Gregory to Constantius, Bishop of Milan. Having read through the writings of your Holiness, we have learned that you are in great grief, especially on account of the bishops and citizens of Brescia, who demand of you that you send them a letter in which you should swear that you have by no means condemned the Three Chapters. But if your Fraternity's predecessor Laurentius did not do this, it ought not to be required of you. If, however, he did do it, he was not in accord with the universal Church, and he transgressed the oaths of his own bond. But since we believe that the same man kept his own sworn engagements and remained in the unity of the catholic Church, there is no doubt that he swore to none of his bishops that he had by no means condemned the Three Chapters.
From this let your Holiness gather that you ought not to be compelled to that which was in no way done by your predecessor. But lest those who wrote these things to you seem to be scandalized, send them a letter in which, with the interposition of anathema, you profess that you neither diminish anything of the faith of the Chalcedonian synod, nor receive those who diminish it, and that you condemn whomsoever it condemned, and absolve whomsoever it absolved. Whence I believe satisfaction can very quickly be given to them. But as to what you wrote — that very many of them are scandalized because you name our brother and fellow-bishop John of the Church of Ravenna amid the solemnities of the Mass — the ancient custom is to be inquired into by you;
and if there was such a custom, it is not now to be reprehended by foolish men. But if there was no such custom, that ought not to be done from which a scandal may be stirred up among certain persons. Nevertheless, I have taken careful pains to inquire whether the same John, our brother and fellow-bishop, names you at the altar, which they say is by no means done. And if he makes no mention of your name, I know not what necessity compels that you should make mention of his. Yet if this can be done without the scandal of any, for you to do such a thing is highly praiseworthy, because you thereby show the charity which you have toward your brethren.
As to what you wrote — that you by no means wished to transmit my letter to Queen Theodelinda, because in it the Fifth Synod was named, if you believed she could thereby be scandalized — it was rightly done that you should by no means transmit it. Whence we now act as it pleased you, that we should commend only the four synods. Yet concerning that synod which was afterwards held at Constantinople, which by many is called the Fifth, I wish you to know that it established nothing and held nothing contrary to the four most holy synods; for in it something was transacted only concerning persons, and not concerning the faith — and concerning those persons about whom nothing is contained in the Council of Chalcedon;
but after the canons had been set forth, a contention arose and a further action was carried on concerning persons. We, however, have done as you wished, that we should make no mention of the same synod. But concerning the bishops of whom you wrote, we have written to our aforesaid daughter the queen. As for Ursicinus, who wrote to you something against our brother and fellow-bishop John, you ought by your letters, with both sweetness and reason, to restrain him from his intention. But concerning Fortunatus, we wish your Fraternity to be careful, lest in any respect you be circumvented by wicked men.
For he is said to have eaten at the table of the Church, together with your predecessor Laurentius, for very many years up to now, to have sat among the nobles, and to have subscribed, and, with our brother's knowledge, to have served in the ranks of the soldiery. And after so many years it now seems to your Fraternity that he should be assailed concerning the condition of his status. This seems to me altogether unfitting. And therefore I have entrusted this to you not through him himself, but in secret. Yet if there is anything reasonable that can be objected against him, it ought to be examined in our judgement. But to our son the lord Dynamius, if it please Almighty God, we will send writings through your man. Gregory to Marcellus, the scholastic.
The charity of your Glory so ever keeps watch in our heart, that it defends nothing to itself by bodily absence. For although you are far from carnal eyes, yet you are never absent from the gaze of the mind. For frequently the will impels us eagerly to write, but occupation does not permit it. Since, therefore, the discernment of your Nobility is not ignorant with how great occupations our work is entangled, let it consider that our sometimes ceasing from the office of writing is not of the will, but of necessity. But as to your Glory's seeking us too tardily in your letter, we see no excuse by which it can defend itself. In this, therefore, I ought to have deserted myself by silence alone,
but the fervour of charity did not suffer my tongue to keep silence. Greeting you, therefore, with all affection and sweetness, we signify that we are gravely saddened that you wished to seek from us those things in which, while we would fulfil your will — since reason stands in the way — we cannot; and so we seem to sadden you, which we do not wish. For ecclesiastical discipline in no way allows us to leave this without correction; nor is it fitting for you to petition for such things, lest — which be far from it — you seem to consent not to rectitude, but to indiscipline.
