Letter 3,58 - to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples. August 593
"It is right to fulfill religious desires when it is not difficult. And this is so in the case of the Abbess Gratiosa, who has joined her community in presenting a petition, which is contained in her appendix. In it she has claimed that Rustica, recorded as a patrician, is known to have built a convent for nuns, through her final decision of her will, in the city of Naples. It is her own home, in the region of Herculaneum, in a village called Lampas. Here she has arranged that the aforesaid Gratiosa should be abbess in charge. She has also built an oratory, and, to carry her vow, Gratiosa has suggested that she withdraw a third of her whole fortune, and she want it to be consecrated in honor of the blessed Mary, ever virgin and mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And for that reason, my very dear brother, we thought that your Beloved should be encouraged with the present injunction to inspect the final will first of al and, if it remains lawful, to make certain that the same third has in all truth spent on the same convent."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 278.
Monday, 29 August 2011
Words And Works
Letter 3,57 - to the patrician Italica. August 593
"But let almighty God bring it about that, just as we have good feelings about you, so your mind may give a good response to us, and you may exhibit in your works the sweetness that you expend on your words.
For the most glorious health and beauty on the surface of a body is worth nothing if there is a wound deep within. And that discord is all the more to be avoided, for which external peace provides a cover up. But in the aforesaid letter, your excellency tried earnestly to recall to our memory that this had been written to you. That in cases concerning the poor, we wanted to make no decisions with you that cause offence, or that ring with the din of a public court. We remember writing this, and know that, with God's help, we restrain ourselves from quarrelsome cases with ecclesiastical moderation. And in accordance with apostolic good sense, we happily put up with the plundering of our goods. But we believe that you know this, that our silence and patience will not create a legal precedent for future popes after me in matters of the poor."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 277.
"But let almighty God bring it about that, just as we have good feelings about you, so your mind may give a good response to us, and you may exhibit in your works the sweetness that you expend on your words.
For the most glorious health and beauty on the surface of a body is worth nothing if there is a wound deep within. And that discord is all the more to be avoided, for which external peace provides a cover up. But in the aforesaid letter, your excellency tried earnestly to recall to our memory that this had been written to you. That in cases concerning the poor, we wanted to make no decisions with you that cause offence, or that ring with the din of a public court. We remember writing this, and know that, with God's help, we restrain ourselves from quarrelsome cases with ecclesiastical moderation. And in accordance with apostolic good sense, we happily put up with the plundering of our goods. But we believe that you know this, that our silence and patience will not create a legal precedent for future popes after me in matters of the poor."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 277.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
A Fair Warning
Letter 3,56 - to Bishop Secundinus. August 593
"We therefore warn your Fraternity not to insert any delay now, after receiving our present letter. But once the place of these same fonts have been filled in, let the altar be built there to celebrate the holy mysteries without delay.
Thus it may be lawful for the aforesaid monks to celebrate the work of God more securely, and our mind will not be aroused against your Fraternity because of your negligence."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 277.
"We therefore warn your Fraternity not to insert any delay now, after receiving our present letter. But once the place of these same fonts have been filled in, let the altar be built there to celebrate the holy mysteries without delay.
Thus it may be lawful for the aforesaid monks to celebrate the work of God more securely, and our mind will not be aroused against your Fraternity because of your negligence."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 277.
A Helping Hand
Letter 3,55 - to Cyprian, deacon. July 593
"Cosmas says that he is bound by so may debts from various dangerous exigencies that his own sons, he claims, are being detained by his creditors as surety. If this matter is so, it has certainly disturbed us. For this reason we encourage your Beloved to inquire into his case with the greatest detail, because it concerns money from the poor-box being given."
"Cosmas says that he is bound by so may debts from various dangerous exigencies that his own sons, he claims, are being detained by his creditors as surety. If this matter is so, it has certainly disturbed us. For this reason we encourage your Beloved to inquire into his case with the greatest detail, because it concerns money from the poor-box being given."
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Wearing The Pallium
Letter 3,54 - to John, bishop of Ravenna. July 593
"Try not to deviate from the rule of humility in any way. I do not mean on your own, but through the command of others or of your predecessors.
For to sum up briefly what I said above, I advise you, unless you show that these were attributed to you through privilege by the munificence of my predecessors, do not presume to wear the pallium in the streets any longer, in case you begin not to wear at masses that which you wear audaciously in the streets.
