Letter 12032: As it is laudable and discreet to show due reverence and honour to superiors, so it belongs to rectitude and the fear of God, if anything in them needs correction, not to put it off by any connivance, lest disease should begin to invade the whole body (which God forbid), sickness not being cured in the head. Now a considerable time ago certain t...
Pope Gregory the Great→Callinicus, Exarch of Italy|c. 602 AD|Pope Gregory the Great|Human translated
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Gregory to all the bishops of the Council of Byzacium [a province in North Africa].
As it is praiseworthy and wise to show proper reverence and honor to superiors, so it is a matter of integrity and the fear of God not to overlook their faults through indulgence -- lest the disease spread from the head to the whole body, God forbid, because the sickness was not treated at its source.
Some time ago, serious matters were reported to me about our brother Crementius, your primate -- things that pierced my heart with deep sorrow. But the pressure of many crises, especially from enemies surrounding us, left me no time to investigate.
Since this matter is too serious to be passed over, I urge your Fraternity: search out the substantial truth with all care and energy. Either these reports are true and must be punished canonically, or they are false and our brother's innocence should not be left languishing under the damage of an infamous rumor.
There must be no sluggishness in this inquiry. I warn you: let no one's interests, favor, flattery, or anything else soften any of you in your investigation, or shake you from the path of truth. Gird yourselves in priestly fashion and pursue the facts. If anyone presumes to be lazy or negligent in this matter, let him know he will be a partner in those crimes before Almighty God -- because zeal for God did not move him to fully investigate such atrocious wickedness.
Book XII, Letter 32
To all the Bishops of the Council of Bizacium .
Gregory to all, etc.
As it is laudable and discreet to show due reverence and honour to superiors, so it belongs to rectitude and the fear of God, if anything in them needs correction, not to put it off by any connivance, lest disease should begin to invade the whole body (which God forbid), sickness not being cured in the head. Now a considerable time ago certain things were reported to us about our brother Crementius, your primate, such as to pierce our heart with no slight sorrow. But through the pressure of various tribulations, and especially from enemies raging round us, we had not time to enquire into the matter. And, since it is so serious that it ought by no means to be passed over without investigation, we hereby exhort your Fraternity with all carefulness and activity to search out in all ways the substantial truth, in order that either if these things are so, they may be cut off by canonical punishment, or, if they are false, the innocence of our brother may not long lie under the laceration of an infamous report. Wherefore, that there may be no torpor of idleness in the enquiry, we admonish you that neither the interest nor the favour nor the cajoleries of any person whatever, nor anything else, soften any one of you in your sifting of what has been reported to us, or shake you from the path of truth; but gird ye yourselves in priestly wise to investigate the truth. For, if any one should presume to be sluggish, or to show himself negligent in this matter, let him know that he will be a partaker in the said crimes before Almighty God, by zeal for whom he is not moved to enquire fully into the causes of atrocious wickedness.
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Gregory to all the bishops of the Council of Byzacium [a province in North Africa].
As it is praiseworthy and wise to show proper reverence and honor to superiors, so it is a matter of integrity and the fear of God not to overlook their faults through indulgence -- lest the disease spread from the head to the whole body, God forbid, because the sickness was not treated at its source.
Some time ago, serious matters were reported to me about our brother Crementius, your primate -- things that pierced my heart with deep sorrow. But the pressure of many crises, especially from enemies surrounding us, left me no time to investigate.
Since this matter is too serious to be passed over, I urge your Fraternity: search out the substantial truth with all care and energy. Either these reports are true and must be punished canonically, or they are false and our brother's innocence should not be left languishing under the damage of an infamous rumor.
There must be no sluggishness in this inquiry. I warn you: let no one's interests, favor, flattery, or anything else soften any of you in your investigation, or shake you from the path of truth. Gird yourselves in priestly fashion and pursue the facts. If anyone presumes to be lazy or negligent in this matter, let him know he will be a partner in those crimes before Almighty God -- because zeal for God did not move him to fully investigate such atrocious wickedness.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)