As for the case of the same Maximus, on whose behalf you write to us — whom, if he should presume to celebrate the solemnities of the Mass, we have already deprived of the communion of the sacred Body — it will be judged and disposed of by mature deliberation, when it shall be fitting, as it shall please our God. And we pray Almighty God that both here He may guard you by His propitiation, and lead you to the rewards of eternal life. In the month of August, in the twelfth indiction. (See above, Epistle 10.) Gregory to the clergy, order, and people dwelling at Ortona. Learning of the death of your bishop, it was our care solemnly to entrust the visitation of the bereaved Church to our brother and fellow-bishop Barbarus.
To him we have given in charge that he suffer nothing of the revenue, furnishings, and ministries to be usurped by anyone; and it is fitting that you obey his assiduous exhortations. Yet know this, that we have given him licence to ordain presbyters and deacons, if it should be necessary, such as he shall be able to find worthy of this office; so that a priest be sought for the ecclesiastical service who differs in no respect from the venerable canons, and who may be found worthy of so great a ministry.
When such a one has been petitioned for, let him come to us to be ordained, with the solemnity of a decree strengthened by the subscriptions of all, and with the page of the visitor following; and you are to provide before all things that you do not presume to elect a person of the laity, of whatsoever life or merit. And not only shall such a one by no means be advanced to the summit of the episcopate, but you also shall know that you cannot merit pardon by any intercessions. But all those of you who shall be shown to aspire from the lay state, know without doubt that they must be made estranged from office and from communion. Gregory to Valentine, the abbot. It has come to us,
namely, that women go up freely into your monastery, and — what is yet more grievous — that your monks make women their co-godmothers, and from this have incautious fellowship with them. Lest, therefore, on this occasion the enemy of the human race deceive them — which be far off — by his craftiness, we admonish you by the tenor of this precept that you henceforth by no means permit women to go up into your monastery on any occasion whatever, nor allow your monks to make them their co-godmothers. For if this should again come to our ears in any way whatever, know that you must be subjected to so severe a punishment that by the quality of your correction the rest may without doubt be set right. (See Book II, Epistle 25.) Epistle XLIII. Gregory to Boniface, a magnificent man of Africa.
If, as I had heard, your Greatness with anxious intent were thinking of the life of your soul, you would by no means ask to answer me concerning your faith through letters, but through your own self. For as to the bodily infirmity brought forward as an excuse — waiting for a time of health, you could most earnestly have undertaken the labour for the benefit of eternal salvation, so that both you might rejoice over our reasoning and we over your belief. For those things which I wrote in my letters need not now be repeated, nor shown by any other argument, since with an unwilling mind, however evident the reasoning may be, this very thing is wont to be an obstacle.
But come in person, and present yourself at the threshold of blessed Peter, prince of the apostles; and unless I prove from Scripture all that I have written, depart with whatever disputation you will. Yet I exhort you that, while there yet remains a span of life, your soul be not found separated from the Church of that same blessed Peter, to whom the keys of the heavenly kingdom were committed and the power of binding and loosing bestowed — lest, if here his benefit be despised, there he close the entrance of life. But those who are partakers of your doubt, if they be willing to come to me, let them fear no violence in me as though proceeding from power.
For although in all causes, yet in these especially which are God's, we hasten to bind men by reason rather than by power. Gregory to Maximianus, Bishop of Syracuse. Our brother and fellow-bishop Bacaudas has informed us that certain men of his clergy have passed over into the regions of Sicily to receive sacred orders. Since he records that he has neither a presbyter nor deacons, he has petitioned that they ought to be sent back to him. Accordingly, let your Fraternity, wherever it shall find them at the indication of the bearer of these presents, send them hither without delay, so that both they may be recalled to the Church in which they once served, and the aforesaid bishop may be able to have from them the comfort he desires.