Letter 2014: Given the present dangers [the Lombard invasions that were making many Italian towns unsafe], the episcopal seat of...

To John, Bishop of Velletri. [The bishop's see is transferred to a safer place.] Gregory to John, Bishop of Velletri. [The opening of the letter is lost or illegible in the source; only the closing instruction survives.] [...] Therefore we direct you, John, our brother and fellow bishop of the city of Velletri, to migrate from there, together with your see, to the place which is called Harenata, to Saint Andrew the Apostle, so that you may be able to exist more free from hostile incursion, and that there you may arrange the customary observance of the solemn feasts. [Given] in the month of February, in the tenth indiction. EPISTLE XV. To Bishop Paul. [He exhorts Paul, to whom he had entrusted the Church of Naples, who is thinking of returning too soon, to persevere there. Concerning the deacon Peter he replies that Paul has nothing to fear from him, and that no place for any underhanded scheming will be found with him.] Gregory to Bishop Paul. To this end we appointed your Fraternity to preside over the Church of Naples for the present, that you might convert as many as you could to God by persuasive preaching. And whereas you ought to carry on here with your whole attention, before you have produced this fruit for the Lord, you are hastening to return; and you ask of me that I should quickly ordain a bishop for that same Church, although it is not my intention to be at leisure in this matter. But because I desire to fortify its interests with the utmost firmness, I find it necessary to deal with this by long deliberation, so that I may be able to arrange for it a worthy ordination, by Christ's revealing. In the meantime, therefore, let your Fraternity so devote itself to watching over the gaining of souls, that the judgment which I hold concerning you may be confirmed by the effect of your work. As for the person of the deacon Peter, about whom you wrote, Theodorus, the man of consular rank, has now made everything known to me. And therefore, since I have learned that he cleaves to you and that, by your own testimony, he applies himself to the interests of the Church, he ought to dread the adversity or enmities of no one; but the more he perceives that others envy him, so much the more vigilantly let him persevere in the interests of the Church and in the service of God, so that they may be able to do him no harm. Your Fraternity, moreover, ought not after this to be suspicious on account of his person, because with me no underhanded scheming will find a place. EPISTLE XVI. To Maximian, Bishop of Syracuse. [He sets Paulinus, bishop of Taurianum, over the Church of Lipari.] Gregory to Maximian, Bishop of Syracuse. A Church established in fortified places ought not to be without the office of a pastor. Since therefore the Church of Lipari is recognized to be deprived of a priest, let your Fraternity for that reason, without delay, appoint Paulinus, bishop of the Church of Taurianum, to preside over the aforesaid Church of Lipari, so that he may vigilantly carry out the administration of his office in that same Church, and [provide for] all its interests. [The remainder is lost or illegible in the source.] [...] EPISTLE XVII. To Bishop Paulinus. [He is to reside in the Church of Lipari, but to visit Taurianum at a convenient time.] Gregory to Bishop Paulinus. We wish you to know that we have written to Maximian, our brother and fellow bishop, that he should appoint your Fraternity, by our authority, to preside over the Church of Lipari. It is necessary for you to obey him in all respects, and we direct you to apply yourself becomingly to the interests of his Church, and whatever you shall recognize to be needful for its advantages, we wish you to carry out without hesitation. The Church of Taurianum, moreover, you shall visit as often as you judge the time to be convenient. So therefore let your Fraternity hasten to fulfill all these things, so that both by your presence it may dispose the Church of Lipari wholesomely, and by the zeal of visitation it may not cease to gather together and to cherish the Church of Taurianum. Given in the month of March, in the tenth indiction.

