Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)→Unknown|gregory great
Gregory to John, Bishop of Ravenna.
Not much time has passed since certain matters concerning your brotherhood were reported to us, about which, as we recall, we gave detailed notice through Castorius, notary of the Holy Church over which, by God's authority, we preside. For it had come to our attention that certain things were being done in your church contrary to custom and the path of humility — which, as you well know, is the very foundation of the priestly office. If your wisdom had received these matters gently and with proper episcopal concern, you should not have been angered by them, but rather ought to have corrected these same things with an attitude of gratitude. For it is contrary to ecclesiastical custom if what comes to us is not borne with the greatest patience — and, God forbid, even an unjust correction.
Yet your brotherhood has been greatly disturbed, and with a swelling heart, as if making excuses, you wrote to us that you are accustomed to use the pallium [a liturgical vestment symbolizing metropolitan authority, conferred by the pope] only after the people have been dismissed from the secretarium [the sacristy or private chamber of the church], and during the time of Mass, and at solemn litanies — confessing in the clearest truth that you have taken upon yourself something contrary to the custom of the universal Church. For how can it be that you do lawfully in the streets, amid the noise of the crowds, during a time of ashes and sackcloth, what you yourself excused as virtually unlawful to do in the assembly of the poor and the nobles, and in the secretarium of the church?
Nevertheless, dearest brother, we do not think it unknown to you that it has been heard of almost no metropolitan in any part of the world who has claimed for himself the use of the pallium outside the time of Mass. And that you well know this custom of the universal Church, you have made most clearly known to us in your own letters, in which you transmitted to us the decree of our predecessor of blessed memory, Pope John [Pope John III, r. 561–574], attached as a supplement, stating that all customs granted to you and your church by privilege of our predecessors ought to be preserved. You therefore acknowledge that the custom of the universal Church is one thing, since what you practice you claim for yourselves by special privilege. Therefore, as we see it, no uncertainty can remain for us in this matter. For either the practice of all metropolitans must be observed by your brotherhood as well, or if you say that something has been specially granted to your church, the decree from the earlier pontiffs of the city of Rome, by which these things were granted to the Church of Ravenna, must be shown by you. If this cannot be shown, it follows — since you claim what you have done neither by universal custom nor by privilege — that you prove yourself to have usurped what you did.
And what shall we say to the future Judge, dearest brother, if we do not defend even that heavy yoke and bond of our neck — I will not say for an ecclesiastical dignity, but even for some worldly honor — judging ourselves burdened if we lack so great a weight even for a small space of time? We wish to be adorned with the pallium, perhaps while being unadorned in our conduct, when nothing shines more splendidly on an episcopal neck than humility.
Therefore, your brotherhood ought, if you have resolved with firm purpose to defend your honors by whatever arguments, either to follow the universal custom based on unwritten tradition, or to protect yourself by written privileges. Or if, in the end, neither of these exists, we do not wish you to set an example of such presumption for other metropolitans.
But lest you perhaps think that we, in writing these things to you, have neglected what pertains to brotherly love, know that a careful search has been made in our archives regarding the privileges of your church. And indeed, certain things were found that could in every way counter the claims of your brotherhood, but nothing by which your church's position on such matters could be strengthened. For concerning that very custom of yours which you assert for your church — about which we previously wrote asking that proof be provided from your side — know that we have already exercised sufficient care, inquiring of our sons Peter the deacon, Gaudiosus the primicerius [chief notary], and also Michael the defensor [legal advocate] of our see, and others who were sent to Ravenna by our predecessors on various business, and they most strictly denied that you had done this in their presence. It is therefore apparent that what was usurped unlawfully could not have been done openly. Hence, what was secretly introduced ought to have no lasting validity.
Therefore, correct with a spirit of charity and with brotherly goodwill whatever has been superfluously presumed by you or by your predecessors. By no means — I do not say through your own example, but through the precedent of others or of your predecessors — allow yourself to depart from the path of humility.
