Quote from Letter 9.178 to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna.. July 599
Therefore, if the same Maximus purges himself of his simoniacal heresy in the presence of you and of our aforesaid notary, discharging such an oath, and replies before the body of Saint Apollinaris that he is free of the other charges, when asked to do so, as we have written, we entrust his case to the judgement of your Fraternity, concerning his presumption in celebrating solemn Mass while he was excommunicated. Such a sin ought to be purged with that penitence.
For that reason, whatever pleases you, following God, settle it securely and do not entertain any doubts about our approval.
For whatever is decided by you in this case, we receive it gratefully and we accept it readily But we exhort you that you should be concerned to temper what you consider should be done so that you treat him with kindness and preserve the spirit of ecclesiastic vigor by arranging things suitably.
Therefore, if the same Maximus purges himself of his simoniacal heresy in the presence of you and of our aforesaid notary, discharging such an oath, and replies before the body of Saint Apollinaris that he is free of the other charges, when asked to do so, as we have written, we entrust his case to the judgement of your Fraternity, concerning his presumption in celebrating solemn Mass while he was excommunicated. Such a sin ought to be purged with that penitence.
For that reason, whatever pleases you, following God, settle it securely and do not entertain any doubts about our approval.
For whatever is decided by you in this case, we receive it gratefully and we accept it readily But we exhort you that you should be concerned to temper what you consider should be done so that you treat him with kindness and preserve the spirit of ecclesiastic vigor by arranging things suitably.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, p. 654.
No comments:
Post a Comment