathema. For otherwise in the Church of God, which is Christ's Body, there are neither valid priesthoods nor true sacrifices, unless in the reality of our nature the true High Priest makes atonement for us, and the true Blood of the spotless Lamb makes us clean. For although He be set on the Father's right hand, yet in the same flesh which He took from the Virgin, he carries on the mystery of propitiation, as says the Apostle, Christ Jesus Who died, yea, Who also rose, Who is on the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us Romans 8:34 . For our kindness cannot be blamed in any case where we receive those who give assurance of penitence, and at whose deception we were grieved. The boon of communion with us, therefore, must neither harshly be withheld nor rashly granted, because as it is fully consistent with our religion to treat the oppressed with a Christlike charity, so it is fair to lay the full blame upon the authors of the disturbance. III. The Names of Dioscorus, Juvenal, and Eustathius are not to be read aloud at the holy altar. Concerning the reading out of the names of Dioscorus, Juvenal, and Eustathius at the holy altar, it beseems you, beloved, to observe that which our friends who were there present said ought to be done, and which is consistent with the honourable memory of S. Flavian, and will not turn the minds of the laity away from you. For it is very wrong and unbecoming that those who have harassed innocent Catholics with their attacks, should be mingled indiscriminately with the names of the saints, seeing that by not forsaking their condemned heresy, they condemn themselves by their perversity: such men should either be chastised for their unfaithfulness; or strive hard after forgiveness. IV. One or two instructions about individuals. But our brother and fellow bishop, Julian, and the clergy who adhered to Flavian of holy memory, rendering him faithful service, we wish to adhere to you also beloved, that they may know him who we are sure lives by the merits of his faith with our God to be present with them in you. We wish you to know this too, beloved, that our brother and fellow bishop Eusebius, who for the Faith's sake endured many dangers and toils, is at present staying with us and continuing in our communion; whose church we would that your care should protect, that nothing may be destroyed in his absence, and no one may venture to injure him in anything until he come to you bearing a letter from us. And that our or rather all Christian people's affection for you may be stirred up in greater measure, we wish this that we have written to you, beloved, to come to all men's knowledge, that they who serve our God may give thanks for the consummation of the peace of the Apostolic See with you. But on other matters and persons you will be more fully instructed, beloved, by the letter you will have received through our delegates. Dated 13 April, in the consulship of the illustrious Adelfius (451). 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/3604080.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.