The following is from pages 81-88 of Richard Haugh's Photius and the Carolingians. Formatting has been retained. The letter is footnoted as follows: Acta Collationis Romae, descripta a Smaragdo abbate sancti Michaelis. The text was translated into English by Raymond Ciuba and the author.

The Meeting between the Franks and Pope Leo III

When the ... envoys had read the testimony in detail and were given a hearing most diligently by the apostolic Lord, he spoke thus: This is how I think, and I hold to it firmly, along with these writers and the authority of the Holy Scriptures. If anyone wants to think or teach otherwise in this matter, I shall defend his right; and unless he change his mind, and choose to adhere to this way of thinking, I shall entirely abandon the contrary point of view. Having said these things, I know that some are better at dialogue than debate; unless their train of thought or arrangement of words is just so, they cannot remember what to say. When the conference had reached a point where the dispute was already more certain, the conversation took place. If this was not the exact way of speech, inasmuch as I am able to remember, it is nevertheless the way of thinking, and the ultimate conclusion of the newest definitions.

Envoys: Since it is indeed as you say, that this most certainly be believed, and therefore immutably held, and therefore faithfully defended wherever necessary, should it not also be taught to those who are ignorant and be confirmed for those who know that we may adhere to it more attentively?

Pope Leo: Yes.

Envoys: If that is so, can anyone who does not know this or does not believe this possibly be saved?

Pope Leo: Anyone who can attain to this by simple thinking and know it, or who does know it, and will not believe, cannot be saved. There are many things, of which this is one, which are deep mysteries and sacraments of the Holy Faith, which many are able to search and attain. Many people, whether by age or by intelligence hindered, are not capable. And therefore, as we have already said, one who can and will not, cannot be saved.

Envoys: If this is so, or better, since it is so, since it is not allowed not to believe, and since it is not allowed to teach by being silent about the matter, why is it not permissible to sing it, and to teach it by singing?

Pope Leo: It is allowed, I tell you, to sing it in teaching, and to teach it in singing. But it is not allowed to insert it illicitly, whether in writing or singing, in places where it is prohibited.

Envoys: Since we all know this, that in writing or singing the Creed, it is wrong to say or to omit anything, since those who established the Creed did not insert it, as they, and the following major Councils — the fourth at Chalcedon and the fifth and sixth at Constantinople, prohibited, the creation of a new Creed by anyone for any reason, need, or soul-saving devotion, and forbade also any addition, subtraction, or alteration in the old wording — it is not necessary to dwell upon these facts too long. But this I ask, and I beseech you: Is it good to believe this; is it as good for us today to believe and sing it, as it would have been if it had been inserted of old?

Pope Leo: Certainly it is good,. very good, for it is forbidden not to believe such a great doctrine of the faith, for anyone who is able to attain to it.

Envoys: Then it is not good to say that the authors did not write it so, if by adding only four syllables we clarify such a necessary mystery of faith for all succeeding centuries?

Pope Leo: Just as I dare not say that they did not do what they did well, since undoubtedly they omitted other things as well, even though they knew them, and they acted upon divine illumination rather than by human wisdom, even so I dare not say also that they knew this less than we know it. If they considered it, why did they omit it? Or why, having omitted it, did they prohibit anything else from being added? See how I feel toward you and your people. I shall not say that I prefer myself to the Fathers. And far be it from me to count myself their equal.

Envoys: Indeed, far be it from us, Father, by God's protection, to think or say anything, whether being puffed up with pride, or provoked by the desire for human praise in matters divine. If we presume not only to prefer ourselves to the Fathers, but even to equate ourselves to them, it is only because of the way of our times. Being patient and charitable toward the weakness of our brothers, we seek and labor for one thing: that, since the end of the world is coming, when the times are dangerous as predicted, we may be able to witness well to our brothers. We are eager to restore the faithful in the Lord to the mysteries of faith; and, therefore, since we have found that the Creed was sung in such a manner by some, and since we feel that it touches the faith of the Church, we realize that very many learned men, and men of all future ages, must be instructed about such a mystery, if it is held so, and some will not learn it unless it is sung. It seemed better to us to teach men by singing rather than silently to leave them untaught. If your Paternity knew how many thousands of people know this today because of the singing, who would never have known except by the singing, perhaps you would agree with us and be pleased to consent to its singing.

Pope Leo: For the time being I will agree with you. However, I ask you to answer this: Are all the mysteries of the faith, which are not contained in the Creed, and without which no one who is able to know them can possibly call himself a Catholic, are they all to be inserted in the Creed, and added to the Creed, not for the advantage of those who do not know, but just as anyone is pleased to add?

