Letter to monk Anastasius, his student

“Letter to the monk Anastasius, his student” was written by St. Maximus the Confessor in exile in 655 or 658 St. Maxim informs his student Anastasius about the visit of envoys from Patriarch Peter of Constantinople. He questions the unity of the various Churches and expresses his dissatisfaction with the spirit of division that characterized the time. The reverend argues that true unity is possible only on the basis of faith, according to which the Catholic Church is a body of faithful beliefs professed since ancient times. He emphasizes the importance of preserving true doctrine and warns against weakening dogmas. In response to calls for unity, which are based on the principle of diminishing the importance of doctrine, Rev. Maxim expresses strong disagreement with this practice. He points out the internal contradiction in attempts to connect two disparate actions and warns against a possible distortion of the essence of the Christian faith. Yesterday, on the eighteenth day of the month, which was the Midsummer of Holy Pentecost, the Patriarch (Peter of Constantinople) announced to me, saying: “Which Church are you? Byzantine, Roman, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem? So, all of them with the dioceses under their control united with each other. So, if you, as you say, belong to the Catholic Church, then unite, so that, introducing a new and strange path into life, you will not be subjected to what you do not expect.” I told them: “The God of all has declared to the Catholic Church a right and saving confession of faith in Him, calling Peter blessed because he confessed Him (Matthew 16:18). However, I want to know the condition on which the unification of all Churches took place, and if this is done well, I will not alienate myself.” They said: “Although we have no order regarding this, we will nevertheless say that you have absolutely no excuse left. Two actions, we say, due to difference and one due to unity.” I asked: “Two, you say, because of unity they became one, or apart from them - another?” . “No,” they say, “but two are one, because of unity.” “We have lost the subject,” I said, “by inventing a baseless faith and a non-existent God. After all, if we merge two actions into one because of unity, and again divide them into two because of difference, then there will no longer be unity, no duality of actions, since they will always be destroyed by each other and make Him inactive, to Whom they are inherent naturally, and completely non-existent, for what does not have inherent movement by nature and is not subject to any form of change, then, according to the teaching of the fathers, is devoid of any essence as not having an action that essentially characterizes it. Therefore, I cannot speak, and I was not taught by the Holy Fathers to confess this. And do whatever pleases you who have the power.” “But listen,” they said, “it pleases the Lord Tsar and Patriarch, by order of the Pope of Rome, to anathematize you for disobedience and subject you to the death they have determined.” “Let that which God has decreed about me before every age be fulfilled and bring Him the glory that was decreed before every age,” I answered when I heard this. And in order to notify you and encourage you to strengthen your prayers and petitions to God, I made known to you what was then announced to me, and I ask you, for the same reason, to inform the lord and our holy fathers there with him. Anastasius ordered me to rewrite this and make it known to you, so that, having learned from here about this debate, you all bring to the Lord a common prayer for our common Mother, that is, the Catholic Church, and for us, your unworthy servants, to strengthen everyone and also us, staying with us in it, according to the Orthodox faith, piously preached in it by the holy fathers. Truly great would be the horror throughout the whole world when one Church suffers persecution from everyone, if He who always helps did not usually provide help with His grace, leaving the seed of piety, at least to the oldest Rome, thereby confirming his true promise to the prince of the apostles (Matthew 16:8; Luke 22:32). You might be interested in: