教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 836 章

Gregory to John, bishop of Palermo. Just as a petition contrary to reason is to be rejected outright, so in those things which are rightly desired it is not fitting to deny the effect. Since therefore, as the petition of Your Fraternity—which is contained under your subscription, in which the presbyters and deacons together with you, and the other ecclesiastical officers, subscribing, gave their consent—states, you desire to exchange with our most beloved son Epiphanius the deacon a house with garden and bath, and everything belonging to it, situated in this city of Rome, which is known to have come to the jurisdiction of the Church of Palermo by inheritance from Florus, once a man of magnificent rank;

and this on the ground that the said house—being partly unroofed, partly in ruins, partly, as is proved, consumed by fire—has, as you testify, for many years past up to now been able to bring no advantage to the interests of the Church; and in this matter you ask that leave be granted to you by our authority. Considering therefore more diligently the intention of the provision, and after it has become known to us also that the house is in the state you assert, and thus, with ruin threatening, is daily becoming worse, so that it may be seen able to be not only unprofitable to your Church but rather henceforth even harmful;

therefore, in accordance with your petition, which the order of truth and reason supports before us, we grant you by the series of this our authority full and entirely free faculty to exchange it, with its bath and garden and everything in general belonging to it; so that, this leave having been thus received, neither may any charge of rashness or incaution look upon you, nor may that man incur any doubt. For it is provident and salutary to procure some gain where there is no hope of profit but rather the fear of loss. Gregory to Fantinus, defensor of Palermo. Such things concerning our brother and fellow-bishop Exhilaratus have come to us, as you yourself also know, as would deserve to be punished with the utmost severity of vengeance;

but since our most reverend brother and fellow-bishop Leo, who also testified that he had been judge in his cause, has now twice mitigated it, we have foreseen that he should be sent back to his own Church, judging it sufficient for him that by detaining him here longer we have afflicted him. Therefore we charge Your Experience to have care over his conduct and actions, and to admonish him frequently, that he ought to show himself kindly in bestowing charity upon his clergy, and, if the matter should require it, solicitous in correcting faults. But we also wish you to admonish his clergy, that they show him the humility and obedience which the Lord commands, and that no one presume to be proud toward him in any matter.

But if any of them—that is, whether bishop or cleric—should neglect your admonition, then, by this our authority, either correct the fault of disobedience by canonical coercion, as you shall judge best, or hasten to report it to us, so that we may be able to arrange in what way the rein of discipline may not permit those to stray from their path whom the incitement of a depraved mind has provoked to excess.