Letter 11

From: Pope Hilary, bishop of Rome To: Leontius, Bishop of Arles Date: ~461 AD Context: Pope Hilary's letter 4; written at the beginning of his pontificate to inform Leontius of his election and to confirm the metropolitan arrangements in Gaul. Hilary, bishop of Rome, to Leontius, most beloved brother, greetings. We write at the beginning of our pontificate to inform you of what you will already have heard: that we have been elected to succeed our most holy predecessor Leo as bishop of Rome, and that we intend to maintain the same commitment to the rights and the governance of the church that characterized his pontificate. We ask you, as metropolitan of the Gallic church, to communicate to all the bishops of your province the fact of this succession, so that they may know who holds the apostolic see and direct their communications accordingly. We also want to establish, from the beginning, that the arrangements for the governance of the Gallic church that were established under our predecessor remain in force. Your authority as metropolitan is confirmed; the procedures for episcopal elections and for the handling of appeals within your province are as they have been. We ask that any significant matters arising in the Gallic church be communicated to us promptly rather than allowed to accumulate. We pray for your health and for the welfare of the churches under your care. Hilary, bishop of Rome

Sfilari papae ad Leoutium episcopum Arelatensem. 25^j^^ 3. Pon(fy9^:atu9 sui primordia ei indicat, per ipsum in omnium episcoporum Galliae notitiam ferenda. Dilectissimo fratri Leoutio*) Hilarus papa. !• Quantum reverentiae in spiritu Dei, qui subditos sibi in- habit&^ sacerdotes, beato Petro apostolo et sedi ipsius deferatur, omml>xxs arbitror esse compertum, quibus patemarum traditionum incorrxx]^ custodia est. Quos quum volumus de uostrae ordina- ^ tionis ^primordiis gratulari, opera quae in^) nos diviuae pietatis di- ") fieda de rat. temp. c. 49 legit: quod Paacha XIII Kalendas Apriles secun- d^I^^fjiot ]iaud unquam celebrandum, elianisi luna conveniat, penitus invenitur, aut ^^*^ ^^^endas Majas secundum Aegyptios, quod aliquoties observandum est, reperiri non po^^^j tiiqae ex hac lectione occasionem arripit Victorii eystema vehemen- ter imx^^bandL ) ^jc LeontiuB quo anno Arelatensis eccleBiae regimen susceperit, deinde ninn AC^^ennio an Augustali inuaediate successerit, controvertitur. Augustaleni, ciyus i^omen in antiquis ejus ecclesiae diptychis desideratur, quidam admittunt ex eo, c^^Qod dies nataUs ejus Arelate notetur in martyrologio Bedae ; hanc autem ratioiiQ:^ Pagius ad ann. 462 n. 1 convellit. — Leontius non solum ^ilaro papac ^^'"^f^^^iitt fuit, sicnt seqnenteB epiatolae declarabunt, nec tantum Sidonio Apol- "^^ ^t ex istiuB epist. VI, 3 deprehenditur, verum etiam Faustum BegienseBi annciBsiiuujn habuit, qui ejus hortatu et consilio libros de libero arbitrio scripsit, m qmt>i^ ^^ Eccleaiae doctrina longe aberrat. Hinc editores Galliae christianae ae tacilQ addnd testantur, nt credant, Leontium erroribus Massiliehsium con- ) ^§ in nobis divinae jrietas dignationis. a. 462. gnatio osteudit; sauctitati tuae duxlmus indicanda: ut ipse primum pro eO; quem uobis invicem semper impendimus, praestante Domino laeteris affectu ; deinde ut dispositione tuae fratemitatis omnibus per universam provinciam fratribus et consacerdotibus innotescat, quotl humilitatem meam dextera Domini visitare dignata sit^ et mihi apo- stolicae sedis regimeu non pro merito sed pro suae gratiae abun- dantissima largitate commiserit. 2. Proinde, frater carissime, quod sanctitati tuae praesenti ser- mone patefecimus, in^) omnium fratrum, quemadmodum diximus^ notitiam perferre dignaberis, ut supplicaturi Domino nostn> Jesu Christo, sicut exsultationis gaudia ita profutura universali Ecclesiae oratiouum suarum nobis vota conjungant. Deus te incolumem custo- diat, fratter carissime, Data YIII *) Calendas Februarias domino Se- vero Augusto consule.