God's Grace

Quote from Letter  9.74 to Azimarchus, secretary. November-December 598

As much as learning of your disastrous shipwreck saddened us, even so you subsequent letter has relieved us, as we have learnt that your Greatness has reached Sicily safely. And we have thanked our Creator, who protected you with his accustomed piety, and freed you from the danger of the see.
Therefore, it is necessary that you should always have before your eyes in all your activities the compassion of God, which you see so often conferred on you, so that His grace may be increased in you and save you from internal dangers just as he saved you from external ones.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 588 

Pious Donation

Quote from Letter 9.72 to Passivus, bishop of Fermo. November-December 598

Anio, the count of the castle of Teramo, had informed us in a petition of recommendation, included as an appendix, that he has founded an oratory in the castle mentioned above, at his own expense, to show his devotion, and he wants it to be consecrated in honor of Saint Peter, the prince of the apostles.
And so, my dearest brother, if the construction mentioned above is situated in the jurisdiction of your diocese, in which you fulfill the office of visitor, and it is certain that no human body has been buried there, after first receiving the donation as set by law, you will solemnly consecrate the aforesaid oratory

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 587

Prayer and Diplomacy

Quote from Letter 9.68 to Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards. November-December 598

Therefore, we offer thanks to almighty God, who so rules your heart with his own piety that, as he has bestowed true faith on you, so too he grants that you should always work on things pleasing to him. For, most excellent daughter, you should believe that you have acquire d no small reward for the blood that had to be poured from each side. On this matter, we offer thanks to your willingness, and we pray to the compassion of our God that here and in the future he will compensate you in body and soul in return for your good deeds.
Furthermore, greeting your with paternal love, we exhort you to do what is necessary before your most excellent husband, to prevent him from rejecting the delightfulness of the Christian state.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 585

Religious Zeal

Quote from Letter 9.67 to Domitius, priest and abbot. November-December 598

Just as it is a serious matter and thoroughly blameworthy if a controversy over secular matters should arise between persons serving our almighty Lord and last for a long time, even so it is praiseworthy and well suited to religious zeal, to prefer a peace welcome to God to material gains, and from transitory things, to reap the everlasting profits of love.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 584

War and Peace

Quote from Letter 9.66 to Agilulf, king of the Lombards. November-December 598

We offer thanks to your Excellency, since you listened to our petition and drew up a peace that would be beneficial for both parties, as we were confident you would. For this reason, we have greatly applauded the prudence and goodness of your Excellency, as you show that you love peace through your love of God, who is the author of peace itself. For if peace had not been made (Heaven forbid!), what else was left for Him to do, other that let the blood of wretched country dwellers, whose labor benefits both sides, be poured out, due to the dangerous sinfulness of both parties?

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 583

Restoring Friendship

Quote from Letter 9.65 to Maurentius, general. November-December 598

And because we have heard that he [the administrator Comitaticius] is not with you now, as he was before, we ask your Glory that if there is any way in which he perhaps rightly offended your feelings, you should tell us what it is, but then show him the extent of your graciousness and receive him with that friendship which he had long shared with your, and devote your goodwill to him, as being truly your friend, as is reasonable, wherever the occasion requires it. 

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 583

Good Wishes

Quote from Letter 9.64 to Maurilio, ex-prefect. November-December 598

And so we greet you with paternal affection, and ask that, whenever a chance of writing presents itself, refresh us concerning your health and how things are around you. 
Thus, when we have been cheered up over your prosperity, following our desire, we might be able to offer thanks to our Redeemer of your behalf. 
Let almighty God protect you with the grace of his compassion, and preserve you unharmed from all adversity and be your guardian.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 583

Good Practice

Quote from Letter 9.61 to Boniface, bishop of Reggio. November-December 598

Without doubt its suits the gravity of a priest that, if he should have some cases concerning the church, he should settle them without any delay, either with a peaceful arrangement, if it can be done, or certainly with the intervention of a trial, so that the contention might be removed from the scene, and only peaceful concord remain for the priest and his sons.
And so, our glorious son and ex-prefect, Gregory, has indicated to us that some argument has arisen between him and your church about some places he want. For this reason, we suggest that you should either stop arguing and finalize it, or certainly avoid any delay, and arrange for agents of your church to go to a court of selected judges, so that, with the precedent of their decision, he does not appear to be unjustly oppressed and your church should not seem to suffer prejudice. 

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 581

Pastoral Care

Quote from Letter 9.60 to Constantius, bishop of Narni. November 598

You must take great care over the acts and discipline of the clergy and sons  [of the church of Terni], and watch over them with such pastoral zeal that you are not culpable over their souls, but rather might obtain a reward before almighty God.

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

Act of Devotion

Quote from Letter 5.58 to Passicus, bishop. November 598

Valerian, a notary of the church of your Fraternity, has suggested to us with an ingratiating petition, included herewith in an appendix, that he has founded an oratory to show his devotion  in the Visian estate under his control, next to the walls of the city of Fermo.
He wants this to be consecrated in honor of the blessed martyr Sabinus. And for that reason, dearest brother, if the building mentioned is under the control of your parish, and it is certain that no human body has been buried there, first of all receive the legal donation, that is, three gold coins in return, free of payments to the treasury, and record the transaction in the municipal records. Then you will solemnly consecrate it, but make sure that the baptistery is constructed in the same place, and do not appoint a chief priest.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 580

Advice

Quote from Letter 5.57 to Secundinus and John, bishops of Sicily. November 598

Thus, as you hasten to help him [the ex-prefect Gregory] in a priestly manner, he might avoid any trouble or expense contrary to the rule of justice. If you feel that he is somehow being burdened to no purpose, which we do not believe, it is necessary that you take action before the aforesaid glorious gentleman, while maintaining your episcopal modesty. 

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

Justice and Reputation

Quote from Letter 9.55 to Leontius, ex-consul of Sicily. November 598

For that reason, we greet you with paternal love, and ask that you attribute the grace of charity, with which you are equipped, more generously to our glorious son and ex-prefect, Gregory, and that you ensure that justice is preserved for him in all ways, in your usual ways. 
Thus, he might experience whatever he hopes to receive from the kindness of your fairness, with the effects of those things, and we too might learn the good things that are proclaimed about you in various ways, and might beseech our almighty Lord assiduously for the safety of your Glory.

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

Comfort and Encouragement

Quote from Letter to Romanus, defender of Sicily. November 598

And so, we order your Experience with this authority not to fail to comfort and support her [the abbess Thecla], as far as reason allows. But you should be keen also to encourage the magnificent gentleman mentioned above [Alexander], so that he might cease from all contention, and be examining the matter might come to a peaceful resolution of this case.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 578

Justice

Quote from Letter 9.53 to Maurentius, a general. November 598

(W)e suggest that your Glory that you should apply your protection to them [people of the island of Prochyta], preserving justice, wherever it proves necessary, and if in some matter the benefit for the people under his [the accused count]control should weigh lightly against the order of reason, as he claims, let the burdens imposed on them be lightened to the very limit of justice, with your support. 
Their privileges should not be trampled on in any way at all, but let everything that ancient usage has established be preserved unchanged in all things. And so, let your Glory show yourself to be so decent in these matters that you may be shown to support the side of justice, and these who have been commended may report your good deeds to us, for this is what we always want to hear about you.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 577

Church Funds and Randsom

Quote from Letter 9.52 to Demetrian and Valerian, clergy of Fermo. November 598



Both the statutes of holy canons and eval authority allow Church properties to be spent legally on the ransoming of captives. Thus, you have informed us that about eighteen years ago, a most reverend gentleman, Fabius, once bishop of the church of Fermo, paid the enemy eleven pounds of gold from the same church, for the ransoms of your father and you two, of our brother and fellow-bishop Passivus (then a cleric), and of your mother also. 
Therefore, in case someone might ask you to restore what you gave at some stage, we propose with the authority of this order that your suspicion should be removed. We have decided that from now on you and your heirs should not endure the trouble of being asked again at any time, and that on one should expose you to an inquiry. For reasonable justice demands that what has been spent through the zeal of piety ought not to lead to a burden or an affliction for those redeemed.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 576