Letter 10010: Gregory to Romanus, our guardian in Sicily. It has been reported to us that our most reverend brother the bishop Basilius is occupied in legal suits as though he were one of the last of the people, and unprofitably attends the courts. Now, since this thing both renders the man himself vile and does away with the reverence due to priests, let you...
Gregory to Romanus, our defender in Sicily.
It has been reported to us that our most reverend brother Bishop Basilius is entangling himself in lawsuits as if he were a common layman, wasting his time attending the civil courts. Since this conduct both demeans the man himself and undermines the reverence owed to priests, your Experience is to act immediately on receiving this order. Compel him by strict enforcement to return to his proper duties, and through your insistence allow him no delay of more than five days under any excuse whatsoever. If you permit him any such delay, you yourself will share his culpability before us.
Given in the month of December, Indiction 3.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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