教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 455 章

Gregory to Maurice Augustus. Almighty God, who has made your Piety the guardian of ecclesiastical peace, keeps you by that same faith which you preserve in sacerdotal unity; and while you humbly subject your heart to the yoke of supernal piety, it is brought about by heavenly grace that you tread down your enemies with the foot of fortitude. For it could be of no small reward that, when John of holy memory was withdrawn from this light, your Piety long hesitated to ordain a bishop, deferred the time a little longer, and with the fear of the Almighty Lord sought counsel, so that, namely, the cause of God might be disposed with great fear.

Hence I also judge my brother and fellow-priest Cyriacus to be exceedingly well suited for pastoral governance, whom the long-considered counsels of Your Piety brought forth to that same rank. All of us know how careful he was, and how well-practised, in administering ecclesiastical affairs long since. Therefore I do not doubt that it came about by the disposition of heaven, that he who had managed the least things well should fittingly undertake greater ones, and should pass from the care of temporal things to the governance of souls.

For this reason we beseech with all our prayers that Almighty God may repay this good to the serenity of our lords and to their pious offspring, both in the present age and in eternal recompense; and that He may grant to my aforesaid brother and fellow-priest, who has been set over the Lord's flock, to exercise the care of souls with full solicitude; so that he may be able blamelessly both to correct the crooked ways of those subject to him and to foster right ways unto their growth; to the end that the judgement of Your Piety concerning him may prove sound, not only before men, but also before the eyes of the heavenly Majesty.

But the venerable men George the priest and Theodore the deacon I did not permit, by command of our lords and on account of the approaching winter season, to endure any delays in this city.