But concerning the vestry, because your Fraternity made and allowed yourself to sit down with a pallium, and to admit the sons of the Church, for a while now we have made no complaint.For we follow the opinion of the synods and refuse to punish minor faults which are denied. We accept that this has been done once or twice, but we prohibit it being done any longer. But let your Fraternity be extremely concerned in case what is still allowed under the presumption that it is just beginning may be punished more severely for continuing.
You have complained furthermore, that some men from the priestly order of the city of Ravenna, threatened by their transgressions, have become involved in serious crimes. We want you either to discuss their case there, or to send them over here to discuss the same matters, that is if the difficulties of proof are an impediment, due to the great distance of the two places."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 272.
"Try not to deviate from the rule of humility in any way. I do not mean on your own, but through the command of others or of your predecessors.
For to sum up briefly what I said above, I advise you, unless you show that these were attributed to you through privilege by the munificence of my predecessors, do not presume to wear the pallium in the streets any longer, in case you begin not to wear at masses that which you wear audaciously in the streets.
But concerning the vestry, because your Fraternity made and allowed yourself to sit down with a pallium, and to admit the sons of the Church, for a while now we have made no complaint.For we follow the opinion of the synods and refuse to punish minor faults which are denied. We accept that this has been done once or twice, but we prohibit it being done any longer. But let your Fraternity be extremely concerned in case what is still allowed under the presumption that it is just beginning may be punished more severely for continuing.
You have complained furthermore, that some men from the priestly order of the city of Ravenna, threatened by their transgressions, have become involved in serious crimes. We want you either to discuss their case there, or to send them over here to discuss the same matters, that is if the difficulties of proof are an impediment, due to the great distance of the two places."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 272.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Justice Must Be
Letter 3,53 - to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse. July 593
"After punishment has been inflicted by canon law on the one-time Bishop Agatho, in accordance with the nature of his excesses, it is necessary from the point-of-view of humanity to decide how he can be supported. For that reason let your Fraternity quickly make arrangements at the church of Lipardi, in which the above-mentioned Agatho held the office of bishop, and then for the present hand over forty gold coins to him, which can provide for his sustenance."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 272.
"After punishment has been inflicted by canon law on the one-time Bishop Agatho, in accordance with the nature of his excesses, it is necessary from the point-of-view of humanity to decide how he can be supported. For that reason let your Fraternity quickly make arrangements at the church of Lipardi, in which the above-mentioned Agatho held the office of bishop, and then for the present hand over forty gold coins to him, which can provide for his sustenance."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 272.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
In Respons To Your Letter....
Letter 3,52 - to John, bishop of Constantinopel. July 593
"Would it not have been better that meat went in that mouth for consumption, than that a false story should come out of it to mock a very close friend? Especially when Truth says: 'It is not what enters one mouth that defiles that person, but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one'.
But let this not be true, so that I not believe something of that sort about your most holy heart. Those letters were marked by your name at the top, but I do not think that they were yours.
I had written to that most blessed man, Lord John, but I believe that a quite young servant of yours wrote back to me, who has learnt nothing about God so far, who does not know the inner parts of love, who is accused by all for his sinful actions, and who contrives each day the deaths of various people through secret testaments. And yet neither fears God nor shows shame before men. Believe me, most holy brother, if you have a perfect zeal for truth, first correct yourself, so that besides those who are close to you, those also who are not close to you may be changed for the better by your example. Do not accept that man's utterance. He ought to be directer to the counsel of your Holiness, and your Holiness ought not to be altered to his words. For if you listen to him, I know that you will not be able to have peace with your brethren."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 270.
"Would it not have been better that meat went in that mouth for consumption, than that a false story should come out of it to mock a very close friend? Especially when Truth says: 'It is not what enters one mouth that defiles that person, but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one'.
But let this not be true, so that I not believe something of that sort about your most holy heart. Those letters were marked by your name at the top, but I do not think that they were yours.
I had written to that most blessed man, Lord John, but I believe that a quite young servant of yours wrote back to me, who has learnt nothing about God so far, who does not know the inner parts of love, who is accused by all for his sinful actions, and who contrives each day the deaths of various people through secret testaments. And yet neither fears God nor shows shame before men. Believe me, most holy brother, if you have a perfect zeal for truth, first correct yourself, so that besides those who are close to you, those also who are not close to you may be changed for the better by your example. Do not accept that man's utterance. He ought to be directer to the counsel of your Holiness, and your Holiness ought not to be altered to his words. For if you listen to him, I know that you will not be able to have peace with your brethren."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 270.
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