Message to those who accused him in their letters because, having learned about the spread of the wicked teaching of Nestorius, he did not keep silent about it

In his “Message to those who accused him in their letters because, having learned about the spread of the wicked teaching of Nestorius, he did not keep silent about it” (about 430-431), St. Cyril of Alexandria responds to accusations against him related to his speech against the teachings of Nestorius. He explains that his actions were prompted by the need to defend the Orthodox faith, especially after Bishop Dorotheos publicly declared anathema to those who call the Virgin Mary the Mother of God, and Nestorius not only did not condemn this, but also accepted Dorotheus into communion. The saint emphasizes that the teaching about the Mother of God is not his personal opinion, but a general church tradition, confirmed by the holy fathers. He expresses alarm that the anathema proclaimed by Nestorius and his supporters actually excommunicates the entire Universal Church, including the deceased fathers who professed this teaching. St. Cyril refrains from retaliating with an anathema to avoid accusations of personal enmity, but warns that when the other bishops find out about what is happening, it will cause general grief and confusion. Your piety was pleased to write to me that the most reverent Nestorius was upset by my message, which I wrote to the monks, wanting to return to piety those of them who were deviated from him by alarming rumors. I must now say that this grief came not so much from me as from his reverence. Thus, for those who were seduced by his teachings, I set forth the teaching of the right faith. And he allowed Bishop Dorotheos to openly say in the Orthodox cathedral church: anathema is the one who says that the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God. Hearing these words, he not only remained silent, but also accepted him into communion at the same time during the celebration of the sacrament of the liturgy. Now, by his order - I won’t say, we are directly subjected to excommunication - we hear anathema. Apart from his way of thinking, Bishop Dorofey also spoke in church. Thus, not only on us and on other bishops of the entire universal Church who are still living; but also anathema was pronounced against our fathers who had gone to God. So, what would stop us from writing contrary to their words and saying: whoever says that Holy Mary is not the Mother of God is anathema. I have not done this before so that someone would not say that the bishop of Alexandria or the Egyptian council uttered an anathema against him. When the most reverent Western and Eastern bishops learn that they are all subject to excommunication (because they all say and confess that Holy Mary is the Mother of God), then what will they feel? Will not sorrow embrace them all, if not for themselves, then for the holy fathers, in whose writings we always read, the Holy Virgin Mary is called the Mother of God? If the future did not threaten great alarm, I would send to you many writings of the holy fathers, in which you can find, not in one, but in many places, the words by which it is confessed that the Holy Virgin Mary is the Mother of God. You might be interested in: