To Julian of Cos, on Making Leo’s Assent to Chalcedon Known

Leo to Julian the bishop. [a]

How watchfully and how devotedly you guard the catholic faith, brother, the tenor of your letter shows, and my anxiety is greatly relieved by the news it contains. Added to it is the most religious piety of our religious emperor, which is plainly prepared by the Lord for the strengthening of the whole church. This is so that, while Christian princes act for the faith with holy zeal, the priests of the Lord may confidently pray for their realm. What our most clement emperor thought necessary, therefore, I have gladly done. I have sent letters to all the brothers who were present at the Synod of Chalcedon, to show that I approved what our holy brothers resolved about the rule of faith. I did it for the sake of those who, to cloak their own treachery, pretend to consider invalid or doubtful any decrees of a council that are not ratified by my assent. And yet, after the return of the brothers I had sent in my place, I sent a letter to the bishop of Constantinople, so that, if he had been willing to publish it, it might have given abundant proof of how gladly I approved what the synod had passed concerning the faith. But because it contained an answer that would have run counter to his self-seeking, he preferred that my acceptance of the brothers’ resolutions remain unknown, so that my reply, resting on the absolute authority of the Nicene canons, would not become known at the same time. So take care, beloved, to warn our most gracious prince by frequent reminders that he should add his word to ours and order the letter of the Apostolic See to be sent round to the priests of every single province, so that from now on no enemy of the truth may venture to excuse himself under cover of my silence. [b]

As for the edict of the most Christian emperor, in which he has shown what the ignorant folly of certain monks deserved, and the reply of the most gracious Augusta, in which she rebuked the heads of the monasteries, I want my great rejoicing to be known. I am sure that this fervor of faith is given them by divine inspiration, so that all may acknowledge that their greatness rests not only on their royal state but also on their priestly holiness. I have asked them, both now and before, to treat you with full confidence, and I am sure of their good will, and that they will not refuse to listen to necessary suggestions. [c]

And because the most clement emperor has been pleased to charge me privately, through our son Paul, with the task of admonishing our daughter the most clement Augusta Eudocia, I have done what he wished, so that she may learn from my letter how much it will profit her to take up the cause of the catholic faith. I have also arranged for her to be admonished further by a letter from that most clement prince, her son. I do not doubt that she too will set to work with pious zeal to bring the leaders of the sedition to understand the consequences of their actions, and, if they do not understand the words of those who teach them, to make them at least afraid of the power of those who will punish them. So I want to know at once, by a letter from you, beloved, what effect this care of ours has, and whether their ignorant stubbornness has finally died down. If they think there is any doubt about our teaching, let them at least not reject the writings of such holy priests as Athanasius, Theophilus and Cyril of Alexandria, with whom our statement of the faith agrees so completely that anyone who professes agreement with them disagrees with us in nothing. [d]

We sympathize with our son Aetius the presbyter in his sorrow. And since someone has been put in his place who had earlier been judged worthy of censure, there is no doubt that this change tends to harm catholics. But these things must be borne patiently for the time being, so that we may not be thought to go beyond the measure of our usual moderation. For the present, Aetius must be content with the encouragement of our most clement prince’s favor. I have only lately commended him to the prince by letter, in such a way that I do not doubt his good name has grown in their most religious minds. [f]

We would also have you know that Bishop Anatolius, after our prohibition, persisted in his rash presumption so far as to call on the bishops of Illyricum to sign their names. This news was brought to us by the bishop whom the bishop of Thessalonica sent to announce his consecration. We have declined to write to Anatolius about this, although you might have expected us to, because we saw that he did not wish to be reformed. I have made two versions of my letter to the synod, one with a copy of my letter to Anatolius attached and one without it. I leave it to your judgment to deliver whichever you think ought to be given to our most clement prince, and to keep the other. Dated the 21st of March, in the consulship of the illustrious Opilio (in the year 453). [g]