On Relics

Quote from Letter 9.49 to Chrysantus, bishop. November 598

Paul, deacon of the church of Rieti, requested in a petition to us that the relics of the blessed martyrs Hermes, Hyacinthus and Maximus should be located at the fonts in the church of Saint Mary, ever virgin and mother of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, which lies inside the city of Rieti.
And so, dearest brother, if it is established that no human body has been buried in the same place, you will diligently consecrate the sanctuaries of the aforesaid martyrs with reverence, and without any equivocation.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 575

Assisting After a Plea for Help

Quote from Letter 9.48 to Romanus, defender. October-November 598

The rule of Law may not permit those things that come under Church control to be alienated, and yet the severity of a strict decision should at times be tempered, when a respect for pity asks for it. This is especially so when the sum involved is of such size that it does not burden the giver, but is large enough to alleviate the poverty of the recipient to a fair degree.
Thus Stephania, the lady bearing this letter, and her dear little son, Callixenus, whom she asserts is her child by Peter, her late husband, asserts that she is suffering from excessive poverty. She came here and demanded from us, with constant prayers and tears, a house owned by her in the city of Catana. Now Mammonia, her former mother-in-law, and grandmother of the aforesaid Callixenus, had offered the house to our Church under the title of a donation. Stephania wanted us to have it resorted to that Callixenus, asserting that the above-mentioned Mammonia did not have the right to alienate the house, but that it belonged entirely to her son, the aforesaid Callixenus.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 574

Mediation

Quote from Letter 9.47 to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples. October-November 598


And it is both sad for us and grievous for you that discord has broken out between the inhabitants of the city mentioned above. For you should have set on unity and concord. For that reason, we suggest to your Fraternity with this address that you should cease from any excuse, and send over a person here with all speed. With the jug dement either of those chosen by us, or certainly of those allotted by us, he could take action, if they support your party in any way, and could reply in detail to the charges and objections of your adversaries, so that the truth may be known and the case may reach a beneficial conclusion here. 
Thus, when all divisions that had come into conflict are terminated with good reason, aggravation should receive no support in the dispute, but only peace between you and your sons, and charity should persist.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 574

Peace

Quote from Letter 9.44 to Theodore, curator of Ravenna. October 598

Although many things have reached us about you, from reports long ago by our emissaries, which filled our mind with joy, yet now our son, the Abbot Probus, returning from you, has brought back as much besides about the love of your Glory, as is fitting to be proclaimed about a truly good and most Christian son.
And he has described how you have shown him such great affection, and have shown such keenness in arranging the peace, as has never existed in our citizens who have been found there before.
And so we demand the mercy of heavenly protection, to recompense you for this in return, in your body and your soul, both here and in the future, as you do not cease to do with care what was advantageous for the safety of many people.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 571

Fairness

Quote from Letter 9.43 to Scholasticus, defender. October 598

Alexander Frigiscus, the bearer of this letter and a farmer of our Church, has complained to us that, in the house of the church built in Catana by your beloved son and deacon, Cyprian, he has worked for a period of three years without receiving the payment he deserved. 
And although it may be said that he has worked at many men's homes during this time, as you were notified while you were here, yet we bid you with this authority to examine this carefully (...).

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 571

A Court Case

Quote from Letter 9.42 to John, bishop of Syracuse. October 598

(Y)ou must provide agents of your church, avoiding any further delay, to select judges with him [Felix, who has made an official complaint], who can conduct an inquiry into a matter of substance and principal, and finalize it.
Otherwise, if any sort of excuse has delayed it, he himself might seem to suffer prejudice, and the parties of the church might seem to receive no justice.
And so, take appropriate action to have the court chosen with all speed. For we want cases of your church to be so handled that he should not sustain a loss unfairly, and nothing might arouse odium against you.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 570

A Letter of Recommendation

Quote from Letter 9.56 to Amandinus, a courtier. November 598

As far as possible, let the concern of your Glory ensure with vigilant care that he [Leontius] might not be subjected to any unjust affliction or worry, and take pains to avoid this with mature advice. Thus, as long as he has you as his helper, as is fitting, both he and we too might be able to know more fully that, just as we have been confident about your Glory, so you know know how to show friendships, not pretended, but genuine ones, which is extremely praiseworthy.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 579

Justice

Quote from Letter 9.39 to Fantinus, defender of Palermo. October 598

[In the case of Januaria vs. Ingenuus, Anastasius and Boniface] And because she has asked to be defended against them by the protection of the Church, let your experience summon the aforesaid men before you, and warn them not to presume to do anything by force.
But if they believe that they can justly make some answer for themselves against the woman mentioned above, let them join her in choosing judges, and whatever course of action they decide among themselves should be followed, to obtain peace and solace between the two parties.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 569

Fairness of Some Sort

Quote from Letter 9.38 to Fantinus, defender. October 598

Some of the Jews in the city of Palermo had given us a petition, in which they complained that the bishop had occupied their synagogues, together with their hostelries, quite unreasonably. (...)
What has once been consecrated cannot be restored to the Jews. And so we command your Experience to make sure that our aforesaid brother and fellow-bishop pays the price equal to the valuation by our sons, the glorious patrician Venantius and the abbot Urbicus, for these synagogues together with these guess-houses, that are under their walls or attached to them, together with adjoining gardens.
Thus, what he had occupied might belong to the Church itself, and the Jews might not appear to be oppressed of suffer injustice in any way. The manuscripts and ornaments removed at the same time als also being sought. If they have clearly been stolen, we want them to be restored without any argument.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 568

Protection

Quote from Letter 9.36 to Anthelm, sub-deacon. October 598


Theodora, the widow of the defender Sabinus, has sent her servant here, and has complained that she ha been deceived by her son and by a certain Aligernus, whose daughter the same son of hers had taken in marriage. At the time of the wedding, she was made to leave the title of all her goods to this same son, but now she says that they greatly despise and slight her, so much so that they have taken all her proper and she has nothing left on which she can life. She also asserts that she endures such great adversity from them as well, that they do not allow a slave owned by her to serve her to to comfort her in any way.
If that is how things are, it is all too serious and ungodly. And so, with the contents of this authority, we order you to take pains to learn the truth, and if you find it to be so, be quick to apply the protection of the Church and to assist her to a reasonable extent in all things.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 567

Implement a Last Will

Quote from Letter 9.35 to Fantinus, defender. October 598

Priestly concern ought to ensure that those things that the desire of a pious wish suggests should be done might come into effect. 
And so, we direct your experience to warn the heirs of Isidore, a man of illustrious memory, continually and strongly, that they should hasten to implement, without any fuss, what was settled concerning the hostelry [hospice], that their benefactor stipulated in his last will and testament should be built in the city of Palermo. 
Otherwise, if they think that this might be neglected still longer, they might now incur a penalty imposed by law, which they would deserve by failing to implement an arrangement of this sort.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 567