Letter 3050
Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)→Unknown|gregory great
From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome
To: Theodore, bishop
Date: ~593 AD
Context: Gregory praises Bishop Theodore for carefully scrutinizing the lives of priests.
Gregory to Theodore, bishop.
I have heard that you are carefully examining the lives and conduct of the priests in your diocese, and I commend you for this. It is exactly what a bishop should do.
The quality of the priesthood is the quality of the church's ministry; a bishop who does not know how his priests are living and what kind of ministry they are providing is not governing his diocese — he is merely occupying its see. Your willingness to do the harder work of actual oversight is notable.
Continue this practice. Where you find priests who are living badly or ministering carelessly, correct them firmly. Where you find priests who are doing excellent work in difficult circumstances, acknowledge this and give them encouragement. Both kinds of attention are part of episcopal leadership.
Well done. Keep at it.
Gregory
AD THEODORUM EPISCOPUM.
Ipzum laudat quod sacerdotum vitam gollicite perscru-
letur ac renuntiet. Paulum episcopum in monaslerio
ad penitentiam permanere . prEcipit. Hujus descri-
bendas res ac 8ervandas. De Bonifacio grarviter
accusalo inquirendum.
Gregorius Theodoro. episcopo *© Lilib:xtano.
Fralernitatis tuz grala nobis omnino Sollicitudo
es, quia ea qua Je Sacerdotum vita cognoscit, et
perscrulari curat, et invesligala renuntiat. GGI ” Ut
ergo in hac svullicitudine quam in te laudamus possis.
sine diminutione persislere, sludiosus est0 AC Vigi-
lans ; el $i quos illic a quibuslibet, quod absit, exces- C
Sus perpetrari cognoveris, *iquidem tates Sunt qui
emendari ibidem possint, rationabiliter emendentur;
alioquin fratri nosiro Maximiano episcopo $criplis
renuntiare ſeslina, ut quid fiendum sit a vobis infor-
matus agnoscat, Nulla igitur res ab investigatione
pravorum actuum vel insinuatione le revocet. Nam
quanto vigilantiam tuam modolaudamus, tanto culpa-
bilior invenieris, si hujusmodi actus qualibet dissi-
mulatione celaveris.
(, etc., necnon in vet. Excusis. Duo Vaticani non
diverso sensu habent, consili: vestri adhibete partict-
pes. Recentiores vero Vulzati, concilii vestri.
Normannis, Vaticanis tribus consentientibus, Lilli-
bitano , vel Lilibitano. In Yatic. B, Libuitano. In
Colb., Linuvitano, In Audeg., Tillibitano., Lilibewn
urbs erat Siciliz olim celeberrima, cui successit que
vulgo nunc Marsalla dicitur, in valle Mazarz, vulgo
Val di Mazara. Lilibzxum in conciliis maxime noutum
ex Paschasino bujus urbis episcopo, qui in concilio
Chalced. Sancli Leouis pape legatus ſui!.
» Vatic. C, ut ergo hac 80llicitudo....
diminutione 8ubs.
* De cimiliarchio jam dictum ad epist. 20 lib. 1,
Honorato.
4 Norm., rerum inventarii paginam.
© Hoc esl, dearripium, exemplum, apographum.
Und. lb, x11. bit. 19. Varia crant scrinia, libellorum,
- possit 8ine
nasterio in quo est, in penitentia yolumns perma-
nere. Res autem que apud eum invente $unt, in
© cimiliarchio ecclesie tuz servare modis -onmibus
sludebis. De quibus etiam secnndun 4 rerum inveu-
-larum paginam © desusceptum te ſacere rolumus, et
in f scrinium ecclesf# tuz transwittere. Sed et cle-
ricis ejus, $i tamen illie aliqui prasentes sinl, 8 a
pari alind facere desusceptum te convenit, in quo
tua ſraternitas ſateatur quia desusceptum de eisdem
rebus in scrinio nostro emiserit, quatenus, dum ne-
cesse ſuerit, competenti pers0nz res omnes possint
Sine detrimento restitui.
De Bonifacio vero quzedam gravis ad nos accnsa-
tio pervenit, cujus $celera volumus utrum vera sint
B ut fraternitas tua cum * loci servatore praetoris exa-
minel,
EPISTOLA LE
AD MALXIMIANUM EPISCOPUN;
De miraculis Patrum in ltalia ſactis scribere cogitans,
Maximianum rogat ul ea quorum meminit indicet.
Gregorius Maximiano episcopo SYracusano.
Fratres mei qui mecum ſamiliariter vivunt omni
modo me compellunt aliqua de miraculis Patrum
quz in Halia ſacta audivimus Sub brevitale scribere.
Ad quam rem s$olatio * vestr# charilaltis vehementer
indigeo, ut ea que vobis in memoriam redeunt,
quezque cognovisse Vos conligil, miki breviter indice-
lis. » De domuo enim Nonnos0 abbate, qui juxla
domnum Anaslasium de Pentomis ſuit, aliqua re-
tulisse le memini, quz oblivioui mandavi. Et hoc
igilur, et $i qua $unt alia, tuis pelo epistolis imprimi,
et mihi sub celeritate transmilli, $i lamen ad me ipse
non Pproperas. |
◆
From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome
To: Theodore, bishop
Date: ~593 AD
Context: Gregory praises Bishop Theodore for carefully scrutinizing the lives of priests.
Gregory to Theodore, bishop.
I have heard that you are carefully examining the lives and conduct of the priests in your diocese, and I commend you for this. It is exactly what a bishop should do.
The quality of the priesthood is the quality of the church's ministry; a bishop who does not know how his priests are living and what kind of ministry they are providing is not governing his diocese — he is merely occupying its see. Your willingness to do the harder work of actual oversight is notable.
Continue this practice. Where you find priests who are living badly or ministering carelessly, correct them firmly. Where you find priests who are doing excellent work in difficult circumstances, acknowledge this and give them encouragement. Both kinds of attention are part of episcopal leadership.
Well done. Keep at it.
Gregory
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.