The Second Session

The legates presented the papal letters. The first one read was the letter to Constantine and Irene, though not in full, if we may trust Anastasius the Librarian, who gives what he says is the original Latin text. What follows is a translation of this Latin text and of the Greek, and also a translation of the Latin passage that was left out altogether, with the consent, we are told, of the Roman legates. [a]

Part of Pope Hadrian’s letter. As written by the pope. From Migne’s Latin Fathers, volume 96, column 1217.

If you persevere in that orthodox faith in which you have begun, and if by your means the sacred and venerable images are set up again in those parts, as they were by the lord emperor Constantine of pious memory and the blessed Helena, who proclaimed the orthodox faith, exalted the holy catholic and apostolic Roman church, your spiritual mother, and with the other orthodox emperors venerated it as the head of all churches, then your clemency, protected by God, will receive the name of another Constantine and another Helena. Through them at the beginning the holy catholic and apostolic church drew its strength, and like theirs your own imperial fame is spread abroad by triumphs, so that it shines brightly and is deeply fixed in the whole world. All the more so if, following the traditions of the orthodox faith, you embrace the judgment of the church of blessed Peter, chief of the apostles; and if, as your predecessors the holy emperors did of old, you too venerate it with honor and love his vicar with all your heart; and if your sacred majesty follows above all their orthodox faith, according to our holy Roman church. May the chief of the apostles himself, to whom our Lord God gave the power to bind and remit sins in heaven and on earth, often be your protector, trample all barbarous nations under your feet, and make you conquerors everywhere. For let sacred authority lay open the marks of his dignity, and how great a veneration ought to be shown to his see, the highest, by all the faithful in the world. For the Lord set him who bears the keys of the kingdom of heaven as chief over all, and by him he is honored with this privilege, by which the keys of the kingdom of heaven are entrusted to him. He, then, who was preferred with so exalted an honor was thought worthy to confess that faith on which the church of Christ is founded. A blessed reward followed that blessed confession; by its preaching the holy universal church was enlightened, and from it the other churches of God have drawn the proofs of faith. For the blessed Peter himself, the chief of the apostles, who first sat in the Apostolic See, left the chief place of his apostleship, and the pastoral care, to his successors, who are to sit in his most holy seat forever. And the power of authority that he received from the Lord God our Savior he too bestowed and handed on by divine command to the pontiffs, his successors, and so on. [b]

As read in Greek to the council. From Migne’s Latin Fathers, volume 96, column 1218.

If the ancient orthodoxy is perfected and restored by your means in those regions, and the venerable icons are put back in their original state, you will be sharers with the lord Constantine, emperor of old, now in the divine keeping, and with the empress Helena, who made the orthodox faith shine out and confirmed it, and exalted still more your holy mother, the catholic and Roman and spiritual church; and with the orthodox emperors who ruled after them. And so your most pious and heaven-protected name will likewise be set forth as that of another Constantine and another Helena, renowned and praised through the whole world, by whom the holy catholic and apostolic church is restored. And especially so if you follow the tradition of the orthodox faith of the church of the holy Peter and Paul, the chief apostles, and embrace their vicar, as the emperors who reigned before you of old both honored their vicar and loved him with all their heart; and if your sacred majesty honors the most holy Roman church of the chief apostles, to whom power was given by God the Word himself to loose and to bind sins in heaven and on earth. For they will hold their shield over your power, all barbarous nations will be put under your feet, and wherever you go they will make you conquerors. For the holy and chief apostles themselves, who set up the catholic and orthodox faith, have laid it down as a written law that all who come after them as successors to their seats should hold their faith and remain in it to the end.

The part that was never read to the council at all. From Labbe and Cossart’s collection of the councils, volume 7, column 117.

