Letter 2,23 - to John, bishop, visitor to Nepi. March 592.
"Although we have imposed the task of visiting the church at Naples upon Paul, our brother and fellow-bishop, your Fraternity should not for that reason desist from undertaking the visitation of the church of Nepi, so that when the Easter festival requires it, whatever the solemnity of the sacred rites demands may be fully implemented, with your assistance."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I:207 .
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
An Important Ministry
Letter 2,22 - to Benenatus, bishop visiting Cumae. March 592.
"And for that reason your Beloved will hurry to go to the aforesaid church, and we want you to advise the clergy and people of the same church with continual exhortations that they should put aside partisanship, and with one and the same consensus, seek out a priest to be appointed over them.
He must be found both worthy of such an important ministry, and must in no way be rejected by venerable Church canons. At such a time as he should be accepted, let him come to us to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree corroborated by the subscriptions of all the clergy, and by the testimony of your Beloved's letter.
We warn your Fraternity also that you should not permit anyone to be elected from another church, unless perhaps no one can be found from among the clergy of the same city, in which you fulfill the office of visitor, who is worthy of a bishopric, which we believe unlikely.
You will take care before else that they do not presume to support the merit of a layman, whatever his way of life, or you too must face the danger for your position, Heaven forbid!"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 206.
"And for that reason your Beloved will hurry to go to the aforesaid church, and we want you to advise the clergy and people of the same church with continual exhortations that they should put aside partisanship, and with one and the same consensus, seek out a priest to be appointed over them.
He must be found both worthy of such an important ministry, and must in no way be rejected by venerable Church canons. At such a time as he should be accepted, let him come to us to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree corroborated by the subscriptions of all the clergy, and by the testimony of your Beloved's letter.
We warn your Fraternity also that you should not permit anyone to be elected from another church, unless perhaps no one can be found from among the clergy of the same city, in which you fulfill the office of visitor, who is worthy of a bishopric, which we believe unlikely.
You will take care before else that they do not presume to support the merit of a layman, whatever his way of life, or you too must face the danger for your position, Heaven forbid!"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 206.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
The Merit Of Upright Life
Letter 2,21 - to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse. March 592.
"Felix, a most distinguished man, who bears this letter, has informed us that there is a priest in those parts who appears worthy of promotion to the rank of bishop, due to the merit of his upright life.
Therefore let your Fraternity arrange for him to be brought before you, and examine him diligently over the danger to his soul, of which I am certain. If your perceive that he deserves to be promoted to this rank, take care to send him to us, so that we can consecrate him bishop over a place that we shall provide for him, with the Lord's disposition."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I:206 .
"Felix, a most distinguished man, who bears this letter, has informed us that there is a priest in those parts who appears worthy of promotion to the rank of bishop, due to the merit of his upright life.
Therefore let your Fraternity arrange for him to be brought before you, and examine him diligently over the danger to his soul, of which I am certain. If your perceive that he deserves to be promoted to this rank, take care to send him to us, so that we can consecrate him bishop over a place that we shall provide for him, with the Lord's disposition."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I:206 .
Monday, 13 December 2010
On Correspondence
Letter 2,20 - to Jobinus, praetorian prefect of Illyria. March 592.
"Although the rarity of letter-carriers, due to the enemy's occupation of the route, prevents us from delivering our offices of paternal love, yet whenever the occasion arises, we do not hesitate to visit your Excellency with exchanges of letters, so that those whose appearance we cannot see in our presence, we are able to look at to some extent with alternating correspondence.
And so we rejoice that our Lord has been willing to take care of an afflicted province, through the government of your Eminence, so that what he ulcerates on the one hand with the scourge of the barbarian devastation, on the other hand He may cure through your Eminence, as if through some added good health.
Pay attention therefore to the dignity bestowed on you from the gift alone of the Giver, and from the very administration of the rule granted to you, make your Creator more easily appeased towards you."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 205.
"Although the rarity of letter-carriers, due to the enemy's occupation of the route, prevents us from delivering our offices of paternal love, yet whenever the occasion arises, we do not hesitate to visit your Excellency with exchanges of letters, so that those whose appearance we cannot see in our presence, we are able to look at to some extent with alternating correspondence.
And so we rejoice that our Lord has been willing to take care of an afflicted province, through the government of your Eminence, so that what he ulcerates on the one hand with the scourge of the barbarian devastation, on the other hand He may cure through your Eminence, as if through some added good health.
Pay attention therefore to the dignity bestowed on you from the gift alone of the Giver, and from the very administration of the rule granted to you, make your Creator more easily appeased towards you."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 205.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
The Case of Honoratus
Letter 2,19 - to Sub-deacon Antonius. March 592.
"And so once Honoratus has been reappointed archdeacon, the above mentioned bishop [Natalis], compelled by you, should send a person to us with instructions, who with allegations of proof could show me that his intention is or was just.
But we also order the same archdeacon to come to us, so that we can decide whichever is just, whichever pleases almighty God, once we know the assertions of each party. For we do not defend anyone because of personal affection, but preserve the rule of justice, with God's authority, disregarding our acceptance of any individual.
You will however take care to entrust Malchus, our brother and fellow-bishop, to a person providing surety, so that he can come to us as quickly as possible, and putting aside all delay and postponement, can give and account of his actions and then return home with full security."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 204 .
