Letter 4010: Gregory to all the bishops through Dalmatia. It behooved your Fraternity, having the eyes of the flesh closed out of regard to Divine judgment, to have omitted nothing that appertains to God and to a right inclination of mind, nor to have preferred the countenance of any man whatever to the uprightness of justice. But now that your manners have ...

Gregory to All the Bishops throughout Dalmatia. Your Fraternity should have closed its eyes to worldly considerations out of reverence for divine judgment, neglecting nothing that pertains to God and to the integrity of your calling. You should never have preferred any man's favor to the demands of justice. But now that your conduct has been so thoroughly corrupted by secular entanglements — to the point that you have forgotten both the dignity of your priestly office and all sense of heavenly fear, and study only what pleases yourselves rather than God — we have found it necessary to send you these especially firm instructions. By the authority of the blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, we command: you are not to presume to lay hands on anyone in the city of Salona for ordination to the episcopate without our consent and permission. No one is to be ordained in that city except as we have specified. If, on your own initiative or under pressure from anyone whatever, you presume or attempt to act contrary to this order, we shall decree you deprived of participation in the Lord's Body and Blood. Your very involvement in such proceedings, or even your inclination to defy our command, will cut you off from the sacred mysteries. And no one whom you ordain under such circumstances will be recognized as a bishop. We will not allow anyone to be ordained rashly whose life is open to reproach. Therefore, if the deacon Honoratus is shown to be unworthy, we require that a report on the life and character of the alternative candidate be sent to us, so that we may authorize the ordination to proceed properly, with our approval. We trust in Almighty God that, so far as it lies with us, we will never permit anything to be done that would endanger our soul — or damage your Church.

Book IV, Letter 10 To All the Bishops of Dalmatia. Gregory to all the bishops through Dalmatia. It behooved your Fraternity, having the eyes of the flesh closed out of regard to Divine judgment, to have omitted nothing that appertains to God and to a right inclination of mind, nor to have preferred the countenance of any man whatever to the uprightness of justice. But now that your manners have been so perverted by secular concerns, that, forgetting the whole path of the sacerdotal dignity that is yours, and all sense of heavenly fear, you study to accomplish what may please yourselves and not God, we have held it necessary to send you these specially strict written orders, whereby, with the authority of the blessed Peter, Prince of the apostles, we enjoin that you presume not to lay hands on any one whatever in the city of Salona, so far as regards ordination to episcopacy, without our consent and permission; nor to ordain any one in the same city otherwise than as we have said. But if, either of your own accord, or under compulsion from any one whatever, you should presume or attempt to do anything contrary to this injunction, we shall decree you to be deprived of participation of the Lord's body and blood, that so your very handling of the business, or your very inclination to transgress our order, may cut you off from the sacred mysteries, and no one may be accounted a bishop whom you may ordain. For we wish no one to be rashly ordained whose life can be found fault with. And so, if the deacon Honoratus is shown to be unworthy, we desire that a report may be sent us of the life and manners of him who may be elected, that whatever is to be done in this matter we may allow to be carried out salubriously with our consent. For we trust in Almighty God that, as far as in us lies, we may never suffer to be done what may damage our soul; never what may damage your Church. But, if the voluntary consent of all should so fix on one person that by the favour of God he may be proved worthy, and there should be no one to dissent from his being ordained, we wish him to be consecrated by you in this same church of Salona under the license granted in this present epistle; excepting notwithstanding the person of Maximus, about whom many evil reports have reached us: and, unless he desists from coveting the higher order, it remains, as I think, that after full enquiry, he should be deprived also of the very office which he now holds. 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/360204010.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.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.