Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)
Top correspondents
All letters (401)
The church of Populonia has been left destitute of priestly ministry — there is no one there to give penance to the...
I am directing you to arrange payment of the stipends specified: to the handmaids of God in question, to the...
The case of Bishop Blandus has been dragging on in a way that is fair to no one.
Your rank and reputation place you in a unique position to assist this see in matters that require influence at the...
I need your help in compelling Stephen, who holds episcopal office, to submit himself to the judgment he has been...
A monastery dedicated to the holy proto-martyr Stephen is to be consecrated, and it is right that such a dedication...
The importance of maintaining good order in the churches of southern Gaul is a matter that concerns both your...
The bearer of this letter, Severus — a man of distinction and good standing — is known to us personally and is...
I have heard that a certain Isaurus, moved by devotion, began the construction of a hospice [xenodochium] near your...
You are to pay to Palatina thirty solidi [gold coins] per year for her sustenance.
Gregory to Gaudiosus, military commander in Africa.
The church of Lamigensis is without a bishop, or is in the process of selecting one, and it has been proposed that...
Gregory to Gennadius, patrician and commander in Africa.
For the celebration of the dedication of the church, you are to provide the following for distribution to the poor:...
Pastor, who has served as bishop, is now infirm and has lost the use of his eyes [or has significantly impaired vision].
Gregory to Peter, subdeacon, of the church of Taormina [a city in eastern Sicily].
Gregory to all bishops of Numidia [the North African province, modern Algeria].
The garden which belonged to Felicianus is to be transferred to the monastery of the handmaids of God.
Gregory to Felix, bishop of Messina [Sicily].
It has been brought to my attention that a cleric who is ill has been denied the customary stipends that belong to...
Gregory to Importunus, bishop of Atella.
Given the present dangers [the Lombard invasions that were making many Italian towns unsafe], the episcopal seat of...
Reports have reached me that you give yourself over too frequently and too enthusiastically to dinner parties.
Gregory to Jovinus, prefect of Illyricum.
Gregory to Maximianus, bishop of Syracuse [Sicily].
I delegate to your fraternity the visitation and care of the church of Cumae [an ancient city near Naples], which is...
The case between Viulandi and Gravinian has been before you long enough.
The good which is conceived by God's gift in the heart is brought to completion by swift and firm devotion.
Sicily is the most important of the church's provincial patrimonies [the church's landed estates in Sicily were its...
I have received troubling reports about abuses of the defensorship in Sicily — men who have arrogated to themselves...
The revenues and properties belonging to the Roman church from Syracuse, Catania, Agrigento, and Messana require...
The case involving Leo, bishop of Catania, has reached a point where I must give you clearer direction.
I want to remind you that I have already addressed this matter with Bishop Victor directly: the synagogues of...
A man of excellent character and high standing, Libertinus, bears this letter to you.
Three churches in your region are currently without bishops, and their oversight needs to be assigned during the...
The churches of Cumae and Misenum have both been struggling with inadequate episcopal leadership.
I write to inform you that all the burdens and encumbrances which had been improperly imposed upon your monastery...
I must begin with an apology: my letter of congratulation on your ordination has been delayed far too long, and I am...
There is a temptation that affects good people more than bad ones: the desire for human praise when doing good works.
I write to inform you that a bishop has been ordained for your church.
The matter you have raised requires careful consideration, and I have given it my attention.
The abbess Flora [a woman who wishes to found a monastery] is to receive the house with its gardens and guesthouses...
The church that is being consecrated requires relics for its altar.
The bishop Castorius of Rimini [a port city on the Adriatic] is ill and absent from his diocese.
The excommunication placed upon you by the late Bishop Laurentius has been examined, and I have determined that it...
The instructions I gave you in my previous letter are to be carried out as directed.
The matters I have assigned to you require prompt and careful attention.
I return to the matter raised in my previous letter because I want to be sure there is no ambiguity about what I am...
I have heard that you are carefully examining the lives and conduct of the priests in your diocese, and I commend...
The alternation of prosperity and adversity in human life teaches a lesson that no amount of preaching can quite...
I hear that you have been working persistently to bring the idol worshipers in your area to the Christian faith.
The monastery of the abbess Gratiosa is to be consecrated, and I direct you to perform the consecration.
The church in southern Gaul faces challenges that require the cooperation of both ecclesiastical and civil authority.
I direct that the monastery be constructed as planned, and I confirm all the gifts and bequests made to it by the...
John, bishop of Ravenna, to his most holy lord and most blessed father Gregory, pope.
I am asking you to convey a firm message to Leontius, the former consul: he is not to make any unilateral decisions...
