Letter 9: Leo, the bishop, to Dioscorus, bishop of Alexandria, greeting. I. The churches of Rome and Alexandria should be at one in everything.

Leo, Bishop of Rome, to Dioscorus, Bishop of Alexandria: greetings. I. The churches of Rome and Alexandria must be united in all things How deeply we hold you in divine love, beloved, you may judge from this: we are determined to establish your new episcopate on the firmest possible foundation, so that nothing may seem wanting in your pastoral care, since -- as we have already witnessed -- the meritorious acts of spiritual grace are already on your side. This fatherly and brotherly counsel, holy brother, should be most welcome to you, received in the same spirit in which you know it is offered. For you and we must be of one mind and one purpose, so that in us too there may be found "one heart and one mind" (Acts 4:32). Since the most blessed Peter received the leadership of the Apostles from the Lord, and the church of Rome still abides by his teaching, it would be impious to suppose that his holy disciple Mark, the first to govern the church of Alexandria, based his practices on any different tradition. Without question, both disciple and master drew one Spirit from the same fountain of grace, and the one who was ordained could hand on nothing other than what he had received from the one who ordained him. We therefore permit no divergence between us, since we profess ourselves to be of one body and one faith, nor may the institutions of the teacher differ from those of the pupil. II. Ordinations must be performed on fixed days What we know to have been very carefully observed by our predecessors, we wish you to maintain as well: namely, that the ordination of priests or deacons should not be performed at random on any day, but that the night following Saturday, which ushers in the dawn of the first day of the week, should be chosen for conferring the sacred blessing -- with both ordainer and those being ordained fasting. This practice is not violated if the ceremony actually takes place on Sunday morning without breaking the Saturday fast, since the beginning of Saturday night belongs to that same period and undoubtedly forms part of the day of the resurrection, as is clearly established with regard to the feast of Easter. Beyond the weight of custom, which we know rests on apostolic teaching, Holy Scripture also makes this clear. When the Apostles sent Paul and Barnabas at the bidding of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the nations, they laid hands on them while fasting and praying, so that we might understand with what reverence both the one who gives and the one who receives must approach this most blessed sacrament. You will therefore be acting piously and commendably if you maintain this same form of ordination throughout the churches over which the Lord has called you to preside: those who are to be consecrated should receive the blessing only on the day of the Lord's resurrection, which is commonly understood to begin on Saturday evening. That day has been hallowed so often in the mysterious purposes of God that all the most notable works of the Lord were accomplished on it. On it the world began. On it, through the resurrection of Christ, death was destroyed and life commenced. On it the Apostles received from the Lord's own hands the trumpet of the gospel to be preached to all nations, and the sacrament of regeneration to be carried to the whole world. On it, as the blessed John the Evangelist testifies, when all the disciples were gathered in one place and the doors were shut, the Lord came among them, breathed on them, and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). On it, finally, the Holy Spirit who had been promised to the Apostles by the Lord descended upon them. Thus we understand it to have been appointed by a kind of heavenly ordinance that on this day above all others we should celebrate the mysteries of priestly consecration, since all these gracious gifts were bestowed upon it. III. The repetition of the Eucharist on the great festivals is to be encouraged We also wish this practice to be in harmony with ours: when one of the greater festivals brings together a larger congregation than usual, and the crowd of the faithful is too great for a single church to hold at one time, the sacrifice should be offered more than once without hesitation. Otherwise, if only those who arrive first are admitted to the service, those who come later would appear to have been turned away. It is fully in keeping with piety and good sense that whenever a fresh congregation fills the church, the sacrifice should be offered again as a matter of course. A portion of the people should not be deprived of their worship simply because the custom of celebrating only once is rigidly maintained, admitting only the earliest arrivals. We urge you, therefore, beloved, earnestly and affectionately, not to neglect what has become part of our own practice, following the tradition of our fathers, so that we may be in agreement in our beliefs and in our observances alike. We have entrusted this letter to our son Possidonius, a presbyter, on his return journey to you. He has participated so often in our ceremonies and ordinations, and has been sent to us so many times, that he is well acquainted with the apostolic authority we exercise in all things. Dated the 21st of June (c. 445).

