Letter 11014

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Unknown|gregory great
From: Pope Gregory I
To: Pantaleon, Notary
Date: ~601 AD
Context: Gregory orders Pantaleon to go to Genoa to oversee the consecration of a bishop

I am sending you to Genoa on a matter of some importance. Deusdedit is to be consecrated bishop there, and I need a reliable man present to ensure the ceremony proceeds according to canonical requirements and in good order. You know what I expect: the election must have been properly conducted, no simony must have tainted the process, and the man himself must be of blameless life and adequate preparation. Report back to me in full when the matter is concluded. This kind of oversight — tedious as I know travel is in these troubled times — is essential if we are to maintain the standards of ordination that the Church depends upon.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.