Letter 137: Innocent censures John for having allowed the Pelagians to effuse the disturbance at Bethlehem mentioned in the two preceding letters and exhorts him to be more watchful over his diocese in future. The date of the letter is A.D. 417.

Pope Innocent to his most highly esteemed brother John, Bishop of Jerusalem — greetings. The holy women Eustochium and Paula have reported to me — with, I must say, a restraint and generosity that speaks well of them, since they have suppressed the name of the person responsible — the devastation that has been visited upon their church's property: violence, deaths, arson, and outrages of every kind that the devil has perpetrated through a human agent whose identity, whatever these women's charity may claim, is not actually in doubt. My brother, you should have prevented this. That is the simple fact of the matter. A bishop is responsible for what happens in his own church's territory. The destruction of the monasteries at Bethlehem happened in your diocese. Where were your precautions before the event? Where was your relief after the fact? Where were your words of comfort to women whose community had been attacked, whose companions had been murdered, who were — as I am informed — still barely alive when they finally found the courage to write to me? I want to be careful not to judge more severely than the evidence warrants. These women have spoken of what happened with great restraint, almost excessive restraint, and I might therefore be imagining things worse than they are. But the very restraint of their account suggests that the reality is worse than what I am imagining, not better. Do not let this happen again. The enemy of souls is tireless, resourceful, and not above using human instruments for his purposes — including, it appears, people who present themselves as defenders of the faith. Vigilance is the first duty of a shepherd. The flock you are responsible for has been attacked in your pasture. That is on you, brother, and you know it.

From Pope Innocent to John, Bishop of Jerusalem Innocent censures John for having allowed the Pelagians to effuse the disturbance at Bethlehem mentioned in the two preceding letters and exhorts him to be more watchful over his diocese in future. The date of the letter is A.D. 417. This was the year of the death of both John and Innocent, and it is probable that John never received the letter. Innocent to his most highly esteemed brother John. The holy virgins Eustochium and Paula have deplored to me the ravages, murders, fires and outrages of all kinds, which they say that the devil has perpetrated in the district belonging to their church; for with wonderful clemency and generosity they have left untold the name and motive of his human agent. Now although there can be no doubt as to who is the guilty person; yet you, my brother, ought to have taken precautions and to have been more careful of your flock so that no disturbance of the kind might arise; for others suffer by your negligence, and you encourage men by it to make havoc of the Lord's flock till His tender lambs, fleeced and weakened by fire, sword and persecution, their relations murdered and dead, are, as we are informed, themselves scarce alive. Does it not touch your sacred responsibility as a priest that the devil has shown himself so powerful against you and yours? Against you, I say; for surely it speaks ill of your capacity as a priest that a crime so terrible should have been committed in the pale of your church. Where were your precautions? Where, after the blow had been struck, were your attempts at relief? Where too were your words of comfort? These ladies tell me that up to the present they have been in a state of too great apprehension to complain of what they have already suffered. I should judge more gravely of the matter had they spoken to me concerning it more freely than they have. Beware then, brother, of the wiles of the old enemy, and in the spirit of a good ruler be vigilant either to correct or to repress such evils. For they have reached my ears in the shape of rumours rather than as specific accusations. If nothing is done, the law of the Church on the subject of injuries may compel the person who has failed to defend his flock to show cause for his negligence. About this page Source. Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001137.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.