Carthage, Canons 135–137

Canon 135. Here begin the replies to the African Council from Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, in which he sends the authentic proceedings of the Nicene Council, translated from the Greek by Innocent the presbyter. These letters, together with the same Nicene council, were also sent by the presbyter Innocent already mentioned, and by Marcellus, a subdeacon of the church of Carthage, to the holy Boniface, bishop of the Roman church, on the sixth day before the Calends of December in the year 419. [a] To the most honorable lords, our holy brothers and fellow bishops Aurelius and Valentine, and to the whole holy synod gathered in Carthage, Cyril greets your holiness in God.

I have received with all joy, from the hands of our son the presbyter Innocent, your reverence’s letters, so full of devotion. In them you express the hope that we will send you, from the archives of our church, the most accurate copies of the decrees of the holy fathers at the synod held at Nicaea, the chief city of Bithynia, with our own certificate of their accuracy attached. In answer to this request, most honorable lords and brothers, I have thought it necessary to send you, with our greetings, by our son Innocent the presbyter, who carries this letter, most faithful copies of the decisions of the synod held at Nicaea in Bithynia. And when you search the history of the church, you will find them there as well. Concerning Easter, as you asked in your letter, we announce to you that we will celebrate it on the eighteenth day before the Calends of May, in the coming indiction. The closing greeting: May God and our Lord keep your holy synod, as we desire, dear brothers. [d]

Canon 136. Here begins the letter of Atticus, bishop of Constantinople, to the same. [f] To our holy lords, our truly most blessed brothers and fellow bishops, Aurelius, Valentine, and the other beloved ones gathered in the synod held at Carthage, from Atticus the bishop. [g]

By our son Marcellus the subdeacon I have received with all thanksgiving the letter of your holiness, and I praised the Lord that I enjoyed the blessing of so many of my brothers. My lords and most blessed brothers, you have written asking me to send you the most accurate copies of the canons enacted by the fathers in the city of Nicaea, the chief city of Bithynia, for the setting out of the faith. And who would refuse his brothers the common faith, or the statutes decreed by the fathers? So by the same son of mine, Marcellus, your subdeacon, who was in a great hurry, I have sent you the canons in full, as they were adopted by the fathers in the city of Nicaea. And I ask your holy synod to remember me often in your prayers. The closing greeting: May our God keep your holiness, as we desire, most holy brothers.

Canon 137. Here begin the copies of the Nicene Council, sent on the sixth day before the Calends of December in the year 419, after the consulship of the most glorious emperors and Augustuses Honorius, consul for the twelfth time, and Theodosius, consul for the ninth time, to Boniface, bishop of the City of Rome. [h] “We believe in one God…” and so on, to the end: “…the catholic and apostolic church anathematizes them.” [k] To this creed there were also attached copies of the statutes of the same Nicene Council from the pontiffs already named, exactly as they are given above. We do not think it necessary to write them out here again. [l]