AD JOANNEM EPISCOPUM VELITRANUM. Episcopi 8edes in tutiorem locum transſertur. Gregorius Joanni episcopo *® \clitrano. | Temporis qualitas (Grat. 7, q. 1, c. 44) admonet bus tunc temporis vix ullum consecrabatur allare, wm de consec., dist. 1, videre est. Eadem est clau- Sula epistolz 5, supra. Eeisr. XIII (41. 10). — * bs ea86 videtur Importn- nous Attellanz civitalis episcopus , de quo epist. 77 lib. 1x, indict. 2. bd Irrepserat in excusos quondam ante Campigonis , quod, cogentibus Mss., expunximus. Origine, ubi meminit canonis 21 ex Tolet. im: Mul- torum querela hanc conslitutionem exegit, quia agnovir mus epis-0pos per parochias suas non 8accrdolaliter, ed crudeliter des@vire. Lego apud Gregoriuu Turon., Hist. lib. v, cap. 5, quemdam episcopum habuissg Sub se xv dicceses. Et Adbelmus, de Laudibus vir- ginitatis vocat Ecclesiam catholicam Ecclesiz paro- chiam. Itaque non pugnandum de nomine. Guss4anv, Jam vero unde pareciz nomen habuerit dixcesis episcopi , aut curionis districtus, disserit Cangius in Glossario. In locis, nou explicat. Et vero constat jure Ccanunico antiquo clericos cujuSque diecesls a $UY Cpiscopo cuin cleri et plebis assensu ordivatos eSsC, alyue adeo iliis beneticia qu-);ta tunc crant decrela, Sive jus Slipendiorum ecclesiasticorum concessum. Lauds cnc. Antioch., Cc. 9 et 22, ct Carthag. iv, can. 23, Ordinationes a melropoulitanis jn episCoporutn aub- d1orum diugces: bus aliquulcs leltatas et Cactas ieghe wus, Sed ista Seu lenlamenta eu lacta zecunduim canones expendimus, ut n0n $i4nt in destruchionem, Sd in &d(ficaliunem. Credideriun S>anclt's. ponti- cen, juris ut erut Commugis Vindex acerrinuus, Jusla quadain et peculiari raltiune WoLuth , 14h eccle» Uiz, fortasse diukius quain par oral Yacanll eb negle- elz, pre>bylerum deslinasse , Jepula>ze , et quidecr conslitutas, ad alia, qua Securiora pulamus, ejusJem diceceseos loca transponere, quo et habitatores nune degere, et barbaricum possint periculam ſacilins ds clinare. Prapterea te Joannem frairem coepiscopunn - que nostrum VYelitrensis civilatis, 8edemque tuam ia locum qui Harenala dicitur ad sanuctum Andream apostolum precipimus exinde transmigrare, quale= nus et ab hostilitatis incursu liberior existere valeas, et illic © consueludinem solemnium festa disponas. 4 Mense Februario, indict. 10. (Cf. Joan. Diac., !. 11, &. 17.) $79 EPISTOLA XV AD PAULUM EPISCOPUNM. Paulum, cui Neapolitanam Ecclesiam commigerat , ds reditu citius cogitantem , ut ib: persereret hortatur De Petro diacono respondet , nihil illi timendum nullumgue apud ze ſore locum aubreptioni. Gregorius Paulo episcopo. Ad boc fraternilatem tuam Neapolitane Ecclesiaz ad przesens praesse conslilui, ut quosque poluisses , Suasoria ad Deum predicatione converteres. Et dum tota te oporieat huc intentione peragere, priusquam hunc Domino ſructum opereris, reverti ſestinas. pe- lisque a me ut celeriter eamdem debeam Ecclesiam ut ait, provide, cum certus esset episcopum non repugnaturum, populum non reclamaturum, clericog non iri offeusum. Gussanv. Videsis Thomassinum , parte 11, lib. 1, c. 41, et Alteserram in huac locuin, ubi censet ea Zlale a pontiflice extra ordiuem cob lata minora beneficia ; utiturque teStimonio Joannig C Sarisber., epist. 230, qui tamen multis seculis Gre- gorio nostro junior ſuil. Addit ; Collationi beneficio- rum injecla es! manus a Rom. Pontif., ex quo pros nuntiatus es! ordinarius ordinariorum in concil. gener, eran., cap. 5. © Ide est ac 8i diceret, ſructus anui labentis jam percepli. ALTES. ' Translatio episcopalium sedium non potes! fieri Sine aucluriiale 8ummi ponlif., quia est de majo- ribus causis. Sic Cenetensis Ecclesia, quia posita erat loco intuls et inſesto incursionibus Tervisinrum, in tulorem locum translala, aucloritate Innvcentii HI. Tesiis ipse Ianocentius , lib. n, epist. 