Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 238

Gregory to John, bishop of Squillace. A direct report has made known the death of that bishop. Wherefore we solemnly delegate to your Fraternity the task of visiting the Church thus left destitute; which it becomes you so to carry out, that nothing concerning the promotions of clerics, the revenue, the ornaments, the ministries, or whatever else belongs to the patrimony of that same Church, be presumed upon by anyone. And therefore let your Fraternity hasten to go to the aforesaid Church, and with constant exhortations make haste to admonish the clergy and people of that same Church, that, laying aside partisanship, with one and the same consent they may seek to have such a priest set over them as may be found worthy of so great a ministry and in no way rejected by the venerable canons.

And when he has been requested, let him come to us to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree confirmed by the signatures of all, and with the testimony of your Charity's letters. We admonish your Fraternity that you permit no one to be elected from another Church, unless perhaps among the clergy of that very city in which you are exercising the office of visitation no one worthy of the episcopate could be found—which we do not believe will happen. Take care above all things that no lay person of whatever conduct or merit presume to aspire to this, and that you—which God forbid—do not incur the peril of your own order.

But as for the monasteries, if there be any established within that same parish, we grant that they be under your care and disposition until a proper bishop shall have been ordained there, so that the vigilance of your solicitude may, by God's help, answer with fitting action to its purpose. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book III, ch. 22.)