Letter 1060

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: The clergy, order, and people of Perugia Date: ~591 AD Context: Gregory addresses the clergy and people of Perugia, likely about the election or governance of their bishop. Gregory to the clergy, order, and people resident at Perugia. The care of a church without a bishop — or with a bishop whose governance has been disrupted — is a matter that concerns both the local community and the apostolic see. I write to you now to address the situation in your city. A church well governed is not governed by its bishop alone but by the cooperation of bishop, clergy, and people, each fulfilling their proper role. The clergy are to maintain the liturgical life and pastoral care; the people are to receive that ministry with gratitude and to support those who provide it; and the bishop, when properly established, is to lead the whole community according to the canons and the example of Christ. I ask you to maintain good order in your church and to demonstrate by your conduct that the church of Perugia is worthy of the oversight the apostolic see exercises over it. Write to me if there are matters that require my attention. Gregory

AD CLERUM ORDINEM, ET PLEBEM CONSISTENTEM PE- RUSIM. Ne episcopi electionem diutius diſſerant. Cregorius clero, ordini, ct plebi consistenti * Pe- TuSiz. Miramur, carissimi fratres in Christo, quare Eccle- Siam Dei tanto tempore absque Rectore conspicitis, ac de vestro lotiusque plebis regimine minime cogi- latis. Notum est cuim, quod grex, $i pastoris cura defuerit, per avia gradiatur, et ob hoc Þ ſacilius inj- mici laqueos insidiautis incurrat. Unde necesse est de his qui Ecclesize militant unum, habito timore Do- mini, perquirere, qui Pastoris ministerium possit di- gne suscipere, atque illic, protegente Doinino, sacra- mentorum divinorum dispensator insisterc, qualenus et pro filiis Ecclesize vesire purz quotidie mentis holocaustum offerat, et viam gregi, quomodo ad $u- pernam patriam gradi.atur, ostendat.