Gregorius, the former prefect, is a man who has served well in high office and who now turns toward the service of...
I am ashamed, my daughter, that you have waited so long for the relics you requested.
A dispute has arisen between Victor and another party whose resolution requires the authority of your provincial...
I have received word that Jews in Naples have been holding public spectacles and games on our feast days — and...
The church of Bevagna [a small Umbrian town] continues to need a bishop.
Brother Peter, I have received the report regarding the situation in your diocese and I want to address it directly.
The case of Adectatus the presbyter has been carefully considered.
Gregory to Datianus, bishop, metropolitan.
The cleric Tribunus was redeemed from captivity at a cost of twelve solidi, and those who paid his ransom are owed...
I must ask you to use your influence to keep Venantius, bishop of Luni, in his proper place within the clergy.
A monastery in your diocese is to be dedicated in honor of the blessed apostle Peter and the holy archangel Michael.
Brother, I must remind you that the canonical requirement regarding revenues applies to new income just as it does...
The matter before you requires the kind of episcopal firmness that is sometimes harder to maintain than any other...
Some clergymen who properly belong to the diocese of Bishop Bacauda have been ordained to holy orders here in...
You have the authority I am giving you for this purpose.
I want to commend to you the work of Bishop Secundinus, who handled the case of Anastasius with exactly the kind of...
My dear Maurus, the monastery you govern is known to me, and the work of your community is something I follow with...
I am directing you to demand a full accounting from the hospices under your jurisdiction — when were they last...
I am establishing an annual payment of three solidi to each Jew who converts to the Christian faith in your area.
I am directing you to ensure that the goods belonging to Euplos — the inheritances from both his father and his...
I write to you both together because the matters I wish to raise touch both your great sees and require your joint...
I am granting you my vicarious authority in the kingdom of Childebert [the young Austrasian king, effectively...
I am entrusting you with the visitation of the church of Capua, which is in need of the kind of pastoral oversight...
I am sending you to investigate the lives and conduct of the bishops and other clergy in the Picene region [the...
I am directing you to see to it that Centegus and his wife Flora receive the ten pounds of gold that have been...
I am directing you to ensure that the gates of the estate formerly belonging to Rufus are opened to Theodorus, a man...
My dear daughter, word has reached me that you believe yourself to be the object of my ill will.
I need you to go to Maria, the wife of the cleric Pardus, and explain to her the situation regarding the inheritance...
I write to you concerning Victor, bishop of Fatianus, whose situation has been brought to my attention.
For the dedication of the four altars in your church, I am sending the relics you require.
I have sent my servant Augustine [later the first Archbishop of Canterbury] on a mission to the English people [the...
The bond that unites the great sees of Rome and Alexandria is ancient and deep, and I feel it in both the joys and...
The priest John has been examined by a properly constituted council on the charge of heresy and has been found innocent.
I write to inform you officially: the examination of your case in Constantinople has determined that you are free of...
The question has arisen about the schedule on which the bishops of Sicily are to make their visits to Rome.
The matter of slaves who wish to convert to Christianity is one where the church's position must be unambiguous: a...
A man named Agathon wishes to enter your monastery and embrace the monastic life.
You have inherited a difficult situation: you follow Anastasius, whose governance was remembered badly.
Brother, the monastery that you wish to consecrate may be consecrated.
The canonical portion of the church's revenues that is to go to the clergy must be properly calculated and distributed.
Gregory to Candidus, abbot of the monastery of St.
My brother and fellow bishop Paul has come to my attention as a man worthy of your support and friendship.
Gregory to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna.
Reports have reached me that Jews in your diocese are being troubled and harassed in matters that are lawfully...
Sacred vessels belonging to the church have been sold — sold by clergy who had no right to sell them.
A monastery is in danger of falling under the control or power of a layperson.
I have received reports of your conduct and I am pleased by them.
A man named Felix has come to my attention.
A dispute has arisen involving the church's land agents [actores — the officials who managed the church's...
Gregory to Chrysanthus, bishop of Spoleto.
Your deacon has property that belongs rightfully to the church of Fermo.
Gregory to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari.
The bearer of this letter is Peter, a man of excellent character, who travels with his mother.
The situation you have described regarding the church of Ariminum and its entanglement with civic matters is one...
I must address a matter of both justice and pastoral urgency.
I am directing you to coordinate with Bishop Vitalianus of Siponto, the notary Bonifacius, and John in addressing...
I confess to you that the situation of the church of Aprutium has weighed on me for some time.
