From: Pope Agapetus I, Bishop of Rome
To: Emperor Justinian I
Date: ~535 AD
Context: Agapetus congratulates Justinian and makes the case for orthodox theology — this pope famously traveled to Constantinople and convinced Justinian to depose the Monophysite Patriarch Anthimus.
Agapetus, bishop, to the most victorious and pious Emperor Justinian.
We rejoice, most venerable emperor, that your reign has been marked from its beginning by a commitment to the orthodox faith, and we write to express what we hope will be a long collaboration between the apostolic see and the imperial court in the service of that faith.
The theological situation in the East requires, I must speak plainly, more decisive action than has yet been taken. The patriarch Anthimus of Constantinople has been received into his position through a process that was not canonical, and his theology, on the question of Christ's natures, is not orthodox. He does not accept the Chalcedonian definition. A patriarch who does not accept Chalcedon cannot serve as a partner in the defense of Chalcedonian orthodoxy.
I am prepared to come to Constantinople myself to discuss this matter, if Your Piety believes that my presence would be useful. The bishop of Rome is not accustomed to such journeys, but the importance of the question justifies extraordinary measures.
What I ask: that Anthimus be replaced by a bishop who holds the Chalcedonian faith unambiguously, and that the see of Constantinople return to the full communion with Rome that was restored after the Acacian Schism.
With the highest respect for your person and your office,
Agapetus, bishop of Rome
AGAPITUS EPISCOPUS IUSTINIANO AUGUSTO. (Gratulamur, uene- rabilis imperator, quod tanto catholicae fidei ardore succen- deris, ut omnibus piissimae uitae uestrae temporibus piam solicitudinem circa seruandam augendamque ecclesiarum concordiam clementer adhibeas et unam fidem suaque per
2 amplectendes V 11 et omnibus ez ep. 89 ὃ 5 add. Pitra. 14 pres- byter exenodocus V, corr. o (et Xenodochus Vat. 4903) 16 papa V, corr. o. 18 «et» indiuise Bar.
91. Jat. die 18 Mart. a. 536. Hae Agapiti litterae sine duabus, quae hic snsertae sunt Iustiniani epistulis, fere totae extant et$am n. 83; ubi quae rectius quam hic leguntur, hic subnotaui adscripta littera; V*. Edd. Car. I^ 592 et Collect. Concil. 28 uenerabilis V*: uenerabili- bus ἢ 24 succenderis V*: succendens V
1$
Epist. ΧΟ 5 — ΧΟῚ 5. 343
omnia firmitate consimilem omnibus populis Christianis cupias praedicari. nee mirum in eiusmodi clementiam uestram placita deo cogitatione persistere, eum non alius imperii uestri beatior sit proueetus quam religionis augmentum. quapropter libenti 5 hoc et prophetica uoce cantabo: repletum est gaudio os nostrum et lingua nostra exultatione, quod florentis- simum principatum uestrum diuinis cotidie conspicimus beneficiis adornari. cupis etenim, uenerabilis imperator, ut tuae pietatis epistolam de fidei uestrae expositione nuper ad beatae 10 memoriae decessorem nostrum Iohannem Romanae sedis antistitem per Hypatium atque Demetrium episcopos destinatam et a praefato praesule roboratam nostra quoque auctoritate firmemus: laudamus, amplectimur; non quia laicis auctoritatem praedicationis admittimus sed quia studium fidei uestrae patrum 15 nostrorum regulis congruens confirmamus atque roboramus, per quod iam et unitas prouenit eeclesiae et reliqua catholicae membra ecelesiae ad eius eonpagem «uestrae? ehristianitatis constantia reditura confidimus. cuius professionis uel epistolae uestrae tenorem inferius adneetentes studium, quod circa s) deum integre geritis, nostra auctoritate firmamus, praedicantes huiusmodi fidem omuibus patrum nostrorum regulis conuenire et apostolicae sedis comtordare dogmatibus, constituentes ut, 8i quis nostrae catholieae fidei contraire temptauerit, quam pro submouenda fhaeretieorum $uspicione paternis regulis 86 Consonantem praesenti definitione firmamus, «a» saneta com- munione effieiatur extraneus. unde et Cyrum eiusque sequaces iam ante pro hac insania ab ecclesiae catholicae communione suspensos et im sua hactenus perfidia permanentes, nisi sub satisfactione canonica doctrinam apostolicam fuerint consecuti,
Demetrium beatissimos episcopos, ut nec uestram sanctitatem lateat, quae a quibusdam paucis monachis male et Iudaice secundum Nestorii perfidiam denegata sunt. petimus ergo uestrum paternum 20 affectum, ut uestris ad nos destinatis litteris et ad sanctissimum
5 episcopum huius almae urbis et patriarcham uestrum fratrem,
Quam ob rem petimus sanctitatem uestram, ut23
memoratam epistolam uestra auctoritate firmetis et Cyrum yel similes eius a communione habeatis alienos, donée statutis sanctitatis uestrae obtem- perent. EXEMPLAR SUBSCRIPTIONIS: Diuinitas te
85 seruet per multos annos, sancte ac religiosissime
pater, JDat.pridieId,. Martiarum Constantinopoli post consulatum Belisari u. c.
Huic igitur, ut praedictum est, confessioni et huic fidei2 quisquis contradicere praesumpserit, a eatholica se communione
80 nouerit alienum. — Dat. XV. Kal. April. Constantinopoli post
eonsulatum Belisari ἃ. c.
4 et pro ut V 7 apostolica V — 8 praedictam V — 12 serbabitur V 18 dieerint V 16 diuinitate seruez V 17 vin ] vx V 18 Con- stantinopoli dno nro iustiniano pp. aug. nr. consul V 21 uestfam V, corr. Mansi 26 constantinopoli post consulatu bilisari u. c. V — 30 no- berit V constantinopoli post csul bilisari u. c. V
| 948 Uigilius papa Iustiniano Aug.
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From:Pope Agapetus I, Bishop of Rome
To:Emperor Justinian I
Date:~535 AD
Context:Agapetus congratulates Justinian and makes the case for orthodox theology — this pope famously traveled to Constantinople and convinced Justinian to depose the Monophysite Patriarch Anthimus.
Agapetus, bishop, to the most victorious and pious Emperor Justinian.
We rejoice, most venerable emperor, that your reign has been marked from its beginning by a commitment to the orthodox faith, and we write to express what we hope will be a long collaboration between the apostolic see and the imperial court in the service of that faith.
The theological situation in the East requires, I must speak plainly, more decisive action than has yet been taken. The patriarch Anthimus of Constantinople has been received into his position through a process that was not canonical, and his theology, on the question of Christ's natures, is not orthodox. He does not accept the Chalcedonian definition. A patriarch who does not accept Chalcedon cannot serve as a partner in the defense of Chalcedonian orthodoxy.
I am prepared to come to Constantinople myself to discuss this matter, if Your Piety believes that my presence would be useful. The bishop of Rome is not accustomed to such journeys, but the importance of the question justifies extraordinary measures.
What I ask: that Anthimus be replaced by a bishop who holds the Chalcedonian faith unambiguously, and that the see of Constantinople return to the full communion with Rome that was restored after the Acacian Schism.
With the highest respect for your person and your office, Agapetus, bishop of Rome
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.