Letter 4042: The matter before you requires the kind of episcopal firmness that is sometimes harder to maintain than any other...

Gregory to Sebastianus, bishop of Sirmium. I received the sweetest and most delightful letter of your fraternity. Though there is never any lack of things to cause me sorrow, nevertheless your words brought me the great comfort of knowing that you think of me. For you understand well — you who also live under the burdens of the episcopal office — what it is to bear the weight of pastoral care in these times. I pray almighty God to protect you with his right hand, and to grant you both a peaceful life here and, when it pleases him, eternal rewards. But I ask, if you love me with that love with which you always loved me when I was present, that you pray for me most earnestly, that almighty God may be present to guard me against the snares of the enemy, to be ever vigilant against the deceits and malice of the military commanders — what labor, what grief this is, your fraternity judges the more truly as it loves me who suffers these things more purely. Furthermore, rendering the due greeting of salutation, I report what has reached me through the report of Bonifatius the defensor: that our most holy brother the lord patriarch Anastasius wished to commit to you the governance of a church in one of his cities, and you refused to consent. This judgment and wisdom of yours I most gladly embraced, praised vehemently, and counted you blessed and myself unfortunate, who consented in such a time as this to take up the governance of a church. If, however, your mind should ever decide to consent to this, out of condescension to the brethren and devotion to works of mercy, I ask that you set no one before me in your love. For there are churches in the island of Sicily vacant of bishops, and if it pleases you, with God as author, to govern a church, near the threshold of the blessed apostle Peter you can do better with his help. But if this does not please you, stand firm and blessed, that this intention may remain in you, and pray for us who are unfortunate. May almighty God, in whatever place he wills you to be, guard you with his protection, and bring you to the heavenly gifts.

AD SEBASTIANUM EPISCOPUM. Ad amorem celeslium 8e hujus vite doloribus impelli. Quos patitur recenset. Sebastianum, quod oblate ub Anraxlasio Ecclesie regimen suscipere noluerit, lau- dat. Si ad hoc unquam consentire decreverit, petit ut in amore 8ibi alium non preponat. Gregorius Sebasliano ® episcopo Sirmiensi. Dulcissima atque $8navissima ſraternitatis tuz Scripta Suscepi. Que mibhi, quamvis nunquam desit num rogo, ut 8ua vos dextera protegat, > vobisque D et hic tranquillam vitam, et quando ei placuerit, premia zterna concedat. 770 Sed peto, si illo me amore diligitis, quo presentem semper amastis, ut pro me enixius exorelis, qualenus omnipotens Deus Feist. xL1 | AL. 35]. — * In Excusis, episcopo Rhi- Siniensi. In Collect, Pauli et in Vatic. D. episcopo Ri- miers. Quem exbibemus titulum suppeditarunt nobis Pa Stium insidias sollicitum vigilare, contra ducum fal- lacias a:que malitias Suspectum Semper exislere, cujus Jaboris, cujus doloris sit, vesira ſralernitas tanto verius penset, quanto me qui hc patior purius amat. (Cf. Joan. Diac. |. mi, n. 49.) Przx:erea debitum $alutationis alloquium solvens, indico quod ad we Bonifacio deſensore reſerente pervenerit, quia vir sanclissimus ſraler noster dom- nus 4 Anaslasius palriarcha in una Suarum civita- tum regendam vobis Ecclesiam commiltcre voluit, et consentire noluistis. Quem $ensum, ac $apien- tiam vesiram valde ego libenter amplexus sum, lau- davi vehementer, et vos ſelices, me infelicem esse deputavi, qui hoc tali tempore regimen Ecclesia SuSCipere Cconsensi. Si tamen animus vester ſortasse fratribus condescenudendo, et misericordiez operibus intentus ad hoc unquam consentire dec:everit, pelo ut amori meo alium mivime pro*ponatis. Sunt enim in Sicilia insula Ecclesizz vacautes episcopis, el si vobis placet auctore Deo Ecclesiam regere, juxta beati Petri aposloli liminua, cum ejus adjulorio me- lius potestis. Siu vero non placel, ſeliciter state, ut is!a in vobis inter.tio permaneal, et pro nobis inſeli- cibus exorate. Omnipolens autem Deus in quocunque vos esse loco voluerit, sua protectione custodiat, et ad culestia vos dona perducat. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l. m, n. 413.)