Letter 2,34 - to John, bishop of Ravenna. July 592
"It is certainly right to terminate the controversies of those quarrelling with a swift judgement, and with both fairness and vigor. Since therefore Wiland, the bearer of this letter, is begging your Fraternity for recognition, let your see that Deacon Gavinian, against whom he tells us he has a case, is summoned to your court. And without delay, please examine the truth of their case with meticulous inquiry, and let both parties be compelled to observe and implement in every whatever the process of justice shall recommend, and whatever shall be defined by the sentence you give."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 213.
Monday, 10 January 2011
Care And Concern
Letter 2,33 - to the clergy, senate and people living in Cortone. July 592.
"Learning of the death of your bishop, it was our concern to solemnly delegate the task of visiting the destitute church to John, our brother and fellow bishop"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 213.
"Learning of the death of your bishop, it was our concern to solemnly delegate the task of visiting the destitute church to John, our brother and fellow bishop"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 213.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
To John
Letter 2,32 - to John, bishop of Squillace. July 592.
"A direct report revealed to us that the bishop has died. For that reason we solemnly delegate to your Fraternity the task of visiting the destitute church. It is appropriate for you to carry out this task in such a way that nothing about promotions of clergy, about ornaments and holy vessels and so on."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 212.
"A direct report revealed to us that the bishop has died. For that reason we solemnly delegate to your Fraternity the task of visiting the destitute church. It is appropriate for you to carry out this task in such a way that nothing about promotions of clergy, about ornaments and holy vessels and so on."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 212.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
On Holy Ordination
Letter 2,31 - to John, bishop of Squillace, on holy ordination. July 592.
"But we order you never to ordain anyone illegally, and do not permit anyone to take on holy orders who is a bigamist, or one whose wife was not a virgin, or an illiterate person, or one infected in any part of his body, or a penitent, or a person bound to a court or to any other state of servitude.
But if you discover any men of this sort, please do not dare to promote them.
On no account accept Africans indiscriminately, nor unknown strangers, who want to be ordained. For some of the Africans are in fact Manicheans, others re-baptized, and most foreigners in fact, even when established in the minor orders, have often been proved to have had pretensions for higher orders.
We also advise your Fraternity to pay full attentions to the souls entrusted to you, and to turn them more to the profits of the soul than to the comforts of the present life.
Be diligent in conserving and disposing the property of the church, so that the future judge, when he has come to give his judgment, may have approve the fact that you have carried out the office of priest, undertaken by you in a worthy manner."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 212.
"But we order you never to ordain anyone illegally, and do not permit anyone to take on holy orders who is a bigamist, or one whose wife was not a virgin, or an illiterate person, or one infected in any part of his body, or a penitent, or a person bound to a court or to any other state of servitude.
But if you discover any men of this sort, please do not dare to promote them.
On no account accept Africans indiscriminately, nor unknown strangers, who want to be ordained. For some of the Africans are in fact Manicheans, others re-baptized, and most foreigners in fact, even when established in the minor orders, have often been proved to have had pretensions for higher orders.
We also advise your Fraternity to pay full attentions to the souls entrusted to you, and to turn them more to the profits of the soul than to the comforts of the present life.
Be diligent in conserving and disposing the property of the church, so that the future judge, when he has come to give his judgment, may have approve the fact that you have carried out the office of priest, undertaken by you in a worthy manner."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 212.
On Humility
Letter 2,30 - to Abbot Eusebius, about submission to his bishop. July 592.
"Again, when he [bishop Maximian] was offering you his thanks, you ought to have met him with an act of gratitude, Because you did not act in this way, I recognize by this that we need tears and nothing else.
For it is not a great thing that we are humble before those who honor us, because even all secular people do this, but we should be especially be humble towards those who are making us suffer in some way. The psalmist says; 'See my humility in the face of my foes.' What sort of life is ours, who are unwilling to be humble even towards our fathers?