"And so once Honoratus has been reappointed archdeacon, the above mentioned bishop [Natalis], compelled by you, should send a person to us with instructions, who with allegations of proof could show me that his intention is or was just.
But we also order the same archdeacon to come to us, so that we can decide whichever is just, whichever pleases almighty God, once we know the assertions of each party. For we do not defend anyone because of personal affection, but preserve the rule of justice, with God's authority, disregarding our acceptance of any individual.
You will however take care to entrust Malchus, our brother and fellow-bishop, to a person providing surety, so that he can come to us as quickly as possible, and putting aside all delay and postponement, can give and account of his actions and then return home with full security."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 204 .
Thursday, 9 December 2010
An Explanatory Letter
Letter 2,18 - to all the bishops appointed in Dalmatia. March 592.
"We have already warned him [bishop Natalis] with so many letters, but so far he has remained persistently obstinate. Therefore we have taken care with another letter directed to him, to advise him through the bearer of this letter to replace his Archdeacon Honoratus in his former position, as soon as the bearer of this letter joins him.
If his heart is still obstinate, perhaps, and he arrogantly puts off recalling him to the same rank, because of his repeated displays of arrogance, we have ordered him to be deprived of the use of the pallium, which was conceded to him by his see. If however even after losing the pallium, he still perseveres with the same obstinacy, we have ordered that he be removed from participation also in the body and blood of our Lord.
For it is fair that he should feel us harsh in our justice, given that he has despised us when complaint toward him from affection. We therefore do not even now deviate from the path of whose fault was not at all clear to us, has been restored to his proper position, which the above-mentioned bishop has despised.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 203.
"We have already warned him [bishop Natalis] with so many letters, but so far he has remained persistently obstinate. Therefore we have taken care with another letter directed to him, to advise him through the bearer of this letter to replace his Archdeacon Honoratus in his former position, as soon as the bearer of this letter joins him.
If his heart is still obstinate, perhaps, and he arrogantly puts off recalling him to the same rank, because of his repeated displays of arrogance, we have ordered him to be deprived of the use of the pallium, which was conceded to him by his see. If however even after losing the pallium, he still perseveres with the same obstinacy, we have ordered that he be removed from participation also in the body and blood of our Lord.
For it is fair that he should feel us harsh in our justice, given that he has despised us when complaint toward him from affection. We therefore do not even now deviate from the path of whose fault was not at all clear to us, has been restored to his proper position, which the above-mentioned bishop has despised.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 203.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Polite But Angree
Letter 2,17 - to natalis, bishop of Salona. March 592.
I have learnt from many people coming from your city, dearest brother, that you have abandoned your pastoral care and are busy with nothing except for banquets.
But I would not believe what I heard, without the proofs that your actions provide.
For it has been proved that you in no way study the holy text, in no way pay attention to preaching, but rather ignore even the very custom of the ecclesiastical order, because you do not know how to show reverence to those placed over you.
For you were prohibited by a letter from my predecessor, of holy memory, from nurturing in your heart the pain of such a long resentment against your archdeacon, Honoratus, and you were strongly forbidden by me also from doing this. For you both neglected the commandments of God and despised what we wrote, trying to degrade the aforesaid Archdeacon Honoratus, under the clever pretext of promoting him to a higher rank. Thereby it has turned out that, with his removal from the position of archdeacon, you invited someone else who could comply with your way of life, when the aforesaid man displeased you in no way, except that he prohibited you from giving sacred vessels and garments to your parents.
But I know, and my predecessor of holy memory then, wanted to examine this case with a meticulous investigation. But you, conscious of what you have done, have putt off sending a person with instructions for the trail. Therefore let you Fraternity recover from the error of your wrongdoing, especially after so many repeated warnings, and as soon as you receive my letter, replace the aforesaid Honoratus in his office.
But if by change you put it off, know that your use of the pallium, granted to you by this see, is removed from you.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 201.
I have learnt from many people coming from your city, dearest brother, that you have abandoned your pastoral care and are busy with nothing except for banquets.
But I would not believe what I heard, without the proofs that your actions provide.
For it has been proved that you in no way study the holy text, in no way pay attention to preaching, but rather ignore even the very custom of the ecclesiastical order, because you do not know how to show reverence to those placed over you.
For you were prohibited by a letter from my predecessor, of holy memory, from nurturing in your heart the pain of such a long resentment against your archdeacon, Honoratus, and you were strongly forbidden by me also from doing this. For you both neglected the commandments of God and despised what we wrote, trying to degrade the aforesaid Archdeacon Honoratus, under the clever pretext of promoting him to a higher rank. Thereby it has turned out that, with his removal from the position of archdeacon, you invited someone else who could comply with your way of life, when the aforesaid man displeased you in no way, except that he prohibited you from giving sacred vessels and garments to your parents.
But I know, and my predecessor of holy memory then, wanted to examine this case with a meticulous investigation. But you, conscious of what you have done, have putt off sending a person with instructions for the trail. Therefore let you Fraternity recover from the error of your wrongdoing, especially after so many repeated warnings, and as soon as you receive my letter, replace the aforesaid Honoratus in his office.
But if by change you put it off, know that your use of the pallium, granted to you by this see, is removed from you.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 201.
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