Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 420

Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples. We wrote to your Fraternity before this time, that to those who, God inspiring, desire to come from the Jewish superstition to the Christian faith, their masters should have no license of selling them; but that from the time they had disclosed the desire of their will, they ought in all respects to be defended into liberty. But because, as far as we have learned, some—knowing how to weigh neither our will nor the statutes of the laws with subtle discretion—do not think that they are bound by this condition with regard to their pagan slaves, it behooves your Fraternity to be solicitous concerning these matters;

and if, of their slaves, not only a Jew but also any of the pagans should wish to become a Christian, after his will has been made manifest, let there be no faculty for anyone to sell him to any of the Jews under any device or pretext whatsoever; but let him who desires to be converted to the Christian faith be by your defense vindicated into liberty by all means. But those who in such a case ought to lose their slaves—lest perchance they should unreasonably reckon their own interests to be impeded—it is fitting that you observe these things with careful consideration;

namely, that if pagans, whom for the sake of trade they have bought from foreign parts, should happen within three months—while a buyer to whom they may be sold is being found—to flee to the Church, and should say that they wish to become Christians, or even outside the Church should disclose such a will, let them receive their price from a Christian buyer. But if after the aforesaid three months any slave of this kind should declare his will, and should wish to become a Christian, let no one afterward dare to buy him, nor let the master under any species of occasion dare to sell him, but let him without doubt be led to the rewards of liberty, because he is understood to have reserved him not for selling, but for serving himself.

Let your Fraternity therefore observe all these things so watchfully that neither the supplication of certain persons, nor personal influence, may be able to steal upon you. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book IV, no. 46.)