Letter 11011

From: Pope Gregory I To: The Priests, Deacons, and Clergy of the Church of Milan Date: ~601 AD Context: Gregory writes about accepting the new bishop Constantius Brothers, I write to you in the matter of your new bishop. You have received Constantius into the pastoral office, and it is now your duty to receive him in your hearts as well. The beginning of any episcopate is a season of mutual adjustment — between the shepherd and his flock — and I urge you to make this season a fruitful one by showing him the loyalty and cooperation that his office requires. Do not let the memory of what has passed in your church become a source of discord. Let each of you resolve to serve God in the new order He has established, and let your bishop find in you a clergy worthy of Milan's great tradition.

Latrix praesentium Arethusa'^ clarissima femina^ propter causam legati, quod ei coniugique vel filiis ipsius® Laurentius reverendae memoriae episcopus vester^^ reli- querat, diu apud nos est, ut recolitis, demorata. Unde scripta nostra recordandae® memoriae fratri et coepiscopo^ nostro Constantio miseramus^, ut cum ea sacerdotali studio causam ipsam definire iurgiorum cessante strepitu debuisset^. Quod, sicut scire Sed quia latrix harum diu est in hac urbe demorata atque illuc distulit remeare, nunc'' usque decidi non potuit. Idcirco dilectionem vestram scriptis praesentibus^ adhortamur, ut memoratae mulieri illic venientiP caritatem quam^ decet ecclesiac filiis' impendatis" et, cum auctore Deo* ecclesia^ fuerit ordinata^, id agatis, quatenus causa ipsa, quae ad Pbl, ▼) exoelsus B 1, te om, B 1, gS. Pbl, «) resecari Pbl,M, 7) pravia Bl.M. «) ita Pb,Pa2. qS.M; conpescat PaJ; conpescere Bl.ql,Q*2. ») vitam B 1, studii Pal, o) salubribus Pa2. ^) monito B 1; monitione Pb.M; moniti Pal; monitis Pa2, •) in iniurio M, f) eos (om. et) quoque B 1, et eo8 q. M. 8) ad Pbl, ^) dispicere Pbl. *) ut M, ^) et n. 8. ipsi om. Pal. 1) inemendatiore8 Q 3. ™) eorum etiam B 1, ») corruptione M, 7) societata Pbl, •) 8Uorum Pal, ») cou m r {ras. 4 litt.) nimi8 B 1; nimis Pal. ^) dicas (om, non) Bl; non indicas q*2, — amen add. Pbl.M. — Pa2 add.: data men8. sep indictione (...?) XI, 11 in titulo: pp bbdd abbr, B 1, pp dd q. q*; populo diaconib. B* 1 {cf. ep, XI, 6 lit,) — Medio- lanensia Bl. q*1.2, sed corr, q*2; Mediolanensi q1. q*3; Mediolaneiis q3, •) Archusa Bl; nd rectus a q*1, *>) d f. Bl, q; d. f Q*. c) filii ip8iu8 B 1; filius (om. ipsius) Q* 1, ^) nor Q*, •) recondandae Q*l, volui88e usque facere om. Bl, ™) voluisset et q 1. «») nam B 1. o) hoc verb. om. q* 1. P) venientem Q*l. q) tuam B 1. ') filio8, ut videtur, B 1, «) impendite 5. *) deo om. B 1. ^) wAe B 1. XI, 11. De hac auperscriptione cf. ep. XI, 6 n, 1) De Laurentio, Constantii nuper mortui tempore diutumo dilata est, ita sine mora aequitate^ servata debeat tenninari, ut nec ante dicta femina amplius fatigari nec vos videamini contra ecclesiasticum propositum petentibus negasse quod iustum cst.