Letter 4066

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Athanasius, priest Date: ~594 AD Context: Gregory declares Athanasius cleared of all heretical taint by the church of Constantinople, and announces this. Gregory to Athanasius, priest. I write to inform you officially: the examination of your case in Constantinople has determined that you are free of any taint of heresy. You are pronounced orthodox. I know this has been a long and painful process for you. A man accused of heresy — even a man who knows himself innocent — lives under a cloud that touches every aspect of his life and ministry. The clearing of that cloud is therefore not merely a legal determination; it is the restoration of your good name and your ability to minister without the shadow of unjust accusation. Go back to your ministry with a clear conscience. And if anyone attempts to raise this matter against you again, you have this declaration as evidence of your standing. Gregory

AD ATHANASIUM PRESBYTERUM. Ipsum ab omni hereseos labe purum pronunlial, idque ze Conslantinopolitano episcopo 8cripturum 4pon- det. Gregorius * Athanasio presbylero de Isauria. Sicut de eis quos ab unitate Ecclesiz herelice pravitatis error abscidit aſfligimur et dolemus, ita his quos intra-Sinum suum catholicz ſidei prefessio gus/0., Eadem haud dubie erat inscriplio in Codice ex quo descriptus est Cisterciensis. At pro M-uricio Tiberio (cognomen erat Mauricii) scripsit amanuen- , Mauricio et Tiberio. Norm, \ Vatic., Reg., Rhem. " Corb. Eeisr. LXVI [Al. T4]. — « Antea legebatur Ana- $lasio contra fid-m plurimorum mss. Codicum et Editionum antiquarum. Id etiam conslat ex contextu epi>tol.v in qua Mss. onnes et editi Codices legunt Athanasis, sicult et ex epi>t. » lib, vi, nunc lib. vis, in qua exemplaria oinvia habent Athanasium, quod =, Spicionis materiamlibellum nobis manu tua porrexisti perscriptum, in quo, fidem tuam exponens, omnes generaliter h:ereses, vel quidquid adversus catholic ſidei vel proſessionis integrilatem est apertissime con- demnasti, et cuncta quz sanelz quatuor universales synodi recipiunt te semper recepisse ac recipere, ect que condemnant condemnasse condemuareque proſes- SUSCS ; eam