Letter 4052

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: John, archbishop [of Constantinople or Corinth] Date: ~594 AD Context: Gregory praises Bishop Secundinus for having rightly judged and settled the case of Anastasius. Gregory to John, archbishop. I want to commend to you the work of Bishop Secundinus, who handled the case of Anastasius with exactly the kind of careful, honest judgment that the case required. He examined the evidence, applied the relevant canonical principles, and reached a conclusion that I believe is just and defensible. This is what good episcopal judgment looks like: not rushing to judgment under pressure from one party or another, not protecting the powerful at the expense of the weak, not finding technical reasons to avoid a clear answer when a clear answer is available. Secundinus has done well. I ask you to acknowledge this to him and to the relevant community, so that the effort of doing justice well is publicly recognized. The church benefits when good judgment is praised as well as when bad judgment is corrected. Gregory

AD JOANNEM ARCHIEPISCOPUN. Laudat Secundinum episcopum quod Anast1s8ii causam recle discus8erit ac finierit. Clericis qui ab Anastasii accusatione destiierant, Paulo quidem et Clematio, - luum interdicit. Singulis consueta 8lipendia vult erogari, « Paulo reslitui quidquid in Ecclesia ulili- latem expenderat. - Gregorius Joanni * archiepiscopo Corinthioram. Xquitatem atque $0jlicitudinem Secundini fratris et coepisco; i nostri, quz 0'im bene-nobis est cognita, etiam » series indicata monstravil. In qua re valde placuit, lztosque nos reddidit, quia in causa Anasta- S$ii quondam epi>copi, quam ei examinandam injunxi- mus, vigilantiam $uam 2t diligenter exercuit, et c6- gnila crimina, ut jufitia posccbat et oportuit, © judi- cavit. Sed in his omnibus gratias omnipotenti Deo referimus, qui, desisle ilibus quibusdam accusatori- bus,. c-gnitioni ejus veritalem, ne lantorum Causa facinorum [:tere fotuissel, ostendit, Quoviam vero in eadem $ententia in qua Suprascriplum Anasta- D $;um juste damni»tum constat atque depositum Sic quasdam suprascriptus ſrater et coepiscopus no-ler ultus personas est, ut nostro arbitrio reservaret, id- ler., etc., non Prudentius, ut legitur in Excusis. © Ita lectum in dnobus Vatic., non autem in n0+ SItris veleribus Codicibus. EersT. Lil [ Al. 51]. — * In Vulgatis, episcopo. Ob- Sequimur unanimi Mss. consensui. —_— OO = 0 ED Re OY —_—— circo quid de eis tenendum Servandumque Sit pree- A plans Paulus diaconus multa $e kf pro uilitate Fecle- Senti epistola 8ignare perspeximns. Paulum itaque diaconom (Grar. 2, q. 4, c. 6) la- torem prxsentium, quamvis culpa s1ua vehementer confundat atque redarguat, quod deceptus promis=- gione, 1 ab accusatione JgFQ nuper depositi quon- dam episcopi sui destiterit, et cupiditatis Studio $i- lere conra animam $uam polius quam prodere vera consenserit, tamen quia pios plus nos esse convenit quam districtos, hane ci culpam ignoscimus, atque eum in ordine locoque $U0 recipiendum esse cense-. mus. Nam ei a tempore prolatz 'sententie aſflictio- - nem quam pertulit credimus ad vindictam hujus posse cvlpz sufficere. Euphemium vero atque Tho- mam (Grat. ibid.) , qui pro deserenda accusatione $acros ordines acceperunt, eisdem $acris privatos BR ordinibus esse atque ita Sicuti sunt depositi volumus permanere, nec unquam eos Sub qualibet excusatio- nis Specie 8acros in ordines revocari decernimus. Nam nimis indignum, et contra ecclesiastice regulam disciplinz est, ut honore, quem non ex.merilis sed pro sceleris premio perceperunt, ſungantur. Quia tamen plus misericordiz quam districlie nos con- venit operam dare justitix, eosdem Euphemium at- que Thomam in ordine locoque tantummodo unde ad ordines sacros-promoti ſuerant volumus revocari, el cunctis diebus vitze $uz eorumdem © Iocorum continentiam. $Sicut consneverant ante percipiant. Clematium vero lectorem similiter benignitatis in- twitu in ordinem locumque $num revocantfim esse size veslre memorat expeniisse, et ut . ea possit re- cipere ſraternitatis vestra2 $0latio desiderat adjuyari, horiamvr, ut, $i ita ext, omni ei possibilitate ad re- cipienda quz dedit debeatis concurrere, alque ves'ris -um auxiliis adjuvare, quia nulla ratio patitur ut in his qu:e pro utilitate generalitatis impendit altiquod s1$tineat injuste dispendium. Preterea tres libras auri, quas, imminente $suprascripto fratre et coepi- $cvpo nostro Secundino, eumdem Paulum diaconum pro utilitale vestrz dedisse constat Ecclesiz, frater- nitas vestra eas cessante dilatione restituat, ne, quod absit, non rationabiliter, sed sola eum gravare voluntate tantummodo videatur 8.