The Second Session Continued: The Bishops Acclaim Celestine

And all the most reverend bishops cried out together: “This is a just judgment! To Celestine, a new Paul! To Cyril, a new Paul! To Celestine, the guardian of the faith! To Celestine, of one mind with the synod! To Celestine the whole synod gives its thanks! One Celestine! One Cyril! One faith of the synod! One faith of the world!” [a]

Projectus, the most reverend bishop and legate, said: “Let your holiness consider the formula in the writings of the holy and venerable Pope Celestine, the bishop. He has urged your holiness, not as if teaching the ignorant but as reminding those who know, to give orders that what he defined long ago, and has now thought it right to remind you of, be carried out to the full, according to the rule of the common faith and the practice of the catholic church.” [b] Firmus, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, said: “The apostolic and holy see of the most holy bishop Celestine has already given a decision and formula in this matter, through the writings sent to the most God-beloved bishops, namely to Cyril of Alexandria, to Juvenal of Jerusalem and to Rufus of Thessalonica, and to the holy churches both of Constantinople and of Antioch. This we have also followed. “The time set for Nestorius to correct himself had long gone by. Much time had passed since we arrived in the city of Ephesus, in keeping with the decree of the most devout emperor, and we had then waited no little while, so that the day fixed by the emperor was past; and Nestorius, though summoned, had not appeared. So we carried the formula into effect, pronouncing a canonical and apostolic judgment against him.” [c] Arcadius, the most reverend bishop and legate, said: “Although our voyage was slow, and contrary winds especially hindered us, so that we did not know whether we would reach the appointed place as we had hoped, nevertheless by God’s good providence… So we ask your blessedness to order that we be informed of what has already been decreed by your holiness.” [d]

Philip, presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See, said: “We give our thanks to the holy and venerable synod that, when the writings of our holy and blessed pope had been read to you, you, the holy members, by our holy voices, joined yourselves to the holy head as well by your holy acclamations. For your blessedness is not unaware that the head of the whole faith, the head of the apostles, is blessed Peter the apostle. “And since our humble selves have now arrived, after being tossed by storms and greatly troubled, we ask you to order that what was done in this holy synod before our arrival be laid before us, so that, in keeping with the opinion of our blessed pope and of this present holy assembly, we too may ratify their decision.” [e] Theodotus, bishop of Ancyra, said: “The God of the whole world has made plain the justice of the judgment pronounced by the holy synod, both through the writings of the most devout bishop Celestine and through the coming of your holiness. For you have made plain the zeal of the most holy and reverend bishop Celestine and his care for the pious faith. “And since your reverence very reasonably wishes to learn from the minutes of the acts what has been done concerning the deposition of Nestorius, your reverence will be fully convinced of the justice of the sentence, of the zeal of the holy synod, and of the harmony of the faith which the most devout and holy bishop Celestine has proclaimed with a great voice. Once you are fully convinced, of course, the rest will be added to the present proceedings.” [f]

In the Acts there follow two short letters from Celestine, one to the emperor and the other to Cyril. But nothing is said about them, or about how they came to be there, and so the account of this session ends abruptly. [g]