We were greatly surprised that in your imperial orders addressed to the patriarch of the royal city, Tarasius, we find him called Universal. We do not know whether this was written through ignorance, or through schism, or through the heresy of the wicked. But from now on we advise your most merciful and imperial majesty that he must by no means be called Universal in your writings, because it appears to be contrary to the provisions of the holy canons and the decrees of the traditions of the holy fathers. For he could never have ranked second except by the authority of our holy catholic and apostolic church, as is plain to all. For if he is named Universal, above the holy Roman church, which has the prior rank and is the head of all the churches of God, it is certain that he shows himself a rebel against the holy councils and a heretic. For if he is universal, he is recognized as having the primacy even over the church of our see, which seems ridiculous to all faithful Christians. For in the whole world the chief rank and power was given to the blessed apostle Peter by the Redeemer of the world himself; and through that same apostle, whose place we unworthily hold, the holy catholic and apostolic Roman church holds the first rank and the authority of power, now and forever. So if anyone, which we do not believe, has called him Universal, or agrees to his being called so, let him know that he is estranged from the orthodox faith and a rebel against our holy catholic and apostolic church. [c]

After the reading was ended (Labbe and Cossart, column 120): Tarasius, the most holy patriarch, said: “Did you yourselves receive these letters from the most holy pope, and did you bring them to our pious emperor?” Peter and Peter, the most God-beloved presbyters who held the place of Hadrian, the most holy pope of Rome, said: “We ourselves received these letters from our apostolic father and delivered them to the pious lords.” John, the most magnificent logothete, said: “That this is so is also known to the Sicilians: Theodore, the God-beloved bishop of Catania, and the most reverend deacon Epiphanius who is with him, who holds the place of the archbishop of Sardinia. For both of them, at the bidding of our pious emperors, went to Rome with the most reverend envoy of our most holy patriarch.” [d]

Theodore, the God-beloved bishop of Catania, standing in the middle, said: “The pious emperor, by his honorable order, directed that Leo, the most God-beloved presbyter, who together with me is a slave of your holiness, be sent with the precious letter of his most sacred majesty. And he who reveres our holiness, the governor of my province of Sicily, sent me to Rome with the pious order of our orthodox emperors.” [e] “And when we had gone there, we made known the orthodox faith of the pious emperors.” “And when the most blessed pope heard it, he said, ‘Since this has come to pass in the days of their reign, God has magnified their pious rule above all former reigns.’ And this report, which has been read, he sent to our most pious kings, together with a letter to your holiness, and with his vicars who are here present and presiding.” [f] Cosmas, the deacon, notary and chamberlain, said: “Another letter was also sent by the most holy pope of Old Rome to Tarasius, our most holy and ecumenical patriarch. Let it be dealt with as your holy assembly directs.” The holy synod said: “Let it be read.”

Then Hadrian’s letter to Tarasius of Constantinople was read. It ends by saying: “Our dearly loved chief presbyter of the holy church of Rome, and Peter, a monk, a presbyter and an abbot, whom we have sent to the most tranquil and pious emperors, we beg you to count worthy of every kindness and humane courtesy, for the sake of Saint Peter, the chief of the apostles, and for our sakes, so that for this we may be able to offer you our sincere thanks.” When the letter was ended (Labbe and Cossart, column 128): Peter and Peter, the most reverend presbyters and representatives of the most holy pope of Old Rome, said: “Let the most holy Tarasius, patriarch of the royal city, say whether he agrees with the letters of the most holy pope of Old Rome or not.” Tarasius, the most holy patriarch, said: “The divine apostle Paul, who was filled with the light of Christ, and who begot us through the gospel, wrote to the Romans praising the zeal for the true faith that they had in Christ our true God, and said this: ‘Your faith has gone out into all the world.’ We must follow this testimony through, and whoever would contradict it has no good sense. So Hadrian, the ruler of Old Rome, since he shared in the things so attested, has written plainly and truly to our religious emperors and to our humility, confirming admirably and beautifully the ancient tradition of the catholic church.” “And we ourselves too, having examined the matter in writing, by inquiry, by reasoning and by demonstration, and having been taught by the teachings of the fathers, so have confessed, so confess, and so will confess. We will be steadfast, we will remain, and we will stand firm in the sense of the letters just read, receiving the representations in images according to the ancient tradition of our holy fathers. These we venerate with a firmly attached affection, as made in the name of Christ our God, and of our spotless Lady the holy Mother of God, and of the holy angels, and of all the saints, while most clearly giving our adoration and faith to the one only true God.” [g] And the holy synod said: “The whole holy synod teaches the same.”

Peter and Peter, the God-loved presbyters and legates of the Apostolic See, said: “Let the holy synod say whether it receives the letters of the most holy pope of Old Rome.” The holy synod said: “We follow them, we receive them, we accept them.” The bishops then gave their votes one by one, all to the same effect.