The Bishops Judge the Two Letters

After the letter was read, Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria, said: “This holy and great synod has heard what I wrote to the most religious Nestorius in defense of the right faith. I believe I have in no way departed from the true statement of the faith, that is, from the creed set out by the holy and great synod that met formerly at Nicaea. So I ask your holiness, that is, the council, to say whether I have written these things rightly and blamelessly and in agreement with that holy synod, or not.” [a]

A number of bishops then gave their opinions, all in Cyril’s favor. After these individual opinions the Acts go on: [b] And all the rest of the bishops, in the order of their rank, testified to the same things and so believed, as the fathers had set it out and as the letter of the most holy Archbishop Cyril to Bishop Nestorius declared.

Palladius, the bishop of Amasea, said: “The next thing to do is to read the letter of the most reverend Nestorius that the most religious presbyter Peter mentioned, so that we may understand whether or not it agrees with the statement of the Nicene fathers.” [c] After this letter was read, Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria, said: “What does this holy and great synod think of the letter just read? Does it, too, seem to agree with the faith set out by the holy synod that met in the city of Nicaea?”

Then, as before, the bishops gave their opinions one by one, and at last the Acts go on: All the bishops cried out together: “Whoever does not anathematize Nestorius, let him be anathema! The right faith anathematizes such a one; the holy synod anathematizes such a one. Whoever is in communion with Nestorius, let him be anathema! We anathematize all the apostles of Nestorius. We all anathematize Nestorius as a heretic. Let all who are in communion with Nestorius be anathema!” And so on, and so on. [d]

Juvenal, the bishop of Jerusalem, said: “Let the letter of the most holy and reverend Celestine, archbishop of the church of Rome, which he wrote concerning the faith, be read.” [e] The letter of Celestine was read, and no opinion was given on it.

Peter, presbyter of Alexandria and chief of the notaries, said: “What his holiness Cyril, our most pious bishop, wrote is in full agreement with what has just been read. I have it at hand, and I will read it if your piety so orders.” [f] The letter was read, which begins this way: In the Greek: “When our Savior says clearly…” and the rest. In the Latin: “When our Savior…” and the rest. [g]