Letter 4005: Gregory to Boniface, Bishop of Regium (Reii). It is a shame for priests to be admonished about matters of divine worship. For they are then to their disgrace required to do what they ought themselves to require to be done.

Gregory to Boniface, Bishop of Regium. It is a disgrace when priests must be reminded about matters of divine worship. They should be the ones requiring it of others, not the ones being prompted. Still, in case your Fraternity has been negligent in any respect regarding the work of God — though I would not expect it — we have thought it right to address you directly on this point. We therefore instruct you: do not allow the clergy of Regium to be released by your indulgence from the duties demanded by their office. In everything pertaining to God's service, they are to be most urgently and most earnestly compelled to fulfill their responsibilities. We also wish you to pay close attention to the conduct of the clergy. Nothing improper, nothing that in any way contravenes ecclesiastical discipline, should be heard of them. Their office exists for the Church's honor, not for the disgrace of unworthy deeds. Furthermore, we decree that what we determined regarding the Sicilian subdeacons shall also be observed by your subdeacons. Do not allow anyone's defiance or recklessness to undermine this decision. If all the above is strictly enforced by you — as we trust it will be — you will neither prove a violator of our instructions nor be found guilty of laxity in the pastoral charge entrusted to you.

Book IV, Letter 5 To Boniface, Bishop. Gregory to Boniface, Bishop of Regium (Reii). It is a shame for priests to be admonished about matters of divine worship. For they are then to their disgrace required to do what they ought themselves to require to be done. Yet lest, as I do not suppose, your Fraternity should neglect in any respect the things that pertain to the work of God, we have thought fit to exhort you specially on this very head. We therefore admonish you that the clergy of the city of Regium be to no extent released by the indulgence of your Fraternity in duties demanded by their office. But in the things that pertain to God let them be most instantly and most earnestly compelled. We desire you also to study the reputation of the aforesaid clergy, that nothing bad, nothing that at all contravenes ecclesiastical discipline, be heard of them; seeing that it is to its adornment, not to foulness of deeds, that their office appertains. Further, we decree that what we determined in the case of the Sicilians be observed by your subdeacons ; nor may thou suffer this our decision to be infringed by the contumacy or temerity of any one whatever; that so, as we believe will be the case, all that has been said above being most strictly kept in force by you, you may neither prove a transgressor of our admonition, nor be accused as guilty of remissness in the order of pastoral rule which has been committed to you.