8. Translatio ellum $Sediun episcop. non fit sine consensu princi- Pis..... Sic Ecclesia Magalonensis e Magalonz insula Montemnpessulanum (rausfala est, an. 1555, consenSu SUMMNIL punt, et Francis'i | regis. ALTESERRA, © Sic in omnibus Mss. et Edits sancti Gregorii epislulis. Apud Ivouem : consuetudinem ſestorum 80- lemnium visponas. Sie etiam apud Burchardum. Joaunes Diaconus its, consuetudine s0lemnium ſesla dispondas. (In decreto Grat., consuetudinem 8vlemnium ſertive disponas.) Ut ui seribatur, s:ntentia est eadem, quain vic exprims : In ſestis precipuis et $vlemnio- ribus ad eccieslain malricem ex tola dicces! cons flucbant clerici et laici , quod pturibus concihorum canombus caulum est. Profers Agath., can. 21 ; Arvern., can. 15; Aurel. 1, can. 25; .\ure.. !v, Calls 3, elc. Haque mutato Sets loco non jain im priori civitate fesia diSprncbantur, Sed af Sanctum Ant» dream in Hamten its publicus owninm fide] um con-' veulus indi debuit , ut lestiviiales PrLazcipuas cum SUU Ce:ebrarent epi>cop0. GUSSANY., « Sic legitur in Turon, S. Gat. »61 SANCTI GREGORI! MAGNI ordinare, dum meus non sit animus in hac re otio- A $us. Sed quia vlilitates ejus summa cupio lirmitate vallare, diuturna de hoc necesse habeo deliberatione lractare, ut eam digni possam ordinatione, Christo revelante, disponere. lnterea ergo ſraternitas tua ita invigilare animarum lucris $tudeat, ut judicium quod de te habeo, operationis tuz roboretur effectu. De persona vero Petri diaconi que Scripsisti, omnia | mibi Theodorus vir consularis nunc indicavit. Et ideo postquam tibi adh@rere et ecclesiasticis eum utilitatibus tua testilicatione studere cognovi, nullius debet adversilatem vel inimicitias ſormidare ; $ed quanto $ibi alivs invidere perpendit , tanto vigilan- tius, ut ei nihil nocere valeant, in utilitatibus Eccle- $iz, et Dei servitio perseveret. Fraternitas autem tua pro ejus persona post hoc non debet esse su- specta, quia apud me * nulla subreptio locum inve- niet. EPISTOLA XYI AD MAXIMIANUM EPISCOPUM SYRACUSANUM. Paulinum Taurianensem episcopum Ecclesic Liparitane pre ficit, Gregorius Maximiano episcopo Syracusano. Locis ®* munitis Ecclesia constitula pastoris vacare non debet officio. Quia igitur Ecclesia S&Q Lipari- lana Sacerdote privata dignoscitur, idev Paulinum Taurianensis Ecclesiz episcopun in pradicta Eccle- via Liparitana fralernitas tua Sine mora praesse constiluat , ut officii sui administrationem in eadem Ecelesia vigilanter exhibeat, et quzque ejus utilita- EPISTOLA XVII. | AD PAULINUM EPISCOPUY., In Liparitana Ecclesia resideat, T aurianensem vero | opportuno tempore vieitet. Gregorius * Paulino episcopo Scire te volumus quia Maximiano' fratri et coepi- $copo nostro scripsimus ut ſraternitatem tuam Ec- clesize Þ- Liparitanz ex nostra auctoritate prazesse conslituat. Cui te modis omnibus obedire necesse est, cjusque te Ecclesize © ulilitatibus precipimus decenter insistere , et quzeque ejus commoditalibus agnoveris oportere, te volumus Sine cunctatione per- agere. Ecclesiam vero Taurianensem, quoties oppor- tunum tempus credideris, visitabis. Ita ergo ſrater- nitas tua hxc omnia implere ſeslinet, ut et ui prezsentia Liparitanam salubriter disponat Ecclesiam, el visitationis $tudio Taurianensem 4 Ecclesiam con- gregare et ſovere non desinat. © Data mense Mariio, indictione decima.