SENATOR, PRAETORIAN PREFECT, TO POPE JOHN, MOST BLESSED FATHER
[1] I must beseech you, Most Blessed Father, that we may feel the joy we received through you by God's bounty preserved for us by your prayers. For who could doubt that our prosperity is to be attributed to your merits, when we receive an honor we do not deserve to receive through the Lord's love, and obtain good things by an exchange of office while doing nothing to merit them? The fast of the Church has driven away the famine of the people; ugly sorrow has departed before your gracious tears; and through holy men it was hastened that what was a burden should not drag on any longer. [2] And so I greet you with the deference that is proper, and pray that you intercede with the greater fervor for the welfare of those who reign: that the heavenly King may grant them long life, diminish the enemies of the Roman commonwealth, and bestow tranquil times. Then — which adorns peace — may He grant us from the granaries of His abundance the supply we need; and may He open to me, your son, the understanding of the mind, so that I may follow what is truly useful and shun what is to be avoided. [3] May the vigor of the rational soul give us counsel; may the face of truth grow bright, lest bodily darkness cloud our minds; may we follow what is within us, lest we be strangers to ourselves; may what savors of true wisdom instruct us; may what shines with heavenly brightness illumine us. May public conduct present to the world such a judge as the Catholic Church sends forth as a son. May holy virtue guard us also in its gifts, for we are exposed to the subtler snares of the ancient adversary at the very moment we receive his blessings. [4] Do not lay the care of that city entirely upon me, for it is rather secure in your praise. You preside over the Christian people as watchmen; you love all things with a father's name. The security of the people, therefore, looks to your reputation, to whom its guardianship has been divinely entrusted. It befits us therefore to consider some things, but you must consider all. You feed the flock entrusted to you in the spirit; yet you cannot neglect those things which seem to sustain the substance of the body. For just as a man consists of a twofold nature, so it is the good father's task to nourish both. First, by holy prayers, remove the scarcity of the present time, which sin has earned. If anything, however — God forbid — should befall, necessity is then well averted when it is dealt with in a state of abundance. [5] Admonish me carefully in what must be done. I desire to act rightly even under reproof, for a sheep less easily goes astray that longs to hear the voice of its shepherd, and one who has a constant monitor to hand does not easily become vicious. I am indeed a judge of the Palace, yet I shall not cease to be your disciple; for we discharge these duties rightly only if we do not depart from your rules. But since I desire both to be admonished by your counsels and aided by your prayers, it is already laid to your charge if anything in me is found to be other than was to be wished. [6] May that See, wonderful throughout the whole world, embrace with its affection its own devoted servants — a See which, though given to the world in general, is known to have been granted to us also in a special way. We hold something proper to the holy apostles, provided it is not made alien through sins that divide us, since Rome — more blessed than all other cities — has deserved to have within her own bosom those confessions that the whole world longs to behold. [7] With such patrons we therefore fear nothing, so long as the prayer of the bishop does not cease. It is hard, to be sure, to satisfy the desires of so many, but the divine power knows how to grant great things. May it blunt the envious; may it make our citizens most pleasing to us through heavenly inspiration; and may it grant through your supplications times in which heavenly grace shall be proclaimed as bestowed.
II.
IOHANNI PAPAE SENATOR PPO.
[1] Supplicandum vobis est, beatissime pater, ut laetitiam quam per vos deo largiente percepimus, custodiri nobis vestris orationibus sentiamus. quis enim dubitet prosperitatem nostram vestris meritis applicandam, quando honorem adipiscimur, qui a domino diligi non meremur, et permutatione officii bona recipimus, dum talia non agamus? ecclesiasticis siquidem ieiuniis fames est exclusa popularis: decoris lacrimis tristitia foeda discessit et per sanctos viros acceleratum est, ne traheret diutius quod gravabat. [2] Et ideo salutans officiositate, qua dignum est, precor ut vivacius oretis pro salute regnantium, quatenus eorum vitam caelestis princeps faciat esse longaevam, Romanae rei publicae hostes imminuat, tempora tranquilla concedat: deinde, quod ornat pacem, necessariam nobis copiam de abundantiae suae horreis largiatur: mihique filio vestro intellegentiae sensus aperiat, ut quae vere sunt utilia, sequar, quae vitanda, refugiam. [3] Vigor ille rationabilis animae nobis consilium praestet: facies veritatis albescat, ne mentem nostram innubilet caligo corporea: sequamur quod intus est, ne foris a nobis simus: instruat quod de vera sapientia sapit: illuminet quod caelesti claritate resplendet. talem denique iudicem publicus actus excipiat, qualem filium catholica mittit ecclesia. in suis nos etiam muneribus virtus sancta custodiat, quia graviores insidias antiqui adversarii tunc subimus, quando eius dona suscipimus. [4] Nolite in me tantum reicere civitatis illius curam, quae potius vestra laude secura est. vos enim speculatores Christiano populo praesidetis: vos patris nomine universa diligitis. securitas ergo plebis ad vestram respicit famam, cui divinitus est commissa custodia. quapropter