Letter 7020: Our pastoral charge constrains us to succour with anxious consideration any Churches that are deprived of the government of a priest. Accordingly, inasmuch as your Church has long been deprived of pastoral rule from the malady, as you know, of its own priest, we, moved by your entreaties, have not failed to admonish the said bishop, that, if he ...

Gregory to the Clergy and People of Rimini. Our pastoral duty compels us to give anxious attention to any churches that are left without the governance of a priest. Your church has long been without pastoral rule, as you know, because of the illness of your own priest. Moved by your entreaties, we have not failed to urge the said bishop that if he should feel recovered from his ailment, he should resume the priestly ministry he undertook. He has now been warned by us repeatedly, and has at last communicated to us in a written petition, under the pressure of his continuing illness, that he is in no way able, by reason of this illness, to rise to the governance of the said church or to the duties he undertook. Compelled therefore by the hopeless condition of this person, we have judged it necessary to take steps for the ordering of your church. We therefore urge that all of you, with one accord and without disorder or strife, choose with the Lord's help a priest to govern you who is not disqualified by the venerable canons and who is found worthy of so great a ministry. Let him, when required, come to us to be ordained, accompanied by the formal declaration attested by the signatures of all and confirmed by the written approval of the visitor, so that your church may have its own priest by the Lord's ordering. We also wish that whoever your unanimity shall have chosen, you take without delay to our brother and fellow bishop Marinianus at Ravenna, so that, having been thoroughly examined and tested by him, he may have the support of Marinianus's testimony as well when he comes to us.

Book VII, Letter 20 To the Clergy and People Ariminum. Gregory to the Clergy, etc. Our pastoral charge constrains us to succour with anxious consideration any Churches that are deprived of the government of a priest. Accordingly, inasmuch as your Church has long been deprived of pastoral rule from the malady, as you know, of its own priest, we, moved by your entreaties, have not failed to admonish the said bishop, that, if he should feel himself recovered from that malady, he should resume the ministry of the priesthood undertaken by him. And he, having been again and again warned by us, has now under the pressure of the same malady intimated by a supplication addressed to us in writing that by reason of this malady he can by no means rise to the government of the said Church or to the office undertaken by him. We therefore, compelled by the hopeless condition of this same person, have held it necessary to take thought for the setting in order of your Church. We exhort, then, that all of you, with one consent, without noise or disturbance, choose with the help of the Lord such a priest to preside over you as may not be disapproved by the venerable canons, and also be found worthy of so great a ministry. And let him, when required, come to us to be ordained, with the solemnity of a decree attested by the subscriptions of all and followed up by the written approval of the visitor , to the end that your Church, by the Lord's ordering, may have its own priest. We desire also that him whom your unanimity may have chosen you take without delay to our brother and fellow bishop Marinianus at Ravenna , that, having been thoroughly examined and tested by him, he may be supported by his testimony also when he comes to us. 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/360207020.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.