Not much time has passed since certain matters concerning your brotherhood were reported to us, about which, as we recall, we gave detailed notice through Castorius, notary of the Holy Church over which, by God's authority, we preside. For it had come to our attention that certain things were being done in your church contrary to custom and the path of humility — which, as you well know, is the very foundation of the priestly office. If your wisdom had received these matters gently and with proper episcopal concern, you should not have been angered by them, but rather ought to have corrected these same things with an attitude of gratitude. For it is contrary to ecclesiastical custom if what comes to us is not borne with the greatest patience — and, God forbid, even an unjust correction.
Yet your brotherhood has been greatly disturbed, and with a swelling heart, as if making excuses, you wrote to us that you are accustomed to use the pallium [a liturgical vestment symbolizing metropolitan authority, conferred by the pope] only after the people have been dismissed from the secretarium [the sacristy or private chamber of the church], and during the time of Mass, and at solemn litanies — confessing in the clearest truth that you have taken upon yourself something contrary to the custom of the universal Church. For how can it be that you do lawfully in the streets, amid the noise of the crowds, during a time of ashes and sackcloth, what you yourself excused as virtually unlawful to do in the assembly of the poor and the nobles, and in the secretarium of the church?
Nevertheless, dearest brother, we do not think it unknown to you that it has been heard of almost no metropolitan in any part of the world who has claimed for himself the use of the pallium outside the time of Mass. And that you well know this custom of the universal Church, you have made most clearly known to us in your own letters, in which you transmitted to us the decree of our predecessor of blessed memory, Pope John [Pope John III, r. 561–574], attached as a supplement, stating that all customs granted to you and your church by privilege of our predecessors ought to be preserved. You therefore acknowledge that the custom of the universal Church is one thing, since what you practice you claim for yourselves by special privilege. Therefore, as we see it, no uncertainty can remain for us in this matter. For either the practice of all metropolitans must be observed by your brotherhood as well, or if you say that something has been specially granted to your church, the decree from the earlier pontiffs of the city of Rome, by which these things were granted to the Church of Ravenna, must be shown by you. If this cannot be shown, it follows — since you claim what you have done neither by universal custom nor by privilege — that you prove yourself to have usurped what you did.
And what shall we say to the future Judge, dearest brother, if we do not defend even that heavy yoke and bond of our neck — I will not say for an ecclesiastical dignity, but even for some worldly honor — judging ourselves burdened if we lack so great a weight even for a small space of time? We wish to be adorned with the pallium, perhaps while being unadorned in our conduct, when nothing shines more splendidly on an episcopal neck than humility.
Therefore, your brotherhood ought, if you have resolved with firm purpose to defend your honors by whatever arguments, either to follow the universal custom based on unwritten tradition, or to protect yourself by written privileges. Or if, in the end, neither of these exists, we do not wish you to set an example of such presumption for other metropolitans.
But lest you perhaps think that we, in writing these things to you, have neglected what pertains to brotherly love, know that a careful search has been made in our archives regarding the privileges of your church. And indeed, certain things were found that could in every way counter the claims of your brotherhood, but nothing by which your church's position on such matters could be strengthened. For concerning that very custom of yours which you assert for your church — about which we previously wrote asking that proof be provided from your side — know that we have already exercised sufficient care, inquiring of our sons Peter the deacon, Gaudiosus the primicerius [chief notary], and also Michael the defensor [legal advocate] of our see, and others who were sent to Ravenna by our predecessors on various business, and they most strictly denied that you had done this in their presence. It is therefore apparent that what was usurped unlawfully could not have been done openly. Hence, what was secretly introduced ought to have no lasting validity.
Therefore, correct with a spirit of charity and with brotherly goodwill whatever has been superfluously presumed by you or by your predecessors. By no means — I do not say through your own example, but through the precedent of others or of your predecessors — allow yourself to depart from the path of humility.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.