Pope Gregory the Great & Romanus, Patrician, and Exarch of Italy

Even though there were no immediate cause for writing to your Excellency, yet we ought to show solicitude for your health and safety so as to learn through frequent intercommunication what we desire to hear about you. Besides, it has come to our knowledge that Blandus, bishop of the city of Hortanum , has been detained now for a long time by you...

Gregory to Romanus, Patrician, and Exarch of Italy. We believe that your Excellency is already aware of the death of Laurentius, bishop of the church of Mediolanum. And since, so far as we have learned from the report of the clergy, all have agreed in the election of our son Constantius, deacon of the same church, it was necessary for us, for ke...

Our care for the purpose before us prompts us to commit the looking after ecclesiastical interests to active persons. And so, since we have found you, Romanus, to have been a trusty and diligent guardian, we have thought fit to commit to your government from this present second indiction the patrimony of the holy Roman Church, which by the mercy...

Our son Theodosius, abbot of the Monastery founded by the late Patrician Liberius in Campania, is known to have intimated to us that the late illustrious lady Rustica about one and twenty years ago, in the will that she made, appointed in the first place Felix, her husband, to be her heir, and delegated to him the foundation of a Monastery in Si...

Although the law with reason allows not things that come into possession of the Church to be alienated, yet sometimes the strictness of the rule should be moderated, where regard to mercy invites to it, especially when there is so great a quantity that the giver is not burdened, and the poverty of the receiver is considerably relieved. And so, i...

It has come to our ears that certain men, having altogether too little discernment, desire us to become implicated in their risks, and wish to be so defended by ecclesiastical persons, that the ecclesiastical persons themselves may be bound by their guilt. Wherefore I admonish you by this present injunction, and through you our brother and fello...

Gregory to Romanus the guardian, Fantinus the guardian, Sabinus the subdeacon, Sergius the guardian, Boniface the guardian (a paribus ), and the six patroni. Since, even as cautious foresight knows how to block the way against faults, and to avoid what is hurtful, so neglect opens the way to excesses, and is wont to incur what ought to be guarde...

It has come to our ears that the tonsuratores in Sicily, with wicked presumption, take to themselves the name of defensores, and that they not only are of no utility for the interests of the Church, but also take occasion hence to commit many irregularities. Consequently we enjoin your Experience by this present authority to enquire diligently ...

The bearers of these presents, who came hither from the parts of Istria to find their bishop who is now living in the parts of Sicily, have asked us to speed them in their way, and we have arranged for their journey hence. Let, then, your Experience receive them, and arrange for their reaching their said bishop as soon as possible; lest, as they...

Gregory to Romanus, our guardian in Sicily. It has been reported to us that our most reverend brother the bishop Basilius is occupied in legal suits as though he were one of the last of the people, and unprofitably attends the courts. Now, since this thing both renders the man himself vile and does away with the reverence due to priests, let you...

It has come to our knowledge that, if any one has a suit against any clerics, you cause these clerics to be brought before you for judgment, setting at nought their bishops. If this be so, seeing that it is evidently very unsuitable, we order you by this our authority that you presume not to do it any more. But, if any one should have a suit aga...

It is well known to your Experience that Peter, whom we have made a guardian (defensorem), is sprung from the estate belonging to our Church which is called Vitelas. And so, since we ought to show kindness towards him in such a way that nevertheless the Church may suffer no disadvantage, we command you by this order to charge him strictly not to...