Letter 10110: In the matter of your episcopal election: I must be direct with you about the two candidates whose names have come...

To the Neapolitans. [Argument:] That John ought not to have been chosen as bishop, because he is not chaste; nor Peter, if he is improvident and a usurer. Let them therefore provide for themselves another suitable man from the clergy of their own Church. Gregory to the clergy and the noble citizens of Naples. It is neither novel nor blameworthy, in the choosing of a bishop, for the votes of the people to be divided into two parties; but it is a grave matter when, in cases of this kind, the election proceeds not from judgment but from partisan favor. For before your letters reached us, we had learned from the report of certain persons that John the deacon, who has been chosen by the other party, has a little daughter. Hence, if they had been willing to weigh the matter rightly, neither ought the others to have chosen him, nor ought he himself to have consented. For with what presumption does he dare to approach the episcopate, who, by the testimony of his little daughter, is shown not yet to possess the long continence of his body? But Peter, likewise a deacon, whom you assert to have been chosen by you, is, as far as is reported, altogether simple [naive]. And you know that at this time such a man ought to be set on the height of governance who knows how to be solicitous not only for the salvation of souls, but also for the outward welfare and protection of those subject to him. For [know] besides that this has reached us concerning him: that he has given out money [solidi] at usury, a matter which you ought to investigate with all subtlety; and if it should so prove to be the case, choose another, and suspend yourselves without delay from a person of this kind. For upon men who lend at usury we by no means lay hands [in ordination]. But if, after a subtle inquiry has been held, it should appear that this is false -- since his person is unknown to us, and we are ignorant whether what has been reported to us concerning his simplicity is indeed so -- it is necessary that, by a decree made by you, he come to us, so that, inquiring more carefully concerning his life and character, we may likewise also come to know his understanding; in order that, if he prove suited to this judgment, we may, with the Lord's help, fulfill your desires in him. Let it moreover be the care of your zeal to provide also another who is suitable, so that, if perchance this man should not seem fit for this office, there may be one to whom your election can turn. For it will be a grave reproach to that clergy, if -- should he perchance not be approved here -- they should say they have no other who ought to be chosen. [The following passages in the source are editorial apparatus, not part of Gregory's letter:] [Variant readings: Epist. LXI [al. 39]. The Gazaean edition reads "... has been pleased," and "the monks of the monastery of Saint Sebastian, which ..."; the Anglican, Norman, Corbie, Reims, and Vatican manuscripts [read otherwise].] [Note on Epist. LXII [al. 40]: That the votes of the people were required for the canonical election of bishops from of old, Saint Gregory teaches everywhere in his letters. But, with another custom having been introduced, I observe that which a novice author, doing something else, observed a few days ago: the first letter of the bishops of Tarraco to Pope Hilarus, where, concerning Silvanus, who -- setting aside the rules of the Fathers and despising the institutions of the Apostolic See -- had ordained a bishop with no peoples petitioning for it, that is, without the votes of the people or the consent of the inhabitants of the place having been awaited. On this account the Fathers of the Roman council acclaimed before the Pope, for the preservation of the ecclesiastical canons violated by that bishop: "We ask that discipline be preserved; we ask that the canons be kept." -- Gussanville.] [A further fragment of Gregory's letter, separated in the source:] ... [it ought to be] more maturely; and we shall treat more soundly, with God's grace, [of what is] temporal. But since the monastery established at Puteoli, which is called Falcidis, is reported to be so deserted by monks that not only ... [text breaks off; remainder illegible in the source]. [Editorial fragment continuing the variant note: "... let them be" ... "a beginning, but let them be a benefit of purgation."]

AD NEAPOLITANOS. Neque Joannem in episcopum eligendum ſuisse, quod non caslus; neque Petrum, $i incautus sit ac fene- rator. Alium igitur ex Ecclesi@® ue clero aptum 8ibi provideant. Gregorius clero et nobilibus civibus Neapolitanis. Nec novum (CGrat. 8, q.1,c. 17) nec reprehensi- bile est in eligendo episcopo * popul se youa in duas partes dividere : 8ed grave est quando in hujusmodi causis non ex judicio, sed ex 80k, ſavore venit ele- cio. Prius enim quam scripta ad nos vestra discur- rerent, Joannem diaconum, qui ad altera parte ele- ctus est, parvulam habere filiam ex quorumdam re- latione cognovimus. Unde si rationem voluissent altendere, nec alii eum eligere, nec ipse debuerat consentire. Nam qua presumptione ad episcopatum audet accedere, qui adhuc longam corporis sui con- tinentiam, ſiliola teste, convincitur non babere? Pe- trus autem ilemi Diaconus ( Dist. 39, c. 1), quema vobis electum asseritis, ominino quantum dicitur sime plex est. Et nostis quia talis hoe tempore in reg minis debeat arce conslilui, qui non solum de $alute animarum, verum etiam de exirinseca Subjectorum utilitate et cautela sciat esse sollicitus. Nam ( Dist. 47, c. 4) de eo insuper ad nos pervenisse cognoscite - poralis esse debeat maturius ac s0lidius cum Dei D quod solidos dederit ad usuras, quod vos oportet gratia pertractabimus. Quia vero monasterium © Pu- leolis constitutum, quod Falcidis LOQSG dicitur, ita esse destitutum a monachis perhibetur, ut non solum Eersr. LXI[A!. 39].— *. Edit. Gazarensis..... in Pla- q1a es1, et monachos sancli Sebastiani monaslerii quod, Adb»remus Mss. Anglic., Norm., Corb., Rhem., Vatic. untur. Ee.sT. LXI1 [Al. 40]. — * Quod populi vota ad cnmicam episcoporum electionem requirerentur cum omni suhlilitate requirere; et $i ita consliterit, alium eligite, et ab hnjusmodi vos persona Sine mora suspendite. Nam nos awatoribus usurarum nulla ra- antiquitus, docet sanctus Gregorius p284im in episto- lis. Sed alio indacto more observo quod a paucis «die- - bus novitius auctor aliud agens observavil, epistolaur primam Tarraconensium episcoporum ad Hilarum papam, ubi de Silvano, qui, postponens Patrum re- gulas, et sedis apostolice institula despiciens, nullis petentibus populis episcopum ordinaverat, SCilicet non exspectatis populi votis aut habitatorum Joct consensu. Propterea concilii Romani Paires coram Papa acclamarunt, pro conservandis canonibus ec- clesiasticis ab episcopo ill violatis : Ut discipling $ervelur roaumus , ut canones custodiantiur rogamus- GUSSANV. SANCTI GREGORII MAGNI tione manus imponimus. Si vero sublili habita in- A initium, sed beneficium purgationis exislant. Quig quisitione hoc falsum esse patuerit , quia persona ejus nobis ignota est, LQB7 et utrum ita $it de sinplicitate cjus quod ad nos perlatum est ignora- mus, cum decreto a vobis facto ad nos eum venire necesse est, ut, de vita moribusque ipsius sollicitius inquirentes, sensSum quoque pariter agnoscamus ;-ut si huic judicio aptus exsliterit, vestra in eo, adju- vante Domino, desideria compleamns. Studii prixter- ea vestri sit etiam alium qui aptus *it providere (Dizst. 61, e, 4), ut 8i forte huie ordini hic non videa- tur idonens, sit in quem $e vestra declinare possit electio. Nam grave Þ cleri illius erit opprobrium, ut 8i hic fortasse approbatus non ſuerit, alium se di- cant qui efigi debeat non habere ©,