The Dubious Letters of Pope Sixtus II

To the most beloved brethren established throughout the provinces of the Spains, Sixtus the bishop, greeting in the Lord.

By the great gift of God's mercy, the joys of the whole Catholic Church are multiplied, when the state of the churches flourishes in that order which the apostles and their successors established. And when we perceive it to be disturbed by the cunning of the ancient enemy, we are saddened with no small grief. For which reason, brethren, we exhort you, admonish you, and earnestly entreat you, that you in no way depart from the path of apostolic institution, nor dissent from the head, but hold without hesitation the faith and order which the apostles and apostolic men established. For if the columns of some great house shall have fallen, the house itself will afterwards not stand at all. So also you, who are the columns of the church, if you shall begin to be shaken, the holy Church, which is governed through you, will waste away and fall. These things, brethren, which are two, are greatly to be feared, and to be weighed with the highest moderation, and to be guarded against lest they come to pass.

For truth itself said of itself: You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt shall have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Therefore I admonish you, most dear ones, because I am a debtor to you, and I love you greatly. And when I hear good things of you, I rejoice greatly: and on the contrary, when adverse things, I am greatly troubled. But I, although I am separated from you by long stretches of land, am nevertheless altogether joined with you in heart. And therefore I trust in your blessedness toward me in all ways, because when you love me in return, you are not far from me.

Whence we give the more thanks to that grain of mustard seed, which from the appearance of a small and contemptible seed, with branches rising from the same root and spreading themselves out, has been diffused everywhere, so that all the birds of heaven nest in them: and thanks be to that leaven, which in three measures of flour, has mingled the mass of the whole human race in unity: and to that small stone, which cut from the mountain without hands, occupied the whole face of the earth. Who, taking upon himself the nature of our flesh and the form of a servant's condition, humbly spread himself everywhere, so that with the whole human race brought back into unity, he might perfect the united body of the whole church: and so that this partial distinction of members might pertain to the benefit of that union. Whence we also are not far from you, because in him who is everywhere, we are one.

Let us therefore give thanks to him, who having broken down the enmity in his own flesh, brought it about that in the whole world there should be one flock and one fold under one shepherd; ever mindful of what the preacher of truth admonishes you, saying: Careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. For no one keeps the bond of peace while he harasses another or persecutes him with words or deeds. Therefore, brethren, we have set forth these things first, because we have heard that accusations are being carried on among you, and that bishops driven from their sees or despoiled of their goods are being judged.

1. Private Complaints Against a Bishop

Wherefore it has been decreed that if anyone shall believe himself to have a private matter against a bishop or the administrators of the Church, he shall not first approach judges, but shall have recourse to them with a spirit of charity, so that, admonished by familiar conversation, they ought to heal those things which are brought into complaint. But if he shall act otherwise, let him be deprived of communion.

2. No Judging an Already Deposed Bishop

Let no pontiff henceforth presume to excommunicate or judge any bishop despoiled of his goods or driven from his see, because there is no privilege by which one already stripped can be despoiled.

3. No Bishop May Judge Another's Parishioner

Let no bishop presume to retain, or ordain without his consent, or judge the parishioner of another: because just as his ordination will be void, so also will his judgment; since we hold that no one is bound by the sentence of a judge other than his own. For he who could not ordain him will in no way be able to judge him either. These things we command to be observed by you henceforth, and that brethren assist one another in turn.

4. Restoring the Unjustly Condemned

Know that the brethren whom you have unjustly condemned through earthly fear have been justly restored by us. We command that all things taken from them be returned to them in full, by the authority of Saint Peter and the apostolic see, unless you wish yourselves and your princes to be separated from our fellowship and from the members of the Church. For by the just judgment of God, power is often given to sinners whereby they may persecute His saints; so that those who are aided and moved by the Spirit of God may become more glorious through the exercise of labors. Yet those who do this shall by no means escape punishment: for, as the Lord says: Woe to him through whom scandal comes. And although according to the Savior's saying it is necessary that scandals come, yet woe to him through whom they come.

For to judge rashly of the hidden things of another's heart is a sin; and it is unjust to reproach on suspicion one whose works appear to be nothing but good, since God alone is the just judge of those things which are unknown to man, He who is the true searcher of hearts. Wherefore it is written: Let us not judge uncertain things, until the Lord come, who will both illuminate the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of hearts. And although things may be true, they are nevertheless not to be believed unless they are confirmed by certain proofs, unless they are established by manifest judgment, unless they are made public by judicial process. No one, therefore, can be condemned by human examination whom God has reserved for His own judgment. All these things are to be most carefully guarded against, lest we appear to be presumptuous. And an accusation against bishops is not to be readily received, the Lord saying: Thou shalt not receive the voice of a lie.

And the Apostle says that an accusation against a presbyter is not to be received without two or three competent witnesses. If these precautions are to be observed concerning presbyters and other faithful, how much more concerning bishops? From all this it is plain that you wish rather to dominate than to counsel your brethren or to support them, because honor puffs up pride; and what was provided for concord tends toward harm. For it would have been fitting, according to the aforesaid rules, that if they had done anything contrary to their order, you should have sent word to us and awaited what we would write back in response to your consultations; to such a degree that even if they had committed something grave and intolerable, our censure should have been awaited, so that you would decree nothing beforehand or anything other than what you knew to be pleasing to us, and that you would depart from the established rules by no negligence or presumption.

Let this sort of thing cease, nor let harm come to those who do not wish to receive us in their complaint or accusation, because we can by no means bear such machinations with patience, since it befits us to be diligent guardians of our fathers' sanctions. For the cause rightly concerns us if we favor error by silence.

5. Against Presumptuous Condemnation of the Accused

It has moreover already been established for the most part by our holy predecessors, that no one under accusation pressed by our authority should be received as anathema by our presumption; let such persons be cited, since we know that we have been appointed by the Lord over them, not they over us. And just as a greater cannot be judged by a lesser, so neither can he be bound; for everything that is great is rare. Let us bear the burdens of all who are burdened; indeed, the blessed apostle Peter, in whose stead we discharge a legation and by whose rule we are formed, bears these burdens in us, so that, supported by his aid, we may now and forever be protected from all adversities. Given on the seventeenth day before the kalends of August, in the consulship of Valerianus and Decius, most distinguished men.

If anyone shall think himself aggrieved by his own metropolitan, let him be judged before the primate of the diocese, or before the pope of the universal apostolic Church.

If any cleric shall have been accused of any crimes whatsoever, let him conduct his proceedings in the province in which he who is charged resides; nor let his accuser suppose that he may drag him elsewhere or to a greater distance for the purpose of prolonging the trial.