Letter 3039

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: The bishops of Corinth [Greece] Date: ~593 AD Context: Gregory sends a deacon to investigate a dispute between Bishop Adrian and the other bishops of his province. Gregory to the bishops of Corinth. Dispute has arisen between your brother bishop Adrian and others in your ecclesiastical province. The matter requires careful investigation before any judgment can be rendered, and I have therefore sent a deacon to examine the situation in person. I ask you to receive him and to cooperate fully with his investigation. Tell him what you know; produce whatever documents are relevant; give him access to the witnesses and information he needs to understand the situation accurately. The outcome of this investigation will determine what steps I take. Those steps will be governed by what the investigation reveals, not by the position of any party beforehand. I am not prejudging this matter; I am trying to understand it. Your cooperation in that process will be noted. Gregory

AD EPISCOPOS CORINTHI10S, Diaconum mittit , qui de audita Adrianum _ inter et episcopos ejus accusalores reconciliatione in- quirat, Gregorius universis episcopis Corinthiis. Desiderii nostri est ad concordiam * redire discor- des, et unitos esse in gratia eos quos divisos ab alte- rutra dilecti'one voluntatis facit esse GY diversitas. Scripta igitur ſraternitatis vestre relegentes, agnovi- mus quod hi, qui contra Þ Adrianum fratrem et co- episcopum nostrum aliqua dixerant, modo cum eodem episcopo in amicitiam convenissent, et magna nobis ad prexsens fſacta est de eorum unilate l:etitia. Sed quoniam ea quze dicta Sunt indiscussa remanere non patimur, Sedis nostrz diaconum ad ea investiganda dirigimus ; quia nuntiati nos facinoris qualitas vehe- menter impellit nt ea quz audivimus dissimulare nullatenus debeamus , przsertim cum accusatores et accusatum inter $e fecisse gratiam indicastis, hoe nobis necesse est sublilius perscrutari, ne fortasse eorum sit comparala concordia ; quz $i, quod absit, non ex charitate, sed ex przemio ſacta constiterit, majori hoc emendatione plectendum est. Nam nos qui canonice, revelante Deo, mala, si quidem vera sunt, resecare precedentia lestinamus, commissam postmodum culpam Sine vindicta nulla ratione di- miltimus ©. |