The Presbyters Project

Letter 91 [inc. "Cognita clementissimi"]

Leo the Great, though surprised that the Emperor convoked the council in such difficult circumstances which will certainly hinder many Western bishops to arrive at the council, will not oppose to the Emperor and will send his legates: Bishop Paschasinus of Lilybaeum, the Presbyter Boniface of Rome, and Bishop Julian of Cos.

[...] sed quia clementissimi principis eo affectu amplectimur voluntatem, ut huic dipositioni ipsius noluerimus obsistere, maxime cum magno desiderio a nobis hoc etiam ipse deposcas, fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Paschasinum nobis probabilem virum de securiore provincia fecimus navigare: cui fratrem et compresbyterum nostrum Bonifacium de Urbe conjunximus; illos quoque eisdem sociantes, qui prius fuerant ordinati, ut participe in omnibus actionibus fratre et coepiscopo nostro Juliano, cujus fidem saepe probavimus, nostra vice utantur in futuro concilio. Neque enim illic ullis contentionum difficultatibus credimus laborandum, cum et ipse indicare dignatus sis, quod in suscipienda catholica fide et damnatione Eutychis atque Nestorii omnes orientales subscripserint sacerdotes. Data sexto kalendas Julii, Adelfio viro clarissimo consule.

(Patrologia Latina 54, 934-935 = Ballerini 1753: 1065-1066)

Letter 91

[...] but because we welcome the will of the emperor and we do not want to get in the way of his order, all the more that you ask us for this thing with great desire, we have sent our brother and fellow-bishop Paschasinus, a man well-proven by us, who can sail from his more safe province. He is joined by our brother and fellow-presbyter Boniface from the City. They will join the legates previously sent [to Constantinople] to represent me at the forthcoming council along with our brother and fellow-bishop Julian whose faith was proved many times and who participates in all our actions. We believe that they will not have to toil in difficult struggles, because, as you was kind to inform us, all the Eastern priests agreed on accepting the Catholic faith and condemn the faith of Eutyches and Nestorius. Given on the 6th day before the Kalends of July in the consulship of vir clarissimus Adelfius [=26 July 451].

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

The difficult circumstances to which Leo alludes in the letter is the invasion of the Huns.

Among the unnamed legates already sent to Constantinople was the Presbyter Basil of Naples. Paschasinus was the bishop from Lilybaeum on Sicily and Julian was a bishop of Cos.

Place of event:

Region

Rome
East

City

Rome
Constantinople

About the source:

Author: Leo the Great
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome from AD 440 to his death in AD 461. We have the collection of 173 letters of Leo.

Edition:

P. and G. Ballerini eds., Sancti Leoni Magni Romani pontificis opera, vol. 1, Venice 1753

Patrologia Latina, vol. 54

Translation:

Leo the Great, Letters, trans. Ch. Lett Feltoe, [in:] The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 2nd series, vol. 12, Edinburgh 1895, 1-114

Bibliography:

S. Wessel, Leo the Great and the spiritual rebuilding of a universal Rome, Leiden ; Boston 2008.

Categories:

Travel and change of residence

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR680.

Ecclesiastical administration - Participation in councils and ecclesiastical courts

Ecclesiastical administration - Ecclesiastical envoy

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1773, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1773