Quote from Letter 5,7 to Cyprian, deacon and rector of the Sicilian patrmony. October 594.
Thus the tax burden would be relieved for the convert, and Church funds would not be under pressure from a heavy expense. Nor are we doing this unprofitably, if by relieving their taxburdens we bring them to the grace of Christ. For, although they themselves come to us with little faith, even so these who are born from them can now be baptized with greater faith. Our profit therefore, is either themselves or their children. Whatever we lose in tax for Christ's sake is not a serious loss.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II: 327.
Showing posts with label conversion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conversion. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
Support And Care
Quote from Letter 4,31 to Anthelm, sub-deacon. July 594.
We ought to give moderate support to those whom our Redeemer deems worthy to convert to himself from the Jewish perdition, so that they should not suffer from lack of food (Heaven forbid!). And for that reason, by the authority of this order, we charge you not to put off giving gold coins each year to the children of Justa, converted from Judaism, that is to Juliana, Redemptus and Fortuna, beginning with the approaching thirteenth indiction.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 312
We ought to give moderate support to those whom our Redeemer deems worthy to convert to himself from the Jewish perdition, so that they should not suffer from lack of food (Heaven forbid!). And for that reason, by the authority of this order, we charge you not to put off giving gold coins each year to the children of Justa, converted from Judaism, that is to Juliana, Redemptus and Fortuna, beginning with the approaching thirteenth indiction.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 312
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Effort And Support
Letter 3,59 - to Eutychius, bishop of Tydari. August 593
"For you have written to us that some worshippers of idols and adherents to the dogma of the Angelii were found in these parts in which you are established. You have asserted that several of them had converted, but that some defended themselves through the names of potentates and by the nature of the region.
Giving help therefore to the good works of your Beloved, we have sent a letter of ours to that glorious man, the praetor of Sicily. We have asked him, with God's help, to work with you as vigorously as he can, so that your praiseworthy undertaking can be completed profitably.
Your Fraternity should therefore show the greatest of concern over this matter. For you will truly follow your episcopal path, if through your zeal and eloquence you bring back into the unity of the Church those who dissent from the true faith."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 279.
"For you have written to us that some worshippers of idols and adherents to the dogma of the Angelii were found in these parts in which you are established. You have asserted that several of them had converted, but that some defended themselves through the names of potentates and by the nature of the region.
Giving help therefore to the good works of your Beloved, we have sent a letter of ours to that glorious man, the praetor of Sicily. We have asked him, with God's help, to work with you as vigorously as he can, so that your praiseworthy undertaking can be completed profitably.
Your Fraternity should therefore show the greatest of concern over this matter. For you will truly follow your episcopal path, if through your zeal and eloquence you bring back into the unity of the Church those who dissent from the true faith."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 279.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Care For A Soul
Letter 3,39 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Campania. June 593
"Furthermore, since the defender Felix is said to own a female slave called Catella, who is seeking the robe of a religious life with many tears and most ardent desire, although her aforesaid master does not allow her to be converted, we therefore want your Experience to go and see the aforesaid Felix and to carefully examine the mind of the same slave-girl, and send her over here with some responsible people, to be placed in a convent, with God's help. But do this in such a way that the soul of the aforesaid slave-girl does not sustain any loss in her desire though your sluggish action."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 261.
"Furthermore, since the defender Felix is said to own a female slave called Catella, who is seeking the robe of a religious life with many tears and most ardent desire, although her aforesaid master does not allow her to be converted, we therefore want your Experience to go and see the aforesaid Felix and to carefully examine the mind of the same slave-girl, and send her over here with some responsible people, to be placed in a convent, with God's help. But do this in such a way that the soul of the aforesaid slave-girl does not sustain any loss in her desire though your sluggish action."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 261.
Friday, 11 June 2010
Not By Threats But By Sweetness
Letter 1,34 - to Peter, bishop of Terracina. March 591.
"The Jew, Joseph, bearer of this letter, has informed us, concerning a certain place in which the Jews residing in the castle of Terracina had been accustomed to meet together, to celebrate their holy festivals, that your Fraternity had expelled them from it, and that they had migrated to another place to carry out their religious festivities in a similar manner, with your knowledge also, and with your consent.
And now they complain that they are being expelled once again from the same place.
But if that is so, we want your Fraternity to avoid that sort of complaint, and we want them to be allowed to gather as their custom was, at that place which they obtained for their meeting with your consent, as we said above.
For one must bring those who disagree with the Christian religion to the unity of faith, with clemency and kindness, by making suggestions and being persuasive.
Otherwise, they mau be repelled by threats and terrors, when they could be invited to believe in Christ through the sweetness of preaching and the coming terror of the future judge."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 155.
"The Jew, Joseph, bearer of this letter, has informed us, concerning a certain place in which the Jews residing in the castle of Terracina had been accustomed to meet together, to celebrate their holy festivals, that your Fraternity had expelled them from it, and that they had migrated to another place to carry out their religious festivities in a similar manner, with your knowledge also, and with your consent.
And now they complain that they are being expelled once again from the same place.
But if that is so, we want your Fraternity to avoid that sort of complaint, and we want them to be allowed to gather as their custom was, at that place which they obtained for their meeting with your consent, as we said above.
For one must bring those who disagree with the Christian religion to the unity of faith, with clemency and kindness, by making suggestions and being persuasive.
Otherwise, they mau be repelled by threats and terrors, when they could be invited to believe in Christ through the sweetness of preaching and the coming terror of the future judge."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 155.
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