Letter 14

From: Pope Hilary, bishop of Rome To: Leontius, Bishop of Arles Date: ~463 AD Context: Pope Hilary's letter 7; Hilary presses Leontius to send a formal report on the case of Bishop Hermes, whose situation required papal attention. Hilary, bishop of Rome, to Leontius, bishop of Arles, greetings. We are surprised that you have not yet sent the report we asked for on the case of Hermes. We understand that episcopal business is demanding, but the matter we raised is one that has implications beyond your province and that requires the attention of this apostolic see. The delay does not serve the resolution of what is, from the account we have, a significant canonical problem. We ask again: send us the formal account of the Hermes case — the facts of his ordination, the circumstances that made it irregular, the current state of affairs in the diocese in question, and your own assessment of what resolution is appropriate. We raise this firmly because the established procedure for handling cases of this kind requires the involvement of the apostolic see, and we cannot be involved until we have the information necessary to form a judgment. The information must come from you as the metropolitan responsible for the relevant province. Please respond promptly. Hilary, bishop of Rome

Vnov Hilari papae ad Leontinm Arelatensem. Monet, ut relationem de Herme mittat. p. 3. Dilectissimo fratri Leontio Hilarus papa. 1 . Miramiu* fratemitatem tuam ita legis catholicae immemorem esse, ut quaeque^) iniqua et contra patrum nostrorum statuta in provincia, quae ad monarchiam tuam pertinet, si ipse aut nou via aut uon potes, etiam nec uos silentii tui taciturnitate permittas cor- rigere. Siquidem quod et nunore cognovimus, et quantum diligeuter a diacono Johanne, qui a magnifico viro filio nostro Fritherico^) litteris suis nobis insinuatus est, requisivimus, quod iniquissima usur- patione quidam Hermes^) episcopatum civitatis Narbonensis exsecra- biU temeritate praesumpserit. Quam rem decuerat sanctitatem tuam ut nobis in vestigio indicaret. 2. Qua de re, frater carissime, monemus, ut si fides adhibetur assertis, seposita excusatione ad nos tam tuae dilectionis quam fra- trum nostronun, aut per portitorem litterarum aut per quem ipsi elegeriiis, suljscriptam manuum ve&rtrarum relationem transmittatis : ut quod definire possimus, recurrenti pagina possitis agnoscere. Deus ^ Ita L* L^ «•; alii correptioni», *^) I? L* b expondeo . . . expondeam, ex prava dictantis pronuntiatione. ') aL' ut quae iniqua, moxqiic L' pertinuit. Hic notandus vocis monarchiae UBU8 ad significandimi rcgimen ecclcsiasticum. Quam oodem sensu usmpavit Qregorius TuronenBiB de vitis patrum c. I n. 2, ubiLupicinum super monaBteria monarchiam obtinuisse narrat. Ita et in vita b. Romani abbatds JurenBis decesaor Leontii Hilarius carpitur ut indebitam sibi per Gallias vindicans monarcMam, •) editi Friderico, mss. Fritherico aut Frittherico. ') Idem videtur is Hermes Bitorrensis, qui archidiaconus Eustici NarbonenBiB in Loon. epist. 167 n. I memoratur (c^*). EPISTOLAE 7. 8. 141 te incolumem custodiat^ frater carissime. Data III Nonas Novem- a. 462. bris^).