322:1
Cregorius Maximiano episcopo Syracusano. Tanta nobis subinde mala quae aguntur in ista provincia nuntiantur, ut peccatis facientibus, 693 quod avertat omnipotens Deus, celeriter eam perituram credamus. Præsentium namque portitor veniens lacrymabiliter questus est ante plurimos annos ab homine nescio quo de possessione Messanensis Ecclesiae de fontibus se susceptum, et a violenter diversis persuasionibus puellae ipsius junctum, ex qua juvenculos lilios jam habere se asseruit, et quam nunc volenter huic disjunctaM abstulisse dicitur, atque cuidam alii venundedisse. Quod si verum esi, quam sit inauditum atque crudele malum, tua diiecIta perspicit.
Gregory to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse. Such great evils, which are being committed in that province, are constantly reported to us, that — our sins bringing it about, and may almighty God avert it — we believe it will speedily perish. For the bearer of these presents, coming, has tearfully complained that many years ago he was taken up at the font by some man I know not whom, from the possession of the Church of Messina, and was violently joined by various persuasions to that man's girl, from whom he asserted he already has young sons, and whom now, this man being willing, he is said to have taken away from her husband and sold to a certain other person. And if this is true, your dear self perceives how unheard-of and cruel an evil it is.
額我略致敘拉古主教瑪西米安。那省中所行的種種巨大惡事，不斷報到我們這裡，以致——因我們的罪所致，願全能的神攔阻——我們相信它必迅速滅亡。因為這封信的持信人前來，含淚申訴說：多年以前，他被某個我不知名的人在洗禮池旁收為教子，屬默西那教會的產業，並藉各樣勸誘被強行與那人的女子結合，他聲稱已從她生了年幼的兒子；如今據說那人竟願意將她從其丈夫奪去，賣給另一人。倘若此事屬實，你親愛的自己便看出這是何等聞所未聞且殘忍的惡事。
322:2
Ideoque admonemus ut hoc tantum nefas sub ea vivacitate quam te in causis piis habere certissime scimus requiras atque disculias. Et si ita ut supradictos portitor insinuavit, esse cognoveris, non solum quod male factum est, ad statum prisHnum revocare curas, sed et vindictam, quae Deum possit placare, exhibere modis omnibus (estinalJis. Episcopum vero qui homines suos talia agcn:es corrigere negligit atque emendare vehementer aggredere, proponens quia si denuo talis ad nos b de quoqnam qui ad eum pertinent querela pervenerit, non in eum qui excesserit, sed in ipsum canonice vindicta procedet c. (Cf. Joann. Diac. I. IV, c. 54.)
Therefore we admonish that you inquire into and examine this so great crime with that vigor which we most certainly know you to have in pious causes. And if you find it to be as the aforesaid bearer has intimated, take care not only to recall to its former state what has been evilly done, but also by all means hasten to exhibit a vengeance that can appease God. As for the bishop who neglects to correct and amend his men doing such things, vehemently take him to task, setting before him that if again any complaint concerning anyone who belongs to him reaches us, the vengeance shall proceed canonically not against him who has offended, but against the bishop himself. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book IV, ch. 54.)
故我們勸你，當以我們確知你在敬虔案件中所具的那種奮力，去查究並審理這樣大的罪行。倘若你查明果如上述持信人所示，就不僅要留意將所行的惡事恢復原狀，更要竭力速施能平息神怒的懲罰。至於那疏於糾正並改正其屬下如此行事之人的主教，你當嚴厲責問他，向他表明：倘若日後再有任何論及屬他之人的申訴傳到我們這裡，那按教規的懲罰將不臨到犯過之人，而臨到那主教自身。（參約翰執事，第四卷，第五十四章。）