Leo, the bishop, to Dioscorus, bishop of Alexandria, greeting. I. The churches of Rome and Alexandria should be at one in everything. How much of the divine love we feel for you, beloved, you will be able to estimate from this, that we are anxious to establish your beginnings on a surer basis, lest anything should seem lacking to the perfection of your love, since your meritorious acts of spiritual grace, as we have proved, are already in your favour. Fatherly and brotherly conference, therefore, ought to be most grateful to you, holy brother, and received by you in the same spirit as you know it is offered by us. For you and we ought to be at one in thought and act, so that as we read , in us also there may be proved to be one heart and one mind. For since the most blessed Peter received the headship of the Apostles from the Lord, and the church of Rome still abides by His institutions, it is wicked to believe that His holy disciple Mark, who was the first to govern the church of Alexandria , formed his decrees on a different line of tradition: seeing that without doubt both disciple and master drew but one Spirit from the same fount of grace, and the ordained could not hand on anything else than what he had received from his ordainer. We do not therefore allow it that we should differ in anything, since we confess ourselves to be of one body and faith, nor that the institutions of the teacher should seem different to those of the taught. II. Fixed days should be observed for ordaining priests and deacons. That therefore which we know to have been very carefully observed by our fathers, we wish kept by you also, viz. that the ordination of priests or deacons should not be performed at random on any day: but after Saturday, the commencement of that night which precedes the dawn of the first day of the week should be chosen on which the sacred benediction should be bestowed on those who are to be consecrated, ordainer and ordained alike fasting. This observance will not be violated, if actually on the morning of the Lord's day it be celebrated without breaking the Saturday fast: for the beginning of the preceding night forms part of that period, and undoubtedly belongs to the day of resurrection as is clearly laid down with regard to the feast of Easter. For besides the weight of custom which we know rests upon the Apostles' teaching, Holy Writ also makes this clear, because when the Apostles sent Paul and Barnabas at the bidding of the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel to the nations, they laid hands on them fasting and praying: that we may know with what devoutness both giver and receiver must be on their guard lest so blessed a sacrament should seem to be carelessly performed. And therefore you will piously and laudably follow Apostolic precedents if you yourself also maintain this form of ordaining priests throughout the churches over which the Lord has called you to preside: viz. that those who are to be consecrated should never receive the blessing except on the day of the Lord's resurrection, which is commonly held to begin on the evening of Saturday, and which has been so often hallowed in the mysterious dispensations of God that all the more notable institutions of the Lord were accomplished on that high day. On it the world took its beginning. On it through the resurrection of Christ death received its destruction, and life its commencement. On it the apostles take from the Lord's hands the trumpet of the gospel which is to be preached to all nations, and receive the sacrament of regeneration which they are to bear to the whole world. On it, as blessed John the Evangelist bears witness when all the disciples were gathered together in one place, and when, the doors being shut, the Lord entered to them, He breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Ghost: whose sins you have remitted they are remitted to them: and whose you have retained, they shall be retained John 20:22-23 . On it lastly the Holy Spirit that had been promised to the Apostles by the Lord came: and so we know it to have been suggested and handed down by a kind of heavenly rule, that on that day we ought to celebrate the mysteries of the blessing of priests on which all these gracious gifts were conferred. III. The repetition of the Holy Eucharist on the great festivals is not undesirable. Again, that our usage may coincide at all points, we wish this thing also to be observed, viz. that when any of the greater festivals has brought together a larger congregation than usual, and too great a crowd of the faithful has assembled for one church to hold them all at once, there should be no hesitation about repeating the oblation of the sacrifice: lest, if those only are admitted to this service who come first, those who flock in afterwards, should seem to be rejected: for it is fully in accordance with piety and reason, that as often as a fresh congregation has filled the church where service is going on, the sacrifice should be offered as a matter of course. Whereas a certain portion of the people must be deprived of their worship, if the custom of only one celebration be kept, and only those who come early in the day can offer the sacrifice. We admonish you, therefore, beloved, earnestly and affectionately that your carefulness also should not neglect what has become a part of our own usage on the pattern of our fathers' tradition, so that in all things we may agree together in our beliefs and in our performances. Consequently, we have given this letter to our son Possidonius, a presbyter, on his return, that he may bear it to you, brother; he has so often taken part in our ceremonials and ordinations, and has been sent to us so many times that he knows quite well what Apostolic authority we possess in all things. Dated 21 June (? 445). 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/3604009.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. 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