Unbreakable Bound of Marriage

Quote from Letter 7,1 to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples. October 596

Her husband, one of your clerics, is known to have removed her from living with him, because she had been attacked over her slave status. They assert that while stationed here, you promised that you would restore her to her husband, if she could prove with the Lord's help that she was free.
Your Fraternity should know, therefore, that, as revealed by God, the source of liberty, she has been proved free and no sign of slavery has been found in her. With this knowledge, therefore, we want her to be restored to her husband without any delay. Likewise, her husband must not look any more for arguments for himself, as an excuse to get rid of her.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 451

Pastoral Concerns

Quote from Letter 6,65 to Athanasius, priest of Isauria. August 596

Just as we are afflicted and distressed over those whom the error of heretical depravity has severed from the unity of our Church, even so we rejoice with those whom their acknowledgement of the Catholic faith contains within her bosom. Ans as it is our duty to oppose the former's impieties with pastoral care, so it is fitting for us to bestow favor of the latter's pious acknowledgements and to declare thar their views are sincere.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 449

Salvation

Quote from Letter 6,63 to Maurice Tiberius Augustus. August 596

I beseech the Christianity of your Lordship, that, for the sake of the salvation of your soul and for the lofe of your most pious son, you issue a strict order, commanding that those whom you find out to be of this sort [the Donatists], shoul dbe punished.
With a removing hand you should prevent the ruin of those who are perishing, and apply the medicine of correction to insane minds, and cure them of their diseases of error. 
Thus, when the gloom of ruinous depravity has been driven away by the remedy of your pious precaution, let true faith spread the rays of our Redeemer. For those who you defend externally against the enemy, you free also internally from the poison of the devil's deceit, which is a more glorious achievement. 

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 448

On Love

Quote from Letter 6,63 to Dominic, bishop of Carthage. August 596

Although geografical distances have seperated us, and we live in body far from you, yet with the help of God's power, let us preserve this love for you most zealously. And you ought to show it not only towards us, but also towards your brethren end sons, with your deep paternal and fraternal feelings. For how should this not need to be done most earnestly, when its perfection lies also not so much in the love of brethren and sons as in the love of one's enemies?
Wherefore, my dearest friend, let us love our brethren who are nound to us by the duty of pastoral care. But let us also join to us with out affection our very adversaties, according to the Lord's commandment: ' Let us follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord'. Let us find time for holy works, let us abound with virtues, and let the breastplate of Judgement gleam on our breast, in conjunction with the action of the upper garment. Let us go forward thus in the sight of God and of all of Israel, let us provide such examples to the flock entrusted to us, 'so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven/.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 447

Concerning the Donastis

Quote from Letter 6,62 to Gennasius, patriarch of Africa. August 596

Since, therefore, we are dealing not with earhly matters but with the salvation of souls, and since your  asseertion and his [Paul, a bishop] are different, we have been unable to give any detailed reply, not having examined the truth, because at the time when we received the letter of your Excellency, we were  suffering from bodily sickness. But when almighty God restores us (if it should please him) to our former health, we shall investigate the truth as best we can with faithful inquiry. And in accordance with what we can discover, we shall so settle the case, with God's mercy, that not only may the salvation of souls lost by those in error (and you deign to show interest in theire case, in return dor a reward for you) be restored again, but also may the possessions of the worshippers of the true faith be preserved, protected by the grace of our Redeemer.

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

Apostolic Succession

Quote from Letter 6,61 to Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria. July 596

Love, the mother and guardian of all good things, which binds togethe the hearts of many by uniting them, does not judge as absent him whom it has present in its mind's eye. Therefore, most holy brother, since er are held by the root of this love, neither our bodily absence nor the distance between our regions will be able to make any claim at all on us, because of course we who are as one, are not far from eachother.
But let us always pray that this love of ours should be shared with our other brethren. 
But there is something that binds us to the Church of Alexandrie in some peculiar way, and compels us to be more prone to loving it by some special law. For as it is clear to all that Saint Mark the evangelist was sent over to Alexandrie by hist master, Saint Peter the apostle, so we are bound together by the unity of this master and disciple, so that I seem to preside over the see of my disciple because of the master, and you seem to presice over the see of your master because of the disciple.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 444

The Mission to the English (5)

Quote from Letter 6,55 to Desiderius of Vienne and Sygarius of Autun, bishops of Gaul, equally. July  596

With regard to your Fraternity's sincere affection, we are rightly confident that, due to your love of Saint Peter, the prince of the apostles, you will devoutly provide your support to our men, especially as the nature of the case demands it, when you would want to join and work with them all the more, of your own free will. 
And so we inform your Holiness that with the Lord;s disposition, we have sent there Augustine, a monk and bearer of this letter, whose zeal and earnestness is well known to us, together with other monks, for the task of saving souls.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 441