Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 357

Gregory to John, bishop of Ravenna. First this grieves me, that Your Fraternity writes to me with a double heart, and shows one set of flatteries in his letters, but displays another, worldly, on his own tongue. Next, it is grievous to me that those mockeries, which notaries still boys are wont to have, my brother John retains to this day on his own tongue. He speaks bitingly, and rejoices as if in such cunning. To friends present he flatters; of the absent he speaks ill. Thirdly, it is grievous and altogether execrable to me that upon his servants, whenever it may be, he lays base charges, so that they are called effeminate, and, still more gravely, this quite openly.

After this it has come to pass that there is no discipline for guarding the life of the clergy, but he shows himself to his clergy only as a lord. But the last thing—which nevertheless, by the weight of its arrogance, is first—is that concerning the use of the pallium outside the church, which in the times of my predecessors he never presumed to do, nor was it ever presumed by his predecessors, as our representatives testify (except when relics were being deposited, though even concerning relics only one could be found who might say so), in my days, in contempt of me, with the utmost boldness, he not only did it, but even frequently practiced it. From all of which I find that the whole honor of the episcopate is outward, in display, not in the mind.

And indeed I give thanks to almighty God, that at the time when this came to me—which had never come to the ears of my predecessors—the Lombards were positioned between me and the city of Ravenna. For perhaps I might have shown to men how strict I know myself to be. But lest you believe that I wish your Church in any way to be burdened or diminished, recall in the solemnities of the Roman Masses where the deacon of Ravenna will stand, and inquire where he stands today, and you will recognize that I desire to honor the Church of Ravenna. But that anyone should seize upon anything whatever out of pride, this I cannot tolerate.

Nevertheless, concerning this matter I have already written to our deacon at Constantinople, that he ought to make inquiry among all who have under them even thirty and forty bishops. And if anywhere this usage exists, that in the litanies they walk with pallia, far be it that through me the honor of the Church of Ravenna should seem to be in any way diminished. All these things, therefore, which I have said above, most dear brother, reconsider; ponder the day of your calling; consider what accounts you are to render for the burden of the episcopate. Correct those manners of a notary. See what befits a bishop in tongue, what in deed. Be wholly pure toward your brethren. Do not speak one thing and have another in your heart. Nor seek to seem more than you are, that you may be able to be more than you seem.

Believe me, when I came to this place, I was of such deliberation and of such charity toward Your Fraternity that, had you been willing to keep that same charity of mine, you would never have found such a brother, so purely loving you and running to meet you with all devotion; but, your words and manners being known, I confess, it recoiled. I ask therefore, by almighty God, correct all those things which I have set forth, especially the vices of duplicity. Permit me to love you, and it will be able to be useful to you both for the present and for the future life to be loved by your brethren. But to these things answer me not with words, but with manners. Gregory to Datian, metropolitan bishop.

The writings of your Beatitude, most sweet and to be embraced with all the arms of the heart, I received sorrowful, I read over glad. For who in this land would not lament, which, delivered to the swords of the barbarians, now has hardly any who may live in it, and yet daily has those who may die? But in however great a sadness, whom would the tone of your letter not rouse to a joy of exultation? in which both by the efficacy of your utterance and by the genius of your surpassing wisdom you spoke to me inwardly, not with the tongue of the flesh, but of charity. But because I, drawing from the fount of your security, have been somewhat gladdened, do you also, I pray, touch the grief of our sadness, and draw our affliction into yourselves with charity as your teacher.

For you will cleanse the filth of our sorrow only if you yourselves also, through compassion, stain the hand of your heart. For sordid little vessels, that they may be freed from the defilement of earth, are wont to be cleansed with earth; and you, if you but for a little while lead your mind to our care, that you may be able to aid us, cleanse mud, as it were, with mud. But because you do this by working and at the same time by praying, if any earthly action in you defiles somewhat on our behalf, at once the water of prayer washes it away. For since, if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it, by suffering with our labors show that we are one. For to narrate the evils which I suffer without and within, I am forbidden by the brevity of a letter.

But our common son, the deacon Sabinianus, has laid bare to your most sweet Holiness the wounds that need to be tended in us; yet let him understand, from the salvation which follows upon the burden of heavenly grace, that he is a physician who beholds the wound. As for the servants, I am not sending any who resemble a bishop, unless I myself first, by the help of Almighty God and of your Beatitude, be stripped of my earthly entanglements and become a bishop indeed. For when I have found myself at home within myself, then may I seek abroad for soldiers, however ill-formed they be. Given the tenth day before the Kalends of January.