Envoys: Certainly not. Not all things are equally necessary.

Pope Leo: Even if not all things are necessary, there are certainly many things like these, which must be believed by all who are able, or else they cannot be Catholics.

Envoys: Can you give us an example of something, not necessarily so sublime, but at least similar to the present matter, which is lacking in the Creed?

Pope Leo: Certainly. I shall give you many examples.

Envoys: First give us just one, and, if necessary, add another.

Pope Leo: Because the present question is being treated in a friendly manner and because the question is for the good of both parties (and would that as often as something of this sort is treated by major or minor clerics for the good of Catholics, it would be handled as peacefully without perverse intention), lest we speak rashly of mysteries that deserve great reverence, let time be allotted for consideration, and I will speak what the Lord will grant me.

[After a suitable overnight delay]

Pope Leo: Is it more salutary to believe or dangerous not to believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son just as from the Father than that the Son was born the Wisdom of God from the Wisdom of God, the Truth of God from the Truth of God, because God is essentially Truth, although it is agreed that this was not written by the Holy Fathers into the Creed. If then, these two points, as it becomes the wise, are established in so friendly a disputation, that you feel with us and know that so many earlier Catholic Fathers either did not insert the doctrine under discussion into the creeds or prevented other things from being inserted, as was said previously — if, I say, the Fathers omitted things not from ignorance, not from future negligent oversight, and prohibited the omitted part from being inserted, we gladly refrain...

Envoys: It is not necessary, I say, to labor the point whether we do not know what we know because whatever others know from any source, we know, for God is the author, or we are able to know, even if we do not know.

Pope Leo: This is something we marvel at that you, who can rest without labor, strive not to rest.

Envoys: We do not work in order to avoid rest but lest, through laziness we lose the reward of pious work, and avoiding more diligent inquiry and declining sharp debate, we consider the gain which is acquired thereby in the heart of those who seek, greater than the harm done in the heart of those who have added, as if despisers of the works of the Fathers would arise through insolence. For it is one thing to despise good things by passing over them through pride; it is another to make good things even better through good will.

Pope Leo: Even if it is good to discuss in some cases, nevertheless there should not be discussion everywhere. Much evidence could be added on this point, but the matter is clear. How much better it would be for each person to strive to render some good in a useful way. Or if by chance he strives to make the good better, let him in the first place take care and exert great effort lest by rashly presuming beyond what he ought and by corrupting what was good in itself, he renders it harmful.... This perhaps touches you, if you do not disdain to listen ... not even a wise man can sing without going wrong or by singing teach anyone as you wish. And while you goose to help many by a path other than the one you ought to take, you send no one on this path whom you would not harm.... This defense of yours, or if it may be said, this refusal, does not look this way or that way because the same Fathers in their decision neither decreed nor sanctioned that someone well-disposed might presume it [i.e. to add, subtract or alter the Creed], or someone not ill-disposed, but they decreed simply that no one might.

Envoys: Did you not give permission for singing this Creed in the Church?

Pope Leo: I gave permission for the singing of the Creed but not for the adding, subtracting or altering of the Creed while it is sung.... For we do not sing it [in Rome] but read the Creed and in reading it we teach. Nor do we presume in our reading or teaching to add anything to the Creed by insertion.... We take care that competent persons do this at opportune times or places.

Envoys: Therefore, as I see it, this is decreed by your Paternity. That first the point which is being discussed [i.e. the Filioque] be removed from the Creed. And then at last it may be learned and taught licitly by anyone either in singing or in handing it down.

Pope Leo: Without doubt, it is so decided on our part. We persuade you in every way that you would agree, too, on your part.

Envoys: When those things you wish have been removed, then it is good that the Creed be sung.

Pope Leo: Good indeed. But this we say not by way of ordering it but by permitting it as before, because just as then so now, too, if it is handled sincerely, it can be useful to the needy.

Envoys: Because as you say — and you speak truly — it is good to sing the Creed, if a sermon full of true faith is taken from its midst, will the same sermon be condemned by everyone as if it were contrary to the faith? What kind of advice will you give so that it will not have this outcome?

Pope Leo: If I had been asked before, I would have replied definitely that it [i.e. the Filioque] should not be inserted.... But now ... it seems to me that both things can be done: [i.e. the removal of the Filioque from the Creed and the ending of the singing of the Creed] that gradually in the Palace the custom of singing the Creed can be dispensed with because it is not sung in our Holy Church.... If you will dispense with it, all will dispense with it. And so, perhaps, in so far as can be done, both things could be dispensed with.

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