nos decet cogitare aliqua, sed vos omnia. pascitis quidem spiritaliter commissum vobis gregem: tamen nec ista potestis neglegere, quae corporis videntur substantiam continere. nam sicut homo constat ex dualitate, ita boni patris est utraque refovere. primum penuriam temporis, quam delicta promerentur, orationibus sanctis amovere. si quid tamen, quod absit, acciderit, tunc bene necessitas excluditur, quando contra eam sub ubertate tractatur. [5] Monete me quae sunt gerenda sollicite. bene agere vel correptus exopto, quia difficilius errat ovis, quae voces desiderat audire pastoris nec facile efficitur vitiosus, cui ammonitor insistit assiduus. sum quidem iudex Palatinus, sed vester non desinam esse discipulus: nam tunc ista recte gerimus, si a vestris regulis minime discedamus. sed cum me a vobis desiderem et moneri consiliis et orationibus adiuvari, iam vobis est applicandum, si quid in me fuerit aliter quam optabatur inventum. [6] Sedes illa toto orbe mirabilis proprios tegat affectione cultores, quae licet generalis mundo sit praestita, nobis etiam cognoscitur et localiter attributa. tenemus aliquid sanctorum apostolorum proprium, si peccatis dividentibus non reddatur alienum, quando confessiones illas, quas videre universitas appetit, Roma felicior in suis sinibus habere promeruit. [7] Nihil ergo timemus talibus patronis, si oratio non desistat antistitis. arduum est quidem multorum desideriis satisfacere, sed novit divinitas magna praestare. ipsa retundat invidos: ipsa nobis faciat cives caelesti aspiratione gratissimos et supplicationibus vestris tempora tribuat, quibus superna gratia praedicetur indulta.
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SENATOR, PRAETORIAN PREFECT, TO POPE JOHN, MOST BLESSED FATHER
[1] I must beseech you, Most Blessed Father, that we may feel the joy we received through you by God's bounty preserved for us by your prayers. For who could doubt that our prosperity is to be attributed to your merits, when we receive an honor we do not deserve to receive through the Lord's love, and obtain good things by an exchange of office while doing nothing to merit them? The fast of the Church has driven away the famine of the people; ugly sorrow has departed before your gracious tears; and through holy men it was hastened that what was a burden should not drag on any longer. [2] And so I greet you with the deference that is proper, and pray that you intercede with the greater fervor for the welfare of those who reign: that the heavenly King may grant them long life, diminish the enemies of the Roman commonwealth, and bestow tranquil times. Then — which adorns peace — may He grant us from the granaries of His abundance the supply we need; and may He open to me, your son, the understanding of the mind, so that I may follow what is truly useful and shun what is to be avoided. [3] May the vigor of the rational soul give us counsel; may the face of truth grow bright, lest bodily darkness cloud our minds; may we follow what is within us, lest we be strangers to ourselves; may what savors of true wisdom instruct us; may what shines with heavenly brightness illumine us. May public conduct present to the world such a judge as the Catholic Church sends forth as a son. May holy virtue guard us also in its gifts, for we are exposed to the subtler snares of the ancient adversary at the very moment we receive his blessings. [4] Do not lay the care of that city entirely upon me, for it is rather secure in your praise. You preside over the Christian people as watchmen; you love all things with a father's name. The security of the people, therefore, looks to your reputation, to whom its guardianship has been divinely entrusted. It befits us therefore to consider some things, but you must consider all. You feed the flock entrusted to you in the spirit; yet you cannot neglect those things which seem to sustain the substance of the body. For just as a man consists of a twofold nature, so it is the good father's task to nourish both. First, by holy prayers, remove the scarcity of the present time, which sin has earned. If anything, however — God forbid — should befall, necessity is then well averted when it is dealt with in a state of abundance. [5] Admonish me carefully in what must be done. I desire to act rightly even under reproof, for a sheep less easily goes astray that longs to hear the voice of its shepherd, and one who has a constant monitor to hand does not easily become vicious. I am indeed a judge of the Palace, yet I shall not cease to be your disciple; for we discharge these duties rightly only if we do not depart from your rules. But since I desire both to be admonished by your counsels and aided by your prayers, it is already laid to your charge if anything in me is found to be other than was to be wished. [6] May that See, wonderful throughout the whole world, embrace with its affection its own devoted servants — a See which, though given to the world in general, is known to have been granted to us also in a special way. We hold something proper to the holy apostles, provided it is not made alien through sins that divide us, since Rome — more blessed than all other cities — has deserved to have within her own bosom those confessions that the whole world longs to behold. [7] With such patrons we therefore fear nothing, so long as the prayer of the bishop does not cease. It is hard, to be sure, to satisfy the desires of so many, but the divine power knows how to grant great things. May it blunt the envious; may it make our citizens most pleasing to us through heavenly inspiration; and may it grant through your supplications times in which heavenly grace shall be proclaimed as bestowed.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.