Letter 10054: The ex-prefect Gregorius has my commendation and my request that you extend to him whatever assistance his situation...

TO DONUS, BISHOP OF MESSINA. He commends Gregorius, the former prefect. Gregory to Donus, Bishop of Messina. Although our glorious son Gregorius, the former prefect, has great assurance concerning your fraternity, so that he does not doubt that a priestly affection will be shown to him by you, nevertheless, because he trusts that the measure of your charity will be increased by our recommendation at his request, we have taken care to exhort you by this letter, that you ought to assist his advantage and to expend on his behalf whatever reason shall counsel. And because he desires to transact certain matters with your fraternity for his own security, as he says, let him find a place with you, as it truly befits priests, and let him know that you have compassion upon him with a fatherly love; so that, when the burden of his care has been relieved by the zeal of your charity, he himself may be able to prove by your works the confidence which he holds concerning you, and your fraternity may be seen to have profitably expended itself upon the desires of those who petition. [Editorial note (Gussanville): Some islands are washed on every side by the waves, others are within cities, as may be read in approved authors, so called because they are not joined to other houses by common walls. And indeed the number of these houses or "islands" was greater at Rome than of the others, as Publius Victorinus teaches. Perhaps these islands belonged to the elders and citizens of the Neapolitan city; and, as Gregorius says, Icla, or Ischia, and certain other islands in the region of Naples, were of their jurisdiction [...], which the Neapolitans enjoyed, relying upon the orders and letters of the former emperors. -Gussanville.] OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT EPISTLE LV. TO LEONTIUS, THE FORMER CONSUL. He commends Gregorius, the former prefect. Gregory to Leontius, the former consul. Since the vigor of justice in your discernment, and truth, suffice to aid those whom they protect, there was no need of anyone's recommendation with you, inasmuch as you bestow of your own accord those things which ought to be sought for the sake of equity. But lest we should seem to set aside the desires of petitioners, who trust that the zeal of good sons grows by fatherly encouragement; for that reason we are invited by all means to transact with your glory those things which you offer of your own will. Therefore, greeting you with fatherly love, we ask that you bestow more abundantly upon the glorious man our son Gregorius, the former prefect, the grace of the charity with which you are endowed; so that he both may be able to experience by true effects whatever of equity he trusts in your kindness, and we, learning the good things which are proclaimed of you in manifold ways, may be able continually to entreat the almighty Lord for the safety of your glory. EPISTLE LVI. TO AMANDINUS THE DOMESTICUS. He commends Gregorius, the former prefect. Gregory to Amandinus the domesticus. Trusting that your glory always shows itself devoted in the comforts of its friends, we are zealous to commend to you the causes of those whom you love. And therefore, greeting you, we ask that our glorious son Gregorius find you there such as he had you here; and that, both with our glorious son Leontius, and elsewhere wherever it shall be necessary, he may obtain the comforts of your glory, and find great consolation in you; and, as far as is possible, lest he be able to lie subject to anyone's unjust affliction or grievance, let the solicitude of your glory provide with watchful zeal, so that it may strive by tranquil and mature counsel to ward this off: so that, when he has you as helpers, as is fitting, both he and we may be able more fully to recognize that, just as we presume concerning your glory, you display friendships to our friends not to the face, but, what is greatly praiseworthy, pure ones. [Note: The exhortation to Leontius continues in the source: we exhort your fraternity by these words, that there, both with Leontius the glorious former consul in the arranging of his affairs, and with others, where the cause shall demand, you hasten to bring help and to relieve his interests, justice favoring, so that, with you concurring in priestly fashion, he may be able to incur no trouble or loss against the order of equity. But if, which we do not believe, you should perceive that he is in any matter being burdened in vain, you must take action with the aforesaid glorious man, with episcopal modesty preserved, so that he ought to keep and observe the word which he gave to him through Azimarchus, the magnificent man, the secretary, and by no means allow him to be unreasonably afflicted or to sustain loss. So therefore let your fraternity take care to show itself solicitous toward him, and study to display itself in his causes according to God, that both...]

