Letter 9020

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Unknown|gregory great
From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome
To: Peter, in Sicily
Date: ~599 AD
Context: Gregory instructs Peter to assist the newly arrived Roman defender assigned to the Syracusan patrimony.

Gregory to Peter, in Sicily.

The Roman defender Romano is arriving to take up the management of the Syracusan patrimony [the church's estates in the Syracuse area of Sicily]. I direct you to give him whatever assistance and support he needs to establish himself in this role.

The management of the church's estates in Sicily requires both administrative competence and the cooperation of those who are already in place. Romano is capable; he will be more effective more quickly if you help him learn the local situation, make the necessary connections, and understand what has been done before.

This is not a matter of subordinating yourself to him; you have your own responsibilities. But cooperation between those who share oversight of the church's resources in a region makes everything work better.

Gregory

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.