Letter 7: VARIAE, APPENDIX, LETTER 7
Variae, Appendix, Letter 7 — Pope Gelasius I to Bishops Gerontius and John
Our brother and fellow bishop Serenus has been subjected to such outrages that we could not fail to take them as an injury to ourselves, since he was compelled to appear before the court of our son the king on account of the enormity of the affair. For this reason it is fitting that all should help to comfort him, since whatever is added to such a case affects everyone.
[Gelasius writes on behalf of Bishop Serenus, defending him against the charges brought by his accusers and urging the two bishops to support him. The letter reflects the pope's characteristic combination of doctrinal firmness and pastoral concern for those under persecution.]
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
VII.
GELASIUS PAPA GERONTIO ET IOHANNI EPISCOPIS.
[1] Frater et coepiscopus noster Serenus tantis est contumeliis appetitus, ut non sine nostra fuerit lacessitus iniuria, quia ad comitatum domini filii nostri regis pro immanitate facti venire compulsus est. hunc ergo omnibus decet a nobis solacii adiuvari, quia cunctis crescit, quicquid in tali causa probatur impensum.
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