教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 399 章

The intimation of your writings, most dear brethren, has disclosed that our brother Andrew, bishop of the city of Nicopolis, has, God being favourable, been solemnly ordained. Since you signify that his consecration came about by the assent of clergy and provincials, we rejoice; and we pray that the good things which you testify concerning him may remain in him, and, with the cooperation of God's grace, receive increase, since the goodness of prelates is assuredly the salvation of their subjects. It behoves you, therefore, the more diligently to hasten to imitate those things which, praising them, you show to please you in his person. For both among men it is a fault and before God a punishment to be unwilling to imitate any good that pleases. Let obedience, therefore, lend faith to your testimony.

Let no one contradict him in those things which, the integrity of the Church being preserved, he shall enjoin for the common utility. Let each of you willingly show his devotion; so that, while there is a priestly and faithful concord among you, pleasing to God, no envy may be able to loose you from the bond of mutual charity, nor any diversity to disturb you. For neither will there be any access for the crafty enemy in your hearts, since he knows that he can in no wise be either captured or received where charity, wholly sincere, has found its place. Be moreover solicitous, most dear brethren, and to the flock committed to you expend the vigilance which you have undertaken and owe; meet the frauds of the enemy with solicitude and prayer.

With uncontaminated faith render up the people to our God, over whom you preside, that the priestly office may profit you before the sight of the eternal Judge not to punishment but to a crown. Know, therefore, that we have sent the pallium to the above-written Andrew, our brother and fellow-bishop, and have granted all the privileges which our predecessors conferred upon his predecessors. Moreover, it has come to us that sacred orders in those parts were being conferred with the giving of a bribe. But if this be so — I say it with sorrow, and announce it with groaning — that when the priestly order has fallen inwardly, it cannot long stand even outwardly.

For we know from the Gospel what our Redeemer did by Himself: that entering the temple, He overthrew the seats of them that sold doves (Matt. XXI, 12). For to sell doves is to receive temporal profit for the Holy Spirit, whom Almighty God, consubstantial with Himself, bestows upon men through the imposition of hands. From which evil, as I have said before, is already intimated what follows: that they who have presumed to sell doves in the temple of God, their seats, God being the judge, have fallen. Which error indeed is propagated among subordinates with increase. For by this very fact, that each one is brought to sacred orders, being already corrupted in the very root of his advancement, he is ready to sell to others what he bought. And where is that which is written:

Freely you have received, freely give (Matt. X, 8)? And since the simoniac heresy was the first to arise against the holy Church, why is it not weighed, why is it not seen, that he who ordains anyone for a price, by advancing him acts so that he becomes a heretic? For which reason I admonish and adjure that you ought to be altogether solicitous, that no giving of a bribe, no favour, no entreaty of any persons whatsoever should claim for itself anything in sacred orders, but that he be brought to this office whom gravity of morals and conduct commends. For if — which we do not believe — we perceive any such thing to be done, we will correct it, as is fitting, with canonical severity.

But may Almighty God, who by the power of His wisdom marvellously orders all things, and mercifully keeps what He has ordered, Himself both grant to you the will and to work what He commands. Gregory to Donus, bishop of Messina. Prompted by the benevolence of the Apostolic See and by the order of ancient custom, we have foreseen that the use of the pallium is to be granted to your Fraternity, who are established to have undertaken the office of governance in the Church of Messina — namely, at those times and in that order in which we do not doubt that each of your predecessors also used it:

admonishing you nonetheless, that just as you rejoice to have received from us the use of an adornment of this kind unto the honour of the priestly office, so also you may strive to adorn by the probity of your morals and deeds, unto the glory of Christ, the office undertaken by our authority. For thus indeed will you be conspicuous in a mutual and reciprocal seemliness, if to a bodily attire of this kind all the good things of your mind also accord. For all the privileges which are established to have been formerly granted to your Church we confirm by our authority, and decree that they remain inviolate;