Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 816

Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon of Campania. It has come to us that our brother and fellow bishop Paschasius is so slothful and negligent in all things, that in nothing may he be recognized as being a bishop; to such a degree that neither his Church, nor the monasteries, nor his sons, nor the oppressed poor feel any zeal of his love toward them, nor does he furnish any help of defense to those who supplicate him in matters wherein it is just, and — what is yet more grievous to say — he suffers by no reasoning to receive the counsels of the wise and of those advising rightly, so that what he cannot attend to of himself, he might at least learn from another;

but, having set aside the things which pertain to a shepherd's care, he occupies himself uselessly with all zeal in building ships. Whence, as is reported, it has come about that he has already lost four hundred solidi or more. This too is added to his faults, that thus daily, despised, he is said to go down to the sea with one or two clerics, so that he is a byword among his own people, and appears so cheap and contemptible to strangers, that he is judged to have in himself nothing of episcopal spirit or reverence. And if this is so, know that it is not without your fault, who have deferred to reprove and coerce him, as is fitting.

Since therefore all this not only reproves him, but is also proved to pertain to the reproach of the priestly office, we wish that you should, in the presence of other priests or of certain of his noble sons, formally protest to him concerning this matter, and exhort him that, the vice of torpor having been shaken off, he ought not to be slothful, but should be vigilant in the care of his Church and of its monasteries; that he should show fatherly charity to his sons, and be upright with discretion in the defense of the poor, in matters wherein justice shall have advised; that he should willingly receive the counsels of the wise, so that both that city may be able to be consoled by his solicitude, and he himself may be able to cover the faults of his sloth.

But if — which we do not believe — after this exhortation of ours he should attempt to be negligent still in his accustomed manner, he is by all means to be sent to us, so that, placed here, he may be able to learn what and in what manner a priest ought to act according to the fear of God. Given in the month of March, in the sixth indiction.