Limits to Kindness

Quote from Letter 5,19 to Romanus, exarch of Italy, resident in Ravenna. December 594


Before your Excellency, the audacity of evil men ought to find the stings of punishment rather than the comfort of a defense. For it is serious enough if an evil act should happen to find refuge there, where it is right that the censure of discipline should apply. And so it has come to our attention that Speciosus, an ex-priest, who had been allotted to a monastery by our brother and fellow-bishop, John, left it contrary to the wishes of his bishop, and despising the strength of the Church's constitution resisted the aforesaid bishop, relying on your protection.
And because this without doubt stirs up hatred for your Excellency, you must suspend yourself from protecting him, showing discretion, in case, in he uses the pretext of your name to be disobedient and abusive to his pastor, his bishop is forced to defend your judges against you for the moment, and to offend your excellency over this matter, and to distress us equally over your quarrel.



Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, translated by John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMPS, 2004), II, 337