Rent Due and Relief

Quote from Letter 9.191 to Anthem, deacon. July 599

Adeodatus (...) claims that he has fallen into such great poverty that he cannot pay [the rent for land and a building of] two gold coins each year as he has promised, and has sought relief over this one matter.
Therefore, let your Experience take care to investigate this. And if he is obviously as poor as he claims, we want him to be excused from half of the payment due to us, so that each year he does not pay more than one gold coin. For his old age and poverty suggest that the burden on him should be relieved, as he asks.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p.660.

Unity and Property

Quote from Letter 1.187 to Constantius, bishop of Milan. July 599

(T)he clergy of the church of Como, whom you warned with priestly concern to revert to the unified Church, have replied that you have not shown them the kind of affection that might convince them to return to it, persuaded by love.
They assert that other parties are retaining various properties of theirs, including a possession called the Aurian villa, which is being kept by our Church. And indeed, we have praised the concern of your Holiness in every way, because you have not neglected at all what you had to do. But we do not allow the aforesaid possession, even if it is legally theirs, to be retained contrary to the dictates of reason, even if perhaps they have putt off returning to communion.
But if they convert to the unity of the church, inspired by God, which we pray for, we are prepared to concede it to them, even if it does nog belong to them.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II,p. 658.

A New Bishop

Quote from Letter 9.186 to the clergy, nobles and people of Tolina. July 599

Learning that your church has long been bereft of the rule of its own bishop, we took care to delegate the task of visitor fro the same church with due solemnity to Gaudiosus, our brother and the bishop of the church of Gubbio (...). Take care before all else that you do not presume to choose a layman, whatever his way of live and merit. And that person should not only in no way be promoted to the high rank of bishop, but also know that you could not deserve to be pardoned for this, however much you protested. But if any of you have without doubt supported a layman, know that you must certainly be excluded from the holy office and from communion.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p. 658.

Shrines in Milan

Quote from Letter 9.184 to Constantius bishop of Milan. July 599


The bearer of this letter, Events, deacon of your Fraternity, intimated to us among other things that you ordered him that we ought to direct to you through him the relics of Saint Paul the apostle, and also of Saints John and Pancras.
And we have taken care to bring this petition of yours into effect.Therefore, let your Fraternity not put off examining this with your usual keenness, so that in the places where that lamps and food of those servants of God in Milan had to be stored before the dedication of that place, they should be removed, and then in the same places, its shrines should be established directly with reverence, in case these places, dedicated to God, might become destitute in future times (heaven forbid!), if the aforesaid provision should now be omitted and be used for the burial of those servants of God.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p.657.

Promis And Protection

Quote from Letter 9.183 to John bishop of Syracuse. July 599


(L)et your Fraternity support him in a reasonable way, and be keen to act before our aforesaid most glorious son [the Lord Leontinus] with your usual affection, so that you so not let him suffer in any way at all, contrary to law of reason, Rather, see that his rights are protected in all things, as befits his Christianity, so that, as your reward, you may seem to have successfully preserved what the rule of law demands, and he may not feel that he is suffering anything contrary to our promise.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p. 656.

A New Oratory

Quote from Letter 9.181 to Benedatus, bishop of Tyndari. July 599


Januaria, a nun, has reported to us, while notifying us of the claim included below, that she has founded an oratory in the Furian estate, to show her devotion, and it remains under her charge. She wants it to be consecrated in honor of the Saints Severinus the confessor and Juliana the martyr.
And for that reason, dearest brother, if the building mentioned is under the jurisdiction of your parish, and it is certain that no human body had been buried there, you will solemnly consecrate the aforesaid oratory with public masses.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p. 656.

Again: Punishment and Reason

Quote from Letter 9.179 to Castor, our notary in Ravenna. July 599


The more you see that we trust you and charge you with necessary cases, the more you ought to show yourself strenuous and concerned. Therefore, if Maximus of Salona takes an oath to confirm that he is innocent of simoniacal heresy, and when just asked about other matters before the body of Saint Apollinaris, replies hat he is innocent , and shows penitence over his disobedience, as we have directed, then we want your Experience to give him that letter which we wrote to him to console him, in which we signified that we returned our grace and communion to him.
For just as it suits us to be severe to those resisting in insolence, even so we should not deny an opportunity to pardon to those who are humble again and penitent.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p. 654.