Letter of Adramius of Amida and Samosata to Photios

¹ To the father of fathers illumined by the Holy Spirit, the lord Photios, patriarch of Constantinople. Adramius, a sinner, your disciple, metropolitan of Amida and Samosata in Armenia. May God lengthen your days, spiritual holy father, and guard your manifestation; and fulfill in you his will, and add to you, making your holiness resplendent; and grant you a most prolonged life, bestowing you as a gift upon his holy Church, by the unfailing graces upon you, by the energy of the Holy Spirit. I too have written, together with all my flock, to the holy father purified by the Holy Spirit. And being the better for the manner of life supplied to me by God, for this glory be to God himself. We did not cease inquiring carefully until we learned about your tidings, as is owed to us from God. And we rejoice in your joy, as also in your sorrows we sorrowed. For we are fully assured concerning your holiness and spiritual goodness, your love of the poor and your compassion for the needy; in which we take delight and exult; and we beseech the bountiful and merciful God that you may abide for many years in a good generation, and that he may magnify in abundance his holy churches and monasteries through your hands; and that in your

² days he may drive away from them every harm and scandal, and may turn back all who have gone astray to his flock, through the intercession of the Mother of God our Lady, and of holy John the Baptist, and of all the saints. Amen.

³ There were sent to me, holy father, letters from our holy father Theodosius, the patriarch of Antioch, and a letter of Abba Michael, the pope of Alexandria, through Abba Kosmas. And the letters contained […] of the peace, and may the Lord preserve it both for them and for us. And the letters contained also concerning Thomas of Tyre, and Elias, and Joseph, who styled himself in a rank that was not his. But God repaid him as he deserved, and his partner Elias as well. But the president of Tyre redeemed that very fault before the patriarchs, concerning his transgression and deed; and God is his judge. He himself entreats, and asks forgiveness; let God be the judge of those who divided his holy Church. And may he visit us in mercy, through your holy portion.

⁴ The patriarchs wrote to me, divinely-inspired father, declaring to me that he who does not proclaim the lord Photios as patriarch of Constantinople, let him be anathema from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And we, their humble disciples, anathematize with the same anathema, and we accept whom they accept; but if anyone does not accept—I say—our most holy father, the lord Photios, patriarch of Constantinople, and proclaim him openly and before all the people, whether he be a bishop, even a bishop, or a ruler, or one belonging to the remaining authority over the people, let such a one be under anathema and excommunication from the Church of God; and let his portion be with Judas the Iscariot. And let everyone who hears say: so be it, so be it. He entreats you ⟦and beseeches⟧ by his prayers, to effect for us your long life. And may God multiply the years of the good emperor, and of his sons; and may he deem us worthy of the glorious sight of your countenance; and may he magnify Christianity in our days. And I beseech God, holy father, that you be preserved and sheltered by his compassion; may all wickedness and scandal be driven away from you, and from the good emperor, and from his children; may the Lord God magnify them. Greet yourself, holy father, with the sweetest peace and embrace. And we send greeting also to your most God-loving flock, and to all the clergy. Peace, and the peace of God be unto you. Know, all-holy father, that a calamity befell our flock in Antioch from Ebintaklom. It is not, then, [possible?] to recount these things in a letter; but Abba Kosmas will recount everything. The patriarch of Jerusalem has fallen asleep in peace; may the Lord grant us [the repose of] his soul. And Abba Elias the Damascene has succeeded to the throne.

⁵ The holy synod said: Concerning the forgiveness we said before that the authority to forgive lies with our most holy master, since the offense was committed primarily against him. The schisms of the Church were permitted, it seems, that those who are approved might become manifest. May God guard

⁶ our holy master. May God lengthen his days; having removed from our midst every scandal, and having abolished all the causes of the schisms, may he establish peace and concord for us and for the Church of God.

⁷ The most holy legates of the priestly thrones of the East said: If the wounds had not been great, the wisdom and skill of the physician would not have been admired. But now, as much as the evil one wished to rend and wound the Church of God, so much did the wisdom and skill of your most holy hierarch shine forth; who, by the healing and divine method, having cured the bruises in every part, rendered the body of the Church of Christ whole and entire by his many and manifold cares.

⁸ The most holy legates of elder Rome said: Thanksgiving be to God, and to the great and exalted emperor, and to this our lord, the most holy and ecumenical pope John; for through him the Church of God has received peace and concord. And the whole synod said: We all ought, for such a great and complete concord and peace, to give thanks to God; all ought to glorify him. May God preserve this unshaken, may he guard it forever. Many be the years of the emperors.