Letter 9157

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Unknown|gregory great
From: Pope Gregory I
To: Desiderius, Bishop of Vienna
Date: ~599 AD
Context: Gregory urges Desiderius not to call back Pancratius the deacon from monastic life

I must ask you directly: do not attempt to recall Pancratius the deacon from the monastic life he has chosen. He bears this letter and has left his previous ministry in order to devote himself more fully to God in the cloister. This is a calling that deserves to be honored, not obstructed. A bishop who pulls a man back from a more perfect life because of the inconvenience caused to his own administration is placing his convenience above the soul's health. Let Pancratius go, and let him go with your blessing rather than your resistance.

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