For that reason, most beloved son, I ask that all the bitterness leaves your heart, lest perhaps your end is close at hand, and the ancient enemy shuts the path to the heavenly kingdom through the iniquity of your discord."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 211.
"Again, when he [bishop Maximian] was offering you his thanks, you ought to have met him with an act of gratitude, Because you did not act in this way, I recognize by this that we need tears and nothing else.
For it is not a great thing that we are humble before those who honor us, because even all secular people do this, but we should be especially be humble towards those who are making us suffer in some way. The psalmist says; 'See my humility in the face of my foes.' What sort of life is ours, who are unwilling to be humble even towards our fathers?
For that reason, most beloved son, I ask that all the bitterness leaves your heart, lest perhaps your end is close at hand, and the ancient enemy shuts the path to the heavenly kingdom through the iniquity of your discord."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 211.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Protecting Bishop Leo
Letter 2,29 - to the praetor Justin, about protecting bishop Leo. july 592.
"The envy of the ancient enemy has this special quality. Those whom it cannot trick into the perpetration of evil acts, because God resists it, it destroys their reputations for the present by pretending false things.
Since therefore a wicked rumor has spread concerning out brother and fellow-bishop Leo, certain things contrary to the priestly way of life, we set up an inquiry with a long and strict examination to see whether they were true, and we found no fault in him concerning what had been said about him.
But so that nothing might appear to have been omitted, and so that no doubt remain in our heart, we made him swear many a solemn oath before the most holy body of Saint Peter.
After the performance of this, we rejoiced with great exultation, because in this way his innocence shone out most clearly."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 210.
"The envy of the ancient enemy has this special quality. Those whom it cannot trick into the perpetration of evil acts, because God resists it, it destroys their reputations for the present by pretending false things.
Since therefore a wicked rumor has spread concerning out brother and fellow-bishop Leo, certain things contrary to the priestly way of life, we set up an inquiry with a long and strict examination to see whether they were true, and we found no fault in him concerning what had been said about him.
But so that nothing might appear to have been omitted, and so that no doubt remain in our heart, we made him swear many a solemn oath before the most holy body of Saint Peter.
After the performance of this, we rejoiced with great exultation, because in this way his innocence shone out most clearly."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 210.
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Guarding The Rebublic
Letter 2,28 - to Maurice and Vitalian, military commanders, concerning pilllage. June 592.
"On the eleventh day of this month of June, Ariulf sent this letter, which we have directed to you. And for that reason, read it again and see of the citizens of Soana have persisted in the loyalty that they promised to the republic. Take from them worthy hostages in whom you can trust, and bind them well with oaths once again, returning to them what you took as a pledge, and soothing them with your words.
But if you find out that they have quite obviously had talks with Ariulf about their submission, or have definitely given him hostages, as the letter of Ariulf which we sent to you makes us suspect, then study this with a sound deliberation, and so that your soul or ours is not in any way weighed down over their oaths, carry out whatever you judge to be in the republic's interest.
But let your Glory do it in such a way that there is neither anything over which your adversaries could condemn us, nor is anything neglected that the republic's advantage requires. Lord forbid it!"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 210.
"On the eleventh day of this month of June, Ariulf sent this letter, which we have directed to you. And for that reason, read it again and see of the citizens of Soana have persisted in the loyalty that they promised to the republic. Take from them worthy hostages in whom you can trust, and bind them well with oaths once again, returning to them what you took as a pledge, and soothing them with your words.
But if you find out that they have quite obviously had talks with Ariulf about their submission, or have definitely given him hostages, as the letter of Ariulf which we sent to you makes us suspect, then study this with a sound deliberation, and so that your soul or ours is not in any way weighed down over their oaths, carry out whatever you judge to be in the republic's interest.
But let your Glory do it in such a way that there is neither anything over which your adversaries could condemn us, nor is anything neglected that the republic's advantage requires. Lord forbid it!"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 210.
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