Letter 13049

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Unknown|gregory great
From: Pope Gregory I
To: John the Defender
Date: August 603 AD
Context: Gregory gives John a formula of judgment to use in his cases

I am providing you herewith a model sentence formula to guide your judgments in the cases you have been assigned to adjudicate. Follow it closely, adapting it only as the specific facts of each case require and as justice demands. The authority you exercise is delegated from this see, and your judgments must reflect the care and fairness that such authority requires. Do not be swayed by the powerful, do not neglect the cases of the poor, and ensure that every party before you has been heard before you render judgment. A defender who fails to defend with justice is worse than no defender at all.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.