The Seventh Session: Vigilius Struck from the Diptychs

This speech is taken from the Paris manuscript, which is printed in the collections of Hardouin and of Mansi; no other manuscript has it in full. Hefele notes that the Ballerini brothers raised objections to the genuineness of the additions, but he does not think their objections of serious weight. All the manuscripts agree that the most glorious quaestor of the sacred palace, Constantine, was sent by the most pious emperor, and that when he had entered the council he spoke as follows, beginning, “It is certain to your blessedness how much…” The rest of the speech differs from one manuscript to another. The translation here follows the Paris manuscript. [a]

You know how much care the most invincible emperor has always taken that the dispute some people have stirred up over the Three Chapters should be brought to an end.… With this aim he required the most religious Vigilius to meet with you and to draw up a decree on this matter in keeping with the orthodox faith. Vigilius has already condemned the Three Chapters many times in writing. He has done it by word of mouth as well, in the presence of the emperor, of the most glorious judges, and of many members of this synod. He has always been ready to strike with anathema the defenders of Theodore of Mopsuestia, and the letter that was attributed to Ibas, and the writings that Theodoret published against the orthodox faith and against the twelve chapters of the holy Cyril. Yet he has refused to do this in communion with you and your synod. [b]

Yesterday Vigilius sent Servus Dei, a most reverend subdeacon of the Roman church, and invited Belisarius, Cethegus, and also Justinus and Constantine, the most glorious consuls, together with the bishops Theodore Ascidas, Benignus, and Phocas, to come to him, since he wished to give an answer to the emperor through them. They went, but soon came back and made this report to the most pious lord. We visited Vigilius, the most religious bishop, and he said to us, “We have called you so that you may know what has been done in these past days. To that end I have written a document about the disputed Three Chapters, addressed to the most pious emperor. Please be good enough to read it and to carry it to his serenity.” But when we had heard this and had seen the document written to your serenity, we told him that we could not by any means accept a document written to the most pious emperor without his command. “But you have deacons to run with messages, and you can send it by them.” He, however, said to us, “You now know that I have made the document.” But we bishops answered him, “If your blessedness is willing to meet with us and the most holy patriarchs and the most religious bishops, to deal with the Three Chapters, and to give, in unison with us all, a fitting statement of the orthodox faith, as the holy apostles and the holy fathers and the four councils have done, we will hold you as our head, as father and primate. But if your holiness has drawn up a document for the emperor, you have messengers, as we have said; send it by them.” And when he had heard this from us, he sent Servus Dei the subdeacon, who is now waiting for your serenity’s answer. [c]

When his piety had heard this, he commanded, through those same most religious and glorious men, that the subdeacon we have named should carry this message back to the most religious Vigilius: “We invited you to meet with the most blessed patriarchs and the other religious bishops, and to examine and judge the Three Chapters in common with them. But you have refused to do this, and you say that you alone, by yourself, have written something on the Three Chapters. If you have condemned them, in keeping with what you did before, we already have many such statements and need no more. But if you have now written something contrary to what you did before, you have condemned yourself by your own writing, since you have departed from orthodox teaching and have defended impiety. And how can you expect us to accept such a document from you?” When the most pious emperor had given this answer, he sent no document in writing from himself by the same deacon. And all this was done without writing, just as with your blessedness. [f]

According to all the manuscripts, Constantine then presented certain documents to be read. The manuscript printed by Labbe and Cossart has fewer of them than the Paris manuscript. The Paris manuscript also has the following, which comes just after the documents had been read and the council had declared that they proved the emperor’s zeal for the faith.

Constantine, the most glorious quaestor, said: While I am still present at your holy council for the reading of the documents that have been presented to you, I would add this. The most pious emperor has sent your holy synod an order about the name of Vigilius, that it should no longer be entered in the holy diptychs of the church, because of the impiety he has defended. Let it not be read out by you, nor kept, either in the church of the royal city or in the other churches entrusted to you and to the other bishops in the state that God has committed to his rule. And when you hear this order, you will see from it once again how much the most serene emperor cares for the unity of the holy churches and for the purity of the holy mysteries. [g] The letter was then read.

The holy synod said: What the most pious emperor has decided is in keeping with the labors he undertakes for the unity of the churches. Let us keep unity with the Apostolic See of the most holy church of old Rome, carrying everything out according to the terms of what has been read. As for the question set before us, let what we have already promised go forward. [h]