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ER 1698

In his letter to the bishops of the province of Arles Pope Leo the Great mentions the envoys of Bishop Ravennius of Arles (Gaul), the Presbyter Petronius and the Deacon Regulus. Letter 66 of Pope Leo the Great "Lectis dilectionis", written in Rome, AD 450.

Letter 66

Leo thanks Julian for his letter and asserts that he finds Eutyches to hold heretical views.

1. Lectis dilectionis vestrae litteris, quas ad nos filii nostri Petronius presbyter et Regulus diaconus detulerunt, quam benevolum fratri et coepiscopo nostro Ravennio impendatis affectum evidenter agnovimus: siquidem postulatis ut ei quod decessor ipsius merito nimiae praesumptionis amiserat, reformetur. Sed petitionem fraternitatis vestrae Viennensis episcopus, missis litteris et legatis, sua suggestione praevenerat, conquerens Arelatensem episcopum ordinationem sibi Vasensis antistitis usurpasse. Cum itaque nobis ita et paternarum reverentia sanctionum, et omnium vestrum servanda sit gratia, ut in Ecclesiarum privilegiis nihil convelli, nihil patiamur excidi, consequens fuit ut ad conservandam intra Viennensem provinciam pacem, adhiberetur iustitiae moderatio, quae nec antiquitatis usum, nec desideria vestra negligeret.

In what follows, Leo passes his judgment on the jurisdiction of the province of Arles and the province of Vienne. He allows Vienne to keep its rule over the sees of Valentia, Tarantasia, Geneva, and Gratianopolis, while the rest should belong to Arles. The letter is dated to the third day before the Nones of May in the consulship of Valentinian August for the 7th time and Avienus (= 5 May 450).

(Patrologia Latina 54, 884 = Ballerini 1753: 998-999)

Letter 66

Leo addresses the letter to the bishops of the province of Arles, the senders of Letter 65.

1. When we read your letter, beloved, which was brought to us by our sons Petronius the presbyter and Regulus the deacon, we recognized how affectionate is the regard in which you hold our brother and fellow-bishop, Ravennius: for your request is that what his predecessor deservedly lost for his excessive presumption may be restored to him. But your petition, brothers, was forestalled by the bishop of Vienne, who sent a letter and legates with the complaint that the bishop of Arles had unlawfully claimed the ordination of the bishop of Vasa. Accordingly, as we had to show such respect both for the canons of the fathers and for your good opinion of us, that in the matter of the churches’ privileges we should allow no infringement or deprivation, it were incumbent on us to preserve the peace within the province of Vienne by employing such righteous moderation as should disregard neither ancient usage nor your desires.

(trans. Ch. Lett Feltoe 1895: 61; slightly adapted; summary M. Szada)

Discussion:

On the controversy in the province of Arles and the role of Leo the Great in it, see Wessel 2008: 53-95.

Place of event:

Region

Rome
Gaul

City

Rome
Arles
Vienne

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.

Eutyches was a presbyter and an archimandrite in Constantinople who got involved in the theological discussions against Nestorius and was inclined toward the monophysite Christology. These views were considered heretical by Bishop Flavian of Constantinople and Eutyches was excommunicated by the so-called Home Synod in AD 448 (σύνοδος ἐνδημοῦσα, the synod of the bishops who happened to be in the capital). Eutyches sent in protest the letters to the bishops all over the world, from which the letter to Pope Leo is still extant. Eutyches also tried to obtain the support of Emperor Theodosius. In fact, the emperor eventually agreed on organizing the Council which was supposed to condemn Bishop Flavian and his supporters. Leo was warned of the preparations by Bishop Flavian and in June AD 449 he sent his legacy consisting of Bishop Julius of Puteoli, the Presbyter Renatus, and the Deacon Hilary. He entrusted to the envoys the dogmatical letter on Christ, the Tomus ad Flavianum. Although Leo tried to prevent through the letters the gathering, the council met in Ephesus on 8 August 449. The legates from Rome tried to read out the Tome at the council but were successfully hindered by Dioscorus of Alexandria and Eutyches (see Grillmeier 1975: 523-528).

There was a long scholarly discussion about the possible participation of Prosper of Aquitaine in the composition of the Tome of Leo, see Green 2008: 193-201.

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:

B. Green, The soteriology of Leo the Great, Oxford; New York 2008.

A. Grillmeier, Christ in Christian tradition, v. 1, Atlanta 1975.

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

Categories:

Travel and change of residence

PR209.

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR209.

Ecclesiastical administration - Ecclesiastical envoy

PR209.

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

PR209.

Relation with - Deacon

PR209.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1698, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1698