教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 808 章

Gregory to Leo, Secundinus, John, Donus, Lucidus, and Trajan, bishops of Sicily. Just as we are admonished to impart spiritual aids to one another through the prayer of the apostle, so in those things which, by the necessity of the office of governance laid upon us, shall have been arranged by us, with God as author, for the administration of the goods of the poor, it is fitting that priestly comforts should not be lacking.

Since we are directing the bearer of the present letter, Adrian, our chartulary, to govern our Church's patrimony — namely of the region of Syracuse — we have judged it necessary to commend him to your fraternity, so that, wherever occasion shall require, you may confer your comforts upon him; that, being sustained by you both in bodily matters for carrying out his work and, for the ease of accomplishing what he has begun, by the spiritual aids of your prayers, he may be able, with God cooperating, to bring to a prosperous conclusion the tasks enjoined upon him by us. And you yourselves ought so to show yourselves in good works before the sight of Almighty God, that nothing may be found in your conduct which could either be smitten under God's judgment, or be accused by any scheming man.

For we have also enjoined upon this same aforesaid chartulary of ours that, if he should learn of anything done disorderly by our most reverend brother bishops, he should first indeed correct it himself by secret and modest exhortation; but if these things be not thus amended, he should quickly make it known to us. Moreover, it has been reported to us that in the times of my predecessor of holy memory it was arranged, through the deacon Servusdei, who even then had the care of the ecclesiastical patrimony, that the priests appointed throughout your various dioceses, as often as you go out to confirm infants, ought by no means to be burdened beyond measure.

For a fixed sum had been prescribed — with your consent, as I hear — which ought to be given by those same priests for the labor of the clergy. And this which then was agreed upon is now, as is said, by no means observed. Wherefore I admonish your fraternity that you should not be intent upon being burdensome to those subject to you, but that you should temper whatever burdens there may be, since neither ought you to have deviated from what was once determined. For you look out both for your future life and your present one, if you keep those who are committed to you without burden.