Letter 3,28 - to George, praetorian prefect through Italy. April 593
"Whenever piety is employed with compassion and consideration, it both helps its author here and brings him a reward on the day of retribution. And this is so, and since I greatly admire your Excellency, I suggest reasons for a reward to you.
Thus the magnificent Armenius, son of that once most illustrious gentleman, Aptonius, due to his real indigence, forced me to write to you on his behalf. Since he has been bereaved of both parents, as you know, he expects the protection and moderation of your Eminence. So let your Piety show pious consideration, as has been your custom, by providing him with a position and public duties, as far as you see it as useful, whereby he may be maintained with daily payments."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 253.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Letter 3,27 - to Martinianus, abbot of Palermo, and to Benenatus, notary and administrator of the district of Palermo. April 594
"If we put off pursuing and punishing those matters about which God is bitterly offended, we certainly provoke the patience of his divinity to anger. For many evil facts about certain people living in the city of Palermo have reached our ears, and as they deserve greater chastisement, they should neither be believed rashly nor searched for idly. For which reason, we ordered Victor, out brother and fellow-bishop, that if they were true he should have pursued and punished them.
Now therefore Boniface, a most distinguished gentleman and bearer of this letter, has come to us here and complains that he has both been deprived of the sacred Mass for no reason, and has suffered other serious injustices, all due to the aforesaid bishop. Since therefore nobody should be condemned without a trail, we have written to our same brother and fellow-bishop that if a person is found who can say these same things about the same man, he ought to direct that person to our inquiry.
And so we thought that you should necessarily be exhorted by the page of this command, so that, paying attention to nobody's personality, but having the fear of God before your eyes, in all fairness you should inquire with a careful investigation whether anything was said about him in your presence, remembering the judgment to come."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 252.
"If we put off pursuing and punishing those matters about which God is bitterly offended, we certainly provoke the patience of his divinity to anger. For many evil facts about certain people living in the city of Palermo have reached our ears, and as they deserve greater chastisement, they should neither be believed rashly nor searched for idly. For which reason, we ordered Victor, out brother and fellow-bishop, that if they were true he should have pursued and punished them.
Now therefore Boniface, a most distinguished gentleman and bearer of this letter, has come to us here and complains that he has both been deprived of the sacred Mass for no reason, and has suffered other serious injustices, all due to the aforesaid bishop. Since therefore nobody should be condemned without a trail, we have written to our same brother and fellow-bishop that if a person is found who can say these same things about the same man, he ought to direct that person to our inquiry.
And so we thought that you should necessarily be exhorted by the page of this command, so that, paying attention to nobody's personality, but having the fear of God before your eyes, in all fairness you should inquire with a careful investigation whether anything was said about him in your presence, remembering the judgment to come."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 252.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Consensus
Letter 3,26 - to Magnus, priest fo the church of Milan. March 593
"So warn your clerics and people not to disagree at all in their election of a bishop, but with total consensus let them elect from themselves such a bishop for consecration whose acts are praiseworthy, and whose character may be welcome to God and to men, in case, if it were done differently, with divided loyalties (Heaven forbid!), a loss might result for Church income."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 252.
"So warn your clerics and people not to disagree at all in their election of a bishop, but with total consensus let them elect from themselves such a bishop for consecration whose acts are praiseworthy, and whose character may be welcome to God and to men, in case, if it were done differently, with divided loyalties (Heaven forbid!), a loss might result for Church income."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 252.
A Reprimande
Letter 3,25 - to all the inhabitants of Rimini. March 593
"My dearly beloved sons, if you are willing to pay more careful attention to your sin, you should purge yourselves with constant prayers before God, because you took on your bishop not with devoted minds, nor as his sons.
The lack of peace and annoyances that you inflicted on him have brought him to this extreme, an attack of bodily illness. And yet we learnt nothing about him from those letters that were written to us, but we simply saw that he was debilitated, and for that reason we took care to keep him here."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
"My dearly beloved sons, if you are willing to pay more careful attention to your sin, you should purge yourselves with constant prayers before God, because you took on your bishop not with devoted minds, nor as his sons.
The lack of peace and annoyances that you inflicted on him have brought him to this extreme, an attack of bodily illness. And yet we learnt nothing about him from those letters that were written to us, but we simply saw that he was debilitated, and for that reason we took care to keep him here."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Letter 3,24 - to Bishop Leontius. March 593
"We are keeping our brother and fellow-bishop Castor here, because of his body's ill health. And because he is not well enough now to return to his church, for that reason, in his absence, we have decided that the task of that church's visitation should be delegated to your Fraternity.
We advise your Charity to carry out all of its services so efficiently that through your presence, the church does not feel that its own priest is absent.
And whatever you think should be consecrated for the advantage of the same church, you will have free scope in every way, relying on our permission."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
"We are keeping our brother and fellow-bishop Castor here, because of his body's ill health. And because he is not well enough now to return to his church, for that reason, in his absence, we have decided that the task of that church's visitation should be delegated to your Fraternity.
We advise your Charity to carry out all of its services so efficiently that through your presence, the church does not feel that its own priest is absent.
And whatever you think should be consecrated for the advantage of the same church, you will have free scope in every way, relying on our permission."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
The Abbot Of Saint Martin's
Letter 3,23 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Campania. March 593
"We therefore order your Experience with the the power of this authority to remove the above-mentioned Secundinus from the office of abbot, and to see that Theodosius, whose community has itself asked for him to be ordained, is appointed abbot in the monastery of Saint Martin, with due solemnity, through him whom it concerns.
Thus in caring for a community subject to him, with the help of God, he may be vigilant with provident concern. But defend the possessions and gardens of this same monastery with Church protection, as fat as is reasonably allowed."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
"We therefore order your Experience with the the power of this authority to remove the above-mentioned Secundinus from the office of abbot, and to see that Theodosius, whose community has itself asked for him to be ordained, is appointed abbot in the monastery of Saint Martin, with due solemnity, through him whom it concerns.
Thus in caring for a community subject to him, with the help of God, he may be vigilant with provident concern. But defend the possessions and gardens of this same monastery with Church protection, as fat as is reasonably allowed."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Home Sweet Home
I was in Rome lately, and of course visited "home" on the Caelius. Just two pictures: a detail of the Chapel of Silvia in Saint Andrew and the high-altar in the Gregorio Magno.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
