Letter 2036: Let your Charity believe me that I have been greatly saddened for your sadness, as though I had myself suffered wrong in you. But, when I afterwards learned that, even after the most reverend Maximianus, our brother and fellow bishop, had restored you to his favour and communion, your Love would not accept communion from him, I then knew that wh...

Book II, Letter 36 To Peter, Subdeacon of Sicily. Gregory to Peter. We have seen fit to bring to the attention of your Experience certain matters that require correction. We have learned that on some estates, the custom of exacting labor services [corvee] from the tenants beyond what is established by long tradition has been introduced. This we strictly forbid. Let the tenants provide whatever services custom dictates, nothing more. Furthermore, we have been informed that some of those placed in charge of individual estates have been making private deals for their own enrichment at the expense of both the tenants and the Church. Investigate these charges thoroughly. Where you find them to be true, punish the offenders and make restitution to those who have been harmed. Above all, remember that the patrimony of the Church exists for the relief of the poor. Whatever you do in managing it, keep before your eyes both the welfare of those who work the land and the needs of those whom the Church is obligated to feed. Conduct yourself so that when you render account, you may be found faithful in all things.

Book II, Letter 36 To the Abbot Eusebius. Gregory to Eusebius, etc. Let your Charity believe me that I have been greatly saddened for your sadness, as though I had myself suffered wrong in you. But, when I afterwards learned that, even after the most reverend Maximianus, our brother and fellow bishop, had restored you to his favour and communion, your Love would not accept communion from him, I then knew that what had been done before was just. The humility of God's servants ought to appear in a time of affliction: but those who lift themselves up against their superiors show that they scorn to be God's servants. And, indeed, what he once did ought not to have been done; but still it ought to have been taken by you with all humility: and again, when he restored to you his favour, he ought to have been met with thanks. And because it was not so done by you, I feel that to us in every way there is cause for tears. For it is no great thing for us to be humble to those by whom we are honoured; for even any worldly man would do this: but we ought especially to be humble to those at whose hands we suffer. For the Psalmist says, See my humility before mine enemies Psalm 9:14. What life are we leading, if we will not be humble even to our fathers? Wherefore, most beloved son, I beseech you that all bitterness pass away from your heart, lest perchance the end should be near, and the ancient foe should, through the iniquity of discord, bar against us the way to the eternal kingdom. Further, we have caused a hundred solidi to be given to your Love through Peter the subdeacon, which I beg you to accept without offense.

Gregorius ab Ariminensis Ecelesize ad-. 1M nisratione amoto, retenta lamen modica pensione, Leontium luic Ecclesiz visitatorein datum et admi- IiStratorem. » Rhem, sed potentinm. © Fortasse quod propter Langobardorum exercitns qui omnia jtuera obsidebant, Romam terra profi- C.<C1 10 ECsSCl LULUmM. tC mari liberior esset transi-. L115 et Securior, Valic. (. © Ita Turon. S. Gat. et Colb. vet. EPISTOLA XXXYIL. AD JOANNEM 7 PISCOPUM SQUILLACINUM. Joannem ea lege Squillacinum episcopum inslituil, ul ad Lizsitanam Ecclesiam reveriatur, i illam ab ho- slibus liberam eſfici contigerit ; abslineat -ab illicitis ordinationibus, susceplumque pas(oris of fictum digne geral. Gregorius Joanni episcopo ® Squillacino. Pastoralis oflicii cura (Grat. 7, 9. 1, c. 42) nos ad- monet deslitutis- Ecclesiis proprios constituere sa- cerdotes, qui gregem dominicum debeant pastorali 80llicitudine GQO gubernare. Propterea te Joannem ab bostibus captivatz Þ Lissitanze civitatis episco- pum in Squillacina Ecclesia cardinalem necesse duximus consliluere sacerdotem, ut susceptam se- mel animarum curam jintuitu future retributionis impleas. Et licet a tua Ecclesia 8is hosle imminente depulsus, aliam quzie a pastore vacat Ecclesiam de- bes gubernare; ila tamen ut si civitatem jillam ab hostibus liberam effici et, Domino protegeole, ad priorem sstalum contigerit revocari, ad eam in qua e prius ordinatus es Ecclesiam revertaris. Sin autem predieta civitas continua caplivitalis calamitate pre- mitur, in bac in qua a nobis incardinatus es, debehs Eeclesia permanere. Precipimus autem (Gra. dis. 34, c. 10) ne uiquam illicitas ordinationes facias. * bigamum, aut qui virginem non est sortitus uxo- rem, aut ignorantem litteras, @etel in qualibet parte corporis vitiatum , vel pcenitentem, 4 vel cuilibet conduioni obnoxium, ad sacros ordines permiltas accedere. Sed si quos -hujusmodi repereris, non au- deas promovere. Afros passim (Grat. dist. 98, c. 3), vel incognitos peregrinos, ad Weclesiasticos ordines tendentes, nulla ratione suscipias, quia Aſri quidam Manichzi, © aliqui rebaplizati ; peregrini vero plu- rimi etiam in minoribus ordinibus constituti, f ad ſortiorem de se prelendisse honorem sxpe probati _ mens expiscare, necdum occurrit. Quis enim Cc t quemquam exposLulaturum et injuriz depu- taturum quod centum aurei nummi sibi dono den- tur? Gussanv. Similem loquendi modum usurpabat Sanctus Gregorius, cum personis in aliquo honoris gradu positis impendebat eleemosynam. Vide in- dict. 5, epist. 31 ; indict. 6, epist. 19. Scilicet vere- batur humillimus pontifex ne, ex vani honoris 8ensu, eleemosynis sustentari erubescerent, illasve quasi Sum dignitati injuriosas dedignarentur. Eeisr, XXXVIIL | Al. 25]. — * Seyllaceum quod Gregorius Squillacium appellavit, vulgo Squitlace, urbs olim Brutiorum, nunc adhne episcopalis sub archiepi>copo Regiensi : sita est in ora maris Jonii, in Calabria ulteriore et regno Neapol., Locros inter et Consentiam, gaudetque litulo principatus, Eam olim ob iteratam episcoporum cadem episcopali sede ivatam legimus apud Gratianum caus. 25, q. 2, c. ; nos. Gussanv. De hac urbe legendus Cassicd., I. xn, episl. 15, ubi dicitur prima Brutiorum, ejus- que origo elc., situs describuntur.