教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 806 章

Gregory to Paschasius, bishop of Naples. Those who with sincere intention desire to lead strangers to the Christian religion to the right faith ought to apply themselves with blandishments, not with harshness, lest adversity drive far off those whose mind a plain reasoning laid before them could have summoned. For whoever act otherwise, and under this veil wish to hold men back from the accustomed worship of their rite, are proved to attend to their own causes rather than God's.

For indeed the Jews dwelling at Naples have complained to us, asserting that certain persons are trying unreasonably to bar them from some of the solemn observances of their festivals, so that it is not permitted them to keep the solemnities of their festivals, as until now both they and their forefathers were permitted for long ages past to observe and keep. But if the truth is so, those persons seem to be applying effort to a superfluous thing. For what usefulness is there, when, even if they were forbidden contrary to long custom, it profits nothing toward the faith and conversion of those men? Or why do we set down rules for the Jews as to how they ought to keep their ceremonies, if by this we cannot win them?

We must therefore act so that, provoked rather by reason and gentleness, they may wish to follow us, not to flee, so that, showing them from their own Books the things we say, we may, with God's help, be able to convert them to the bosom of mother Church. And so let your Fraternity kindle them, by admonitions as far as it can, with God's help, toward conversion, and not permit them again to be disturbed concerning their solemnities; but let them have free licence to observe and celebrate all their festivals and holidays, just as hitherto both they themselves and their forefathers, observing them through long ages past, have held them. Gregory to Barbarus, bishop of Benevento. A report sent to us has disclosed the death of Victor, prelate of the city of Palermo.

Wherefore we solemnly delegate to your Fraternity the charge of the destitute Church left without visitation, which it behoves you so to exercise that nothing of the promotions of the clergy, the revenue, the ornaments, the ministries, or whatever there is in the patrimony of that same Church, may be presumed upon by anyone against the Church. And therefore let your Charity hasten to go to the aforesaid Church, and make haste to admonish the clergy and people of that same Church by assiduous exhortations, that, all partisanship removed, with one and the same consent they may seek out for themselves such a priest to be set over them as may prove worthy of so great a ministry and be in no way rejected by the venerable canons.

And when he has been requested, let him come to us to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree corroborated by the subscriptions of all and with the testimony of your Charity's letters. Admonishing also your Fraternity that you permit no one to be chosen from another Church, unless perhaps among the clergy of that same city, in which you are performing the office of visitation, no one worthy of the episcopate—which we do not believe will happen—could be found; providing before all things that you do not permit a lay person of any manner of life or merit to aspire to this, lest both their endeavour be held ineffectual, and you incur, which God forbid, peril to your order.

Moreover, whatever monasteries there are established in that same parish, we grant that they be under your care and disposition until a proper bishop shall have been ordained there. Gregory to the clergy, order, and people residing at Palermo. Learning of the death of your prelate, it was our care solemnly to delegate the visitation of the destitute Church to our brother and fellow bishop Barbarus. To whom we gave in charge that he should suffer nothing of the promotions of the clergy, the revenue, the ornaments, and the ministries to be usurped by anyone.

It behoves you to obey his assiduous exhortations, and, all tumult removed, with one and the same consent to seek out for yourselves such a priest to be set over you as both may differ in no respect from the venerable canons and may prove worthy of so great a ministry. When he has been requested, with the solemnity of a decree corroborated by the subscriptions of all, and with the visitor's page accompanying, let him come to us to be ordained; providing before all things that you do not presume to choose a lay person of any manner of life or merit, and know that not only shall he by no reason be promoted to the summit of the episcopate, but also that you yourselves can obtain pardon by no intercessions; but also all of you who shall be found to have aspired from a lay person's rank shall,

without doubt know that they are to be made strangers to office and to communion.