AD DONUM MESSANENSEM EPISCOPUM. Gregorium expreſecium commendat. Gregorius Dono episcopo Messanensi. Licet gloriosus filius noster Gregorius exprafecto magnam de fraternitate vestra certitudinem habeat, ut sacerdotalem sibi a vobis impendi affectum non dubitet, quia tamen charitatis vestrz modum nostra rogante commendatione fidit augeri, his vos epistolis previdimns adhortandos, ut utilitati ipsjus concur- rerc atque in ejvs juyamine impendere vos quzecun- que $naserit ratio debeatis. Et quia aliqua apud fra- ternicatem vestram pro 8Ua, tit ait, cautela agere de- Siderat, locum apud vos, sicut reyera decet sacerdo- tes, inveniat, et paterna Sibi compati dilectione yos cognoscat; quatenus: dum sollicitudinis cura ipsius vestrz charitatis studio fuerit relevata, et ipse confi- dentiam quam de vobis gerit operibus valeit expe- Aliz siquidem undis nndique alluuntur, alize Suat in urbibus, ut apud probatos auctores legere est, sic dictze quod non jungantur cum aliis domibas com- munibus parietibus. Et earum quidem domorum s$ive insularum major erat Rome numerus, quam aliarum, ut docet Publius Victorinus. Forte ba insule ad seniores et cives Neapolitane civitatis pertinentes ; et, ut ait Gregorius, juris eorum erant Icla vel Ischia, et quzdam alize e regione Neapolis insula imzZ, quibus Neapolitani fruebantur, guperiorum jmpera- torum jussionibus litterisque freti. Gussany. SANCTI GRECGORII MACNI riri, et ſratervitas vestra postulantium desideriis 8e A ſraternitatem vestram his horlamur affatibus, ut illie videatur salubriter impendisse. 1063 EPISTOLA LY. AD LEONTIUM EXCONSULEM. Gregorium expreſectum commendat. Gregorius Leontio exconsuli. Cum juslitiz vigor in coguitione vestra, et verilas jJuvare suſliciat quos tuetur, cuvjusquam apud vos com- mendatione opus non ſuerat, quippe qui ea que pro =quitate petenda sunt ex vobis impenditis. Sed ne postulantium desideria, qui bonorum Gliorum $tu- dium paterna crescere adhortatione conſidunt, post- ponere videamur; idcirco illa apud gleriam vesiram agere quz ultro exhibetis omn:bus modis invitamur. Eapropter paterna dilectione vos $alulantes, peti- venienti tam apud Leontium gloriosum exconsulem in disponendis rationibus suis, quam apud alios, ubi causa poposcerit, opem. ſerre, et partes illius suble- yare ſavente justitia ſestinetis, ut, vobis sacerdotali- ter concurrentibus, nullam molestiam vel dispendium contra ordinem possit 2quitalis incurrere. Quem gi, quod non credimus, gravari ſrusira in aliquo senseris tis, apud predictum gloriosum virum agere vos, epi- scopali modestia servala. necesse est, ut yerbum quod ei per Azimarchum virum magniticum 5Scribo- nem prebuit, custodire debeat ac servare, alque illum irrationabiliter aſſligi vel 8ustinere dispendium minime patiatur. Ita ergo ſraternitas vestra $e erga - eum $o0llicitam curet ostendere, et in ejus $e causis mus ut glorioso viro filio nostro Gregorio exprz- B Secundum Deum $tudeat exhibere, ut et sacerdo- ſecto charitatis gratiam, qua estis przditi, largius tri- buatis; * quatenus ille et quidquid equitatis in ve- stra benignitate conſidit, veris possit effectibus ex- perirj, et nos bona que de vobis muliipliciter pr- dicantur addiscentes, assidue pro gloriz vestr# inco- lumitate omuipoteniem valeamus Dominum depre- cari, ' EPISTOLA LYI. AD AMANDINUM DUMESTICUM. Cregorium expreſectum commendat. Gregorius Amandino domestico. Conſfidentes quod gloria vestra se in amicorum $10- rum solatiis devotam semper exhibeat, eorum vobis causas commendare quos diligitis studemus. Alque ideo 8alutantes pelimus ut gloriosus ſilius noster Gre- gorius, * quales vos hic habvit, illic tales inveniat; et tam apud gloriosum filium nostrum Leontium, quam alibi quocunque necesse fuerit, gloriz vestrz solatia conSequatur, ac magnam in vobis consolationem inveniat; et quantum possibile est, ne cuiquam inju- Slz possit afflictioni vel gravamini s8ubjacere, gloriz veslrz 80llicitudo $studio vigilanti provideat ut tran- quillo maturoque hoe 8tudeat consilio declinare: quatenus dum vos, sicut decet, adjutores habuerit, et ipse et nos amplius cognoscere valeamus, quia sicut de gloria veswa presumimus, non ad faciem, sed, quod est valde laudabile, puras nostris amicitias exhi- bere. |