Letter 2007: Avitus, bishop of Vienne, to Peter, bishop of Ravenna.
Avitus episcopus Viennensis Petro episcopo Ravennati.
Etiamsi alia causa non esset, qua beatitudinem vestram litterario famulatu oc-
cursus meae devotionis expeteret, iustum esset vos ab omnibus excoli, qui opinione
sancta desiderium vestri omnibus intimatis. Dignum quippe est vos expeti non mi-
nus sede Romana, quia non magis potestate illa quam vos caritate fulgetis. Cuius
reverentiae, ut debitum est, salutatione praemissa fateor apostolatui vestro, etsi cum
verecundia, ignorantiam Gallicanam. Nec melius esse puto quemquam simulare, quod
sciat, quam didicisse, si nesciat. Quae inter Romanam vel Constantinopolitanam ec-
clesiam res agantur, non quacumque auctoritate cognoscimus, sed de rumoribus ma-
gis ac nuntiorum varietate captamus. Et ideo, ne forte quam rustici tam neglegentes
credamur, sanctum papam et beatitudinem vestram per Viennenses clericos provincia
tota nunc consulit, ut quae vobis de statu fidei cum Orientis parte definita sint, re-
scripta salubri lumine declaretis. Quia cum magistris etiam procul positis ultro de-
ceat praerogare doctrinam, curandum est soliditati corporis, ut semper prosperitatem
capitis sui membra cognoscant. Quocirca si servis vestris, filiis meis, quos in id
ipsum direxi, tribuatur accedendi usque ad Romam facultas, per duos ecclesiae prin-
cipes abundabit Gallias erudiri. Quod si forsitan a sede vestra, quos misimus, rever-
tentur, vestri apostolatus fida responsio fiet nobis totius instructionis, quae ad cunctos
perveniat, plenitudo.
Domino sancto, meritis praecellentissimo, in Christo gloriosissimo et apostolica
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