An Angry Pope

Letter 4,20 - to Maximus, a pretender in Salona. April 594

Although other aspects of someone's life may have such merit that there is nothing that might prevent him from priestly promotions, yet the sin of bribery on its own is condemned by the most severe punishment of canon laws. And so we have learnt that, by a false or pretended command of our most pious emperor, while you were being unworthy in your way of life, you forced your way into the office of bishop, a highly venerated rank. We believed this then without any hesitation. For we are well aware of your way of life and your age, and furthermore, we are not ignorant of the mind of our most serene Lordship and emperor, knowing that he does not usually involve himself in the cases of bishops, so as not to be burdened in any way by doing us wrong.
Added to this is an unheard of sin. For even after our interdiction that was made pursuant to the excommunication of you and those consecrating you, you were led before the public by a military troop, it is said, after priests, deacons and other clergy had been killed. We can in no way call this a consecration, as men were conducting it who had been excommunicated.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 302