The Roman defender Romano is arriving to take up the management of the Syracusan patrimony [the church's estates in...
Romano has just arrived in Sicily to manage the church's patrimony in the Syracuse area.
The estate of Massa Veneris belongs rightfully to the monastery of St.
Two things are needed in this city: proper clergy, and the genuine conversion of its inhabitants from whatever...
The man Gaudiosus is destitute and without resources to support himself.
Money was provided for the construction of a fort [the defense of Italian towns against the Lombards was a constant...
Gregory to Constantius, bishop of Milan.
Those who have returned from the Istrian schism [a schism in northern Italy and the Balkans over the Council of...
Gregory to Maurentius, military commander.
The oratory to be dedicated in honor of St.
Gregory to Maurentius, military commander.
The late Bishop Importunus of Atella has died, and two things need attention.
Gregory to Benenatus, bishop of Tindari.
The matter I am writing about requires your immediate attention.
Gregory to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna.
Gregory to Sabinianus, bishop of Gallipoli.
The soap-makers [saponarii] of Naples have sent Augustine to represent their case to this see, and I have listened...
The man Hilarius, whom I have commended to others as well, comes to you in need of a powerful patron.
I have heard that you have been ill, and I write to offer whatever consolation words can provide.
Gregory to Constantius, bishop of Milan.
The estate property belonging to the Roman church that has been designated for the management of guardianships...
I need you to act in concert with Paulinus of Tauriana, Proclus of Nicoteras, and Paludius of Consentia on the...
The men who bring you this letter are sent by Maurentius, the master of soldiers [magister militum], for purposes he...
Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples.
I have heard with great pleasure of the assistance you gave to my servant Augustine in his mission to the English.
A man named Hilarius is in need of the protection that only someone in your position can provide.
The management of the church's patrimony in Sicily requires constant attention, and I am writing to give you...
I have already written to you on the matter of images, and yet I find I must write again.
Your letters were a genuine consolation to me, and I want you to know it.
Serious charges have been brought against the priest Sisinnius — charges of idolatry and of sexual immorality.
The matters I described in my previous letter continue to require your attention.
Gregory to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna.
Ten pounds of gold are to be paid to the bishop Basil of Capua [for the ransom of captives — ransoming Christians...
I write to you in considerable distress.
Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples.
The books and furnishings belonging to the monastery of the abbot Fuscus have been improperly taken or withheld.
I am receiving complaints that the annual grain supply [annona — the public food distribution that had been part of...
Two matters require your attention.
Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples.
Gregory to Zittanus, military commander.
Gregory to Constantius, bishop of Milan.
This is my second letter to you about the property that is claimed to have been granted to the monastery.
A deacon named John from Bagnorea [a hill town in northern Latium] has been elected bishop there.
Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples.
Charges have been made against a man named Ilatus.
I am writing on behalf of Leontius, the ex-consul.
A man named Apollonius needs the kind of help that only someone with your standing and connections can provide.
The case before you involves the bishop Dulcinius and property that belongs — or is claimed to belong — to the...
Gregory to Innocentius, prefect of Africa.
A dispute has arisen between the bishops Sabinianus and Theodorus about expenses incurred for hospitality, and also...
Gregory to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari.
The men who bear this letter to you are from Histria [Istria] and are seeking their bishop, who I believe is...
I must ask you directly: do not attempt to recall Pancratius the deacon from the monastic life he has chosen.
The temporal things that occupy most people's attention — wealth, status, the good opinion of the powerful, the...
Gregory to Domitianus, metropolitan bishop.
I want to address a concern that I understand you have raised: that I might advocate for people regardless of...
The ex-prefect Gregorius has my commendation and my request that you extend to him whatever assistance his situation...
Gregory to Secundinus and John, bishops.
I want to address a misunderstanding about the ex-prefect Gregorius and why he arrived in Sicily later than expected.
Until a bishop is ordained for Naples, I am granting your monastery oversight and management of the property in...
The church's estates are to be leased annually, not given on long-term or permanent lease to any individual —...
The monastery founded by Adeodatus may be consecrated.
A ship has been sent carrying supplies for the support of a monastery.
I am sending you to Genoa on a matter of some importance.
Gregory to John, military tribune at Siponto.
Gregory to Paschasius, bishop of Naples.
Vitus has been appointed defender for his area of Sicily and is beginning his new responsibilities.
The borders of Faustus's property have been unjustly encroached on.
The case of Rusticiana and the invasion of her property has been dragging on for too long.
Word has come of an imminent barbarian threat against Sicily.
Gregory to Candidus, priest, rector of the patrimony in Gaul.
The way the case of the deacon John was handled — specifically regarding the failure to properly examine the charges...
I must tell you: when the report reached us of what God has done through you in England — the conversions, the...
I am writing to you as well about the unjust encroachment on Faustus's property.
I have heard that there are enchanters and sorcerers active in your area.
Gregory to Bonifatius, defender of Corsica.
The monastery that was governed by the late Abbot Claudius must not be left without proper leadership.
Gregory to Maximianus, bishop of Syracuse.
In the disputes that have come to my attention involving poor people, I have chosen silence.
The verbal gift of the young Acosimus that was made to you is hereby confirmed in writing.
I must address a practice that has been reported to me and that I regard as problematic: the appointment of clerics...
The abbot Gregory has now served a long and serious penance for the negligence that warranted it.
The bearer of this letter is Theodosius, who serves as abbot of the monastery founded in earlier times by the late...
I need you to summon Benenatus of Miseno along with all those who have brought accusations against him, and anyone...
You are to inform Franciscanus that he is to pay what he owes to Bishop Peter of Hydruntum.
Before you entered the monastery, you made a donation — by word only, without written documentation.
The matter I am writing about requires your immediate personal attention.
The financial accounting for Bonifatius needs to be completed, and Laurentius needs your assistance to accomplish this.
My dear Venantius, I write to you not with easy comfort but with the harder truth, which I trust you can receive...
I have been asked to intervene on behalf of Bonitus in his effort to obtain a prefecture.
A young man has received the monastic habit at Misenum [a town near Naples] after being brought there from Sicily.
Gregory to John, bishop of Prima Justiniana.
I am granting you the use of the pallium [the wool vestment worn across the shoulders that signified metropolitan or...
The bishop Firminus has returned from the Istrian schism to the unity of the Catholic church.
I must return once more to the matter of Bishop Paschasius of Naples, whose neglect of his pastoral duties has...
The matter of Saturninus is serious and the canonical response is clear: a presbyter who has been deprived of his...
I am writing to you with a warning that I intend to follow through on if necessary: if you do not comply with the...
It has come to my attention that the priest Speciosus has been resisting his bishop, and that he may seek — or has...
The bishop of the diocese has died, and before his successor is established, I need to know the state of the...
Gregory to Cyprianus, deacon [rector of the papal patrimony in Sicily].
It has come to our attention, through the report of Theodosius, abbot of the monastery of Saint Martin, that three...
Gregory to Elias [of Isauria], priest and abbot.
Gregory to Leontius, bishop, visitor of the Church of Rimini [Ariminum, on the Adriatic coast of Italy].
Our heart greatly rejoices with your Magnificence, because we find you so zealous in your actions that you gain both...
I return to the counsel I gave you previously: the way to overcome the shadow of your predecessor is simply to...
Two thousand measures of wheat are to be given to Bishop Zeno for distribution to the poor of his diocese.
The bearer of this letter is Fuscus, abbot of a monastery known to us, who has undertaken this journey in pursuit of...
My beloved brother, I am glad to report that the business brought to us by the bearer of your last letter has been...
The matter of the relics of blessed Severinus has been pending for too long.
The case of Paulinus, bishop of Tegesis, has been brought to my attention, and I write to you as the provincial...
You have carried out the audit of the Syracusan portion of our patrimony with a thoroughness and integrity that does...
The church of Carina, which has been unable to sustain itself as an independent diocese, is to be united with the...
Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples.
The bishop Leo of Catania and the bishop John of Syracuse need to cooperate more effectively than they have been doing.
Three churches in your area are without bishops.
The charge against Sincerus — that he improperly succeeded his father-in-law in the episcopal see — has been examined.
The cleric Georgius has been living in a way that does not reflect well on his clerical status.
The abbot Opportunus of the monastery of St.
The alms you sent to Rome have arrived, and I thank you sincerely.
The church of Rimini has been without a bishop long enough.
The woman Stephana made a commitment both to provide certain property and to enter a monastery.
Four Christians are currently in Jewish servitude in Gaul.
You have written to me about the dignities and offices of this world — about whether they are worth pursuing and...
I am writing to both of you together because the counsel I have for you belongs equally to a husband and wife who...
Fifteen pounds of silver are owed to Faustinus.
The church of Locri needs a bishop.
Two things are to be prevented regarding a piece of property in dispute.
A dispute has arisen between the father of a monastery — its abbot or founder — and the bishop with jurisdiction...
I have heard that you have returned to the unity of the Catholic church, and I congratulate you with genuine joy.
The men who accompany this letter are sent by Constantius, bishop of Milan, on business that has brought them to...
The bearer of this letter is the deacon of Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna, who has come to Constantinople on behalf...
I need you to locate Adeodatus, who bears this letter, and to look into the matter of a structure he has built on...
The monks who carry this letter are engaged in the task of recovering servants who belong to the Roman monastery of...
The bearer of this letter is Candidus the abbot, a man of God whom I commend to your care and hospitality.
I am sending you, under the cover of this letter, copies of the correspondence I have previously sent concerning the...
My beloved brother Eulogius, your letter reached me along with the reports of Boniface, my representative at your...
I am directing you to ensure that the agents and administrators of the Roman church do not trouble or disturb...
Donatus, who carries this letter to you, is a man known to us and deserving of your assistance.
I am writing to follow up on the instructions I gave you last November, in the second indiction, concerning the...
I am very glad to hear that you have returned safely from Ravenna with the ordination properly received from the exarch.
I find myself obliged to repeat what I said to you when you first took up the episcopal office, since it seems my...
Gregory to Savinella, Columba, and Agnella.
The heirs of Isidorus committed to build a hospice [xenodochium — a house for the care of pilgrims and the poor].
I have heard that you were rescued from a maritime danger — that you came very close to death at sea and were delivered.
Laurentius is to help you with the financial accounts of the late Bonifatius.
I notice that your letters have become less frequent, and I miss them.
I need a small but important favor.
I have a practical request: please lend to Savinus, our subdeacon, twenty men along with oxen for the purpose of...
I must raise with you a matter of fairness in your military dispositions.
Brothers, I am writing to all three of you together because the tasks I need accomplished in Sicily require your...
From the estate of the late deacon Servideus, you are to distribute the following: ten horses are to go to the...
My dear Venantius, I am glad to make you this promise: when my health allows me to devote the necessary time and...
The churches in question have remaining resources — financial funds, clergy, and other assets — that need to be...
Romanus, I have instructions for you regarding the current state of the Sicilian patrimony.
My dear Felix, I am giving into your service and care a man named John, who has served faithfully and who I believe...
Brother, I need you to act without delay on a matter of immediate pastoral necessity.
I am formally uniting the monastery of Crater with your monastery in Naples.
The quarrel between Abbess Desidia and Abbot John has gone on long enough and must be brought to a proper resolution.
My brother Maximus, I must address something that has caused repeated difficulties: your representatives have been...
Most serene King Theudericus, I write to express my genuine admiration for the piety and prudence you have shown in...
Gregory to Peter, subdeacon [Gregory's administrator in Sicily].
Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon [papal agent managing Church estates in Campania].
Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon [a papal administrative officer].
Gregory to Prejectus [Praeiectus], Bishop of Narni [city in Umbria, central Italy].
We are commanded by the Lord's precepts to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to share in their afflictions as...
Gregory to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse [Gregory's trusted vicar in Sicily].
Gregory to Cyprianus, deacon [papal agent managing Church estates in Sicily].
Not much time has passed since certain matters concerning your brotherhood were reported to us, about which, as we...
Most serene Queen, the bearer of this letter is Hilarius, whom I send to you with confidence in your continued...
My dear daughters, I have heard that your father Venantius is gravely ill, and that your grief is great.
You sent me a most generous gift of sails, and for this I am grateful — though you should not have put yourself to...
I am directing you to proceed with the consecration of the monastery in honor of the blessed martyr Savinus, using...
My dear Julianus, I have learned something that surprised and saddened me: you have been concealing your poverty out...
Brother, I must ask you to attend more carefully to the material well-being of your clergy.
Gregory to Fantinus, defensor [a church legal officer responsible for protecting ecclesiastical property and rights].
Brother, the monastery near Arles whose privileges were established by the piety of the late King Childebert must be...
My brother, I have heard with sadness of the deaths that have struck your household and community.
My beloved brother, I am pleased to grant you the use of the pallium, as has been the ancient custom for bishops of...
A report has reached me, which I received with such shame that I could not record it without distress, that you have...
The monks of the island of Capri have allowed their discipline to deteriorate to a state that is an embarrassment to...
I will not conceal my relief and joy.
I must ask your personal intervention on behalf of two men: Passisinus — a man of great distinction — and Blanca,...
Marcellinus, a man of excellent standing who bears this letter, is traveling to your city and has need of such...
I am not satisfied with the response — or rather, the lack of response — from Bishop Paschasius on the matter I...
The joy with which I received news of your return to the unity of the Church cannot be adequately expressed in words.
I am providing you herewith a model sentence formula to guide your judgments in the cases you have been assigned to...