Letter 1036: Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Peter the Subdeacon. The code of instructions which I gave you on your going to Sicily must be diligently perused, so that the greatest care may be taken concerning bishops, lest they mix themselves up in secular causes, except so far as the necessity of defending the poor compels them. But wha...

Book I, Letter 36 To Peter the Subdeacon [Gregory's delegate in Sicily]. Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Peter the Subdeacon. The instructions I gave you when you departed for Sicily must be studied carefully. The greatest attention must be paid to ensuring that bishops do not involve themselves in secular affairs, except where the need to defend the poor compels them. What those instructions say about monks and clergy should likewise be followed without deviation. Enforce these points with the diligence my intent requires. Further, I have learned that from the time of Antoninus the defensor [church legal advocate] until now -- over the past ten years -- many people have suffered acts of violence by agents of the Roman Church. Some publicly complain that their property boundaries were forcibly invaded, their slaves taken, and their possessions seized by force rather than any legal process. In all such cases, I want you to investigate thoroughly. Whatever has been taken by violence or unjustly held in the Church's name during these past ten years, restore it by my authority to its rightful owner. Do not force those who have been wronged to travel all the way to Rome to make their case before me, where the truth of their claims could not easily be verified. With the coming judgment in mind, restore everything that was sinfully taken. Know that you bring me far greater profit by earning heavenly reward than by gathering riches. The main complaint we are hearing concerns slaves. People say that if any man's slave, perhaps a runaway, declared himself to belong to the Church, the Church's administrators immediately claimed him as church property -- without any trial, simply taking the slave's word and backing it with force. This displeases me as much as it is opposed to justice. I want you to correct whatever has been done in this way without delay. Slaves taken into church possession without trial should be returned before any trial, so that if the Church has a legitimate claim, the current possessors may then be dispossessed through proper legal proceedings. Correct all this permanently. You will be a true soldier of the blessed Apostle Peter if you protect the truth in his affairs, even when it means the Church receives nothing. If you find anything that can be justly claimed for the Church, never assert that claim by force. I have established a decree under penalty of excommunication that the Church may never place ownership markers on any farm, urban or rural. Whatever can reasonably be claimed for the poor should also be defended by reason. If a good thing is done badly, we stand convicted of injustice before Almighty God even in what we rightfully seek. Let the noble laymen and the governor respect you for your humility, not fear you for your pride. And yet, if you learn they are committing injustice against the poor, turn your humility into boldness at once. Be submissive when they do right, and oppose them when they do wrong. Conduct yourself so that neither your humility is slack nor your authority rigid -- let integrity season humility, and humility soften your integrity. Finally, since it has been customary for bishops to assemble here for the anniversary of the pope's consecration, do not let them come for my ordination anniversary. Foolish and empty ceremony does not please me. But if they must assemble, let them come for the feast of Peter, the prince of the apostles, to give thanks to the one by whose generosity they are shepherds. Farewell. Given the 17th day before the Kalends of April [March 16], in the ninth year of the Emperor Mauricius.

Book I, Letter 36 To Peter the Subdeacon. Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Peter the Subdeacon. The code of instructions which I gave you on your going to Sicily must be diligently perused, so that the greatest care may be taken concerning bishops, lest they mix themselves up in secular causes, except so far as the necessity of defending the poor compels them. But what is inserted in the same code concerning monks or clerics ought, I think, in no respect to be varied from. But let your Experience observe these things with such great attention as may fulfil my desire in this regard. Further, it has come to my ears that from the times of Antoninus, the defensor, till now, during these last ten years, many persons have endured certain acts of violence from the Roman Church, so that some publicly complain of their boundaries having been violently invaded, their slaves abstracted, and their moveables carried off by force, and not by any judicial process. In all such cases I desire your Experience to keep intent watch, and whatsoever during these last ten years may be found to have been taken away by violence, or retained unjustly in the name of the Church, to restore it by authority of this my order to him to whom it is found to belong; lest he who has suffered violence should be obliged to come to me, and undertake the labour of so long a journey, in which case it could not be ascertained here before me whether or not he spoke the truth. Having regard, then, to the majesty of the Judge who is to come, restore all things that have been sinfully taken away, knowing that you bring great gain to me, if you gather [heavenly] reward rather than riches. But we have ascertained that what the greater part complain of is the loss of their slaves, saying that, if any man's bondman, perhaps running away from his master, has declared himself to belong to the Church, the rectors of the Church have at once kept him as a bondman belonging to the Church, without any trial of the case, but supporting with a high hand the word of the bondman. This displeases me as much as it is abhorrent from the judgment of truth. Wherefore I desire your Experience to correct without delay whatever may be found to have been so done: and it is also fit that any such slaves as are now kept in ecclesiastical possession, as they were taken away without trial, should be restored before trial; so that, if holy Church has any legitimate claim to them, their possessors may then be dispossessed by regular process of law. Correct all these things irretractably, since you will be truly a soldier of the blessed apostle Peter if in his causes you keep guard over the truth, even without his receiving anything. But, if you see anything that may justly be claimed as belonging to the Church, beware lest you ever try to assert such claim by force; especially as I have established a decree under pain of anathema, that tituli may not ever be put by our Church on any urban or rural farm ; but whatever may in reason be claimed for the poor ought also to be defended by reason; lest, a good thing being done in a manner that is not good, we be convicted of injustice before Almighty God even in what we justly seek. Moreover, I pray you, let noble laymen, and the glorious [Prætor] love you for your humility, not dread you for your pride. And yet, if by any chance you know them to be doing any injustice to the indigent, turn your humility at once into exaltation, so as to be always submissive to them when they do well, and opposed to them when they do ill. But so behave that neither your humility be remiss nor your authority stiff, to the end that uprightness season humility, and humility render your very uprightness gentle. Further, since it has been customary for bishops to assemble here for the anniversary of the pontiff, forbid their coming for the day of my ordination, since foolish and vain superfluity delights me not. But if they must needs assemble, let them come for the anniversary of Peter, the prince of the apostles, to render thanks to him by whose bounty they are pastors. Farewell. Given this XVII day of the Kalends of April, in the ninth year of the Emperor Mauricius. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360201036.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.