Letter 11079

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: John, Bishop of Prima Justiniana [a major see in the Balkans, modern Skopje area] Date: ~601 AD Context: Gregory, learning of the scandals of Paul the bishop of Doclea, instructs John on what to do about them. Gregory to John, bishop of Prima Justiniana. The bishop Paul of Doclea [a city in what is now Montenegro] has been brought to my attention through reports of serious misconduct. The offenses described are not minor disciplinary lapses — they appear to be grave enough to require formal action. I direct you to take up this matter. Convene the appropriate council of local bishops to examine the charges against Paul formally. Ensure the examination is thorough and fair: hear Paul's response to the charges, examine the evidence, and weigh everything honestly. Then apply what the canons require. If the charges are sustained, the canonical consequences follow. If they are not sustained, Paul is to be vindicated publicly so that his standing is restored. The church cannot allow serious misconduct by a bishop to go unaddressed — both for the sake of the people he governs and for the integrity of the episcopate as a whole. Gregory

AD JOANNEM PRIME JUSTINIANE EPISCOPUM, Ezposilis Pauli Docleatint episcopi flagitiis, prazcribit : remedia. Gregorius Joanni episcopo prime Justinianze. Quando mala quz pcenitentie fletu purganda sunt augentur. excessibus, ita major delinquentibus est adhibenda correptio, ut et ipsi ſacinus suum saltem pena vindicante cognoscant, et alios 3b illicitis * ec- clesiaStice ultionis timor inhibeat. Dilectissimus ita- que lator presentium Nemesion ad nos veniens indi- cavit (Gras. 2, q. 7, c. 44), $icut et gestorum exem- plaria quz hue detulit conlinebant, Paulum Þ Doclea- line civitatis episcopum, . inter alia mala in corporale crimen lapsum, a $uis fuisse clericis accusatum, at- [24% AL non timuit. Qui si forte, quod non credimus, post de- po-itionem $uam inverecunde ac mente perversa aliquid de episcopatu loqui atque ru ad hoc qua- libet aspirare presumptione tentavgrit , ſraternilatis vesirz $e contra improbitatem ipsius omnino vigor accendat, alque dominici corporis ac sanguinis com- munione privatum in monaslerium eum usque ad diem obitus 8ui ad agendam curet penitentiam re- trudendum , quatenus perpetrati sceleris maculas di- gnis discat fletibus emundare, quas magis in interitu anim2 Su2 nequiter augere desiderat. Suprascriptus autem dilectissimus ſrater noster Nemesion in loco SU0 et episcopatus officio procul dubio reformetur, etne denuo hacde re inquietudinem ac molestiam patia- que, habita cognitione, L 2OY ita, quod sine dolore B tur, sollicitos vos esse necesse est, quia hoe non solum dicere non pos8umus, claruisse, atque insuper, post- quam convictus est, etiam eum libellum in quo ea de quibus accusatus fuerat vera esSe cogfessus est oblu- lie ; qua de re sententia, illo episcopali deposito, ejus loco se cum ſraternilatis ves{re2 Consensu es$e epixcopum. ordinatum ; sed nunc eumdem Paulum eum auxilio s#cularium judicum - venientem episco- pum more predonis ingressum, ablatisque violenter rebus ecclesiz, ab eo se projectum © et ad summam injuriam ac necem pene perductum. Et quoniam tante nequitiz pravitas, nec dissimulanda, nec leviter at- lendenda est, ſraternitas vestra hac omnia diligeiter curet addiscere, et $i ita 8e ut edocti sumus veritas habet, predictum Paulum districta faciat exsecutione 4 ad hujus munitionem, verum etiam ad aliorum conslat emendationem proficere, ut pravorum homi- num presumpltio nihil de extero contra gacrorum canonum staluta, vel ecclesiasticam disciplinam ullo modo audeat altentare.