Letter 3006: Gregory to John, bishop of Prima Justiniana. After the long afflictions which Adrian, bishop of the city of Thebæ, has endured from his fellow priests, as though they had been his enemies, he has fled for refuge to the Roman city. And though his first representation had been against John, bishop of Larissa, to wit that in pecuniary causes he had...

Book III, Letter 6 To John, Bishop of Prima Justiniana [Gregory's vicar in Illyricum, the western Balkans]. Gregory to John, Bishop of Prima Justiniana. After the long sufferings that Adrian, bishop of the city of Thebes [in Greece], has endured from his fellow clergy -- as though his misfortunes were not already heavy enough -- he has come to us with bitter complaints. He reports that he was condemned unjustly by his fellow bishops, without proper canonical procedure [the formal legal process required by church law], and that his repeated appeals have been ignored. We have examined his account carefully. If what he reports is true, a grave injustice has been done -- not only to Adrian personally but to the order and discipline of the Church. No bishop may be condemned without a fair hearing conducted according to the canons. No sentence is valid if the accused was denied the right to present his defense. We therefore direct Your Fraternity, as our vicar in that region, to investigate this case thoroughly. Summon the parties involved and hear both sides. If you find that Adrian was indeed condemned unjustly and without proper procedure, restore him to his see. If the charges against him have substance, ensure they are properly tried according to canon law. Above all, make clear to all the bishops in your region that the rule of law must be followed in ecclesiastical proceedings. The strong may not simply impose their will on the weak. Every bishop, however humble his see, has the right to due process and a fair hearing. We will not tolerate any departure from this principle.

Book III, Letter 6 To John, Bishop. Gregory to John, bishop of Prima Justiniana. After the long afflictions which Adrian, bishop of the city of Thebæ, has endured from his fellow priests, as though they had been his enemies, he has fled for refuge to the Roman city. And though his first representation had been against John, bishop of Larissa, to wit that in pecuniary causes he had given judgment without regard to the laws, yet after this he complained most grievously rather against the person of your Fraternity, accusing you of having deposed him unjustly from the degree of priesthood. But we, giving no credence to petitions that have not been enquired into, perused the acts of the proceedings, whether before our brother and fellow bishop John, or before your Fraternity. And indeed concerning the judgment of the above-named John, bishop of Larissa, which was suspended on appeal, both the most pious emperors, in their orders sent to the bishop of Corinth, have sufficiently decreed, and we have decreed also, Christ helping us, in our letters directed through the bearers of these presents to the aforesaid John of Larissa. But having ventilated the conflicting judgments, the examination of which the imperial commands had committed to you, and inspected the series of proceedings held before the bishop John concerning the incriminated persons, we find that you have investigated almost nothing pertaining to the questions named and assigned to you for decision, but by certain machinations hast produced witnesses against the deacon Demetrius, who were to allege with a view to the condemnation of this same bishop, that they had heard this Demetrius bearing testimony concerning the said bishop — a thing not even lawful to be heard of. And when Demetrius in person denied having done so, it appears that, contrary to the custom of the priesthood and canonical discipline, you gave him into the hands of the prætor of the province as a deacon deposed from his dignity. And when, mangled by many stripes, he might perchance have said some things falsely against his bishop under the pressure of torment, we find that to the very end of the business he confessed absolutely nothing of the things about which he was interrogated. Neither do we find anything else in the proceedings themselves, whether in the depositions of witnesses or in the declaration of Adrian, to his disadvantage. But it is only that your Fraternity, I know not with what motive, in contempt of law, human and divine, has pronounced an abrupt sentence against him; which, even though it had not been suspended on appeal, being pronounced in contravention of the laws and canons, could not rightly in itself have stood. Further, after, as is abundantly evident, the appeal had been handed to you, we wonder why you have not sent your people to us to render an account of your judgment according to the undertaking delivered to our deacon Honoratus by the representatives of your church. This omission convicts you either of contumacy or of trepidation of conscience. If, then, these things which have been brought before us have the rampart of truth, inasmuch as we consider that, taking advantage of your vicariate jurisdiction under us, you are presuming unjustly, we will, with the help of Christ, decree further concerning these things, according to the result of our deliberations. But as regards the present, by the authority of the blessed Peter, Prince of the apostles, we decree that, the decrees of your judgment being first annulled and made of none effect, thou be deprived of holy communion for the space of thirty days, so as to implore pardon of our God for so great transgression with the utmost penitence and tears. But, if we should come to know that you have been remiss in carrying out this our sentence, know thou that not the injustice only, but also the contumacy, of your Fraternity will have to be more severely punished. But, as to our aforesaid brother and fellow bishop Adrian, condemned by your sentence, which, as we have said, was consistent with neither canons nor laws, we order that he be restored, Christ being with him, to his place and rank; so that neither may he be injured by the sentence of your Fraternity pronounced in deviation from the path of justice, nor may your Charity remain uncorrected; that so we may appease the indignation of the future judge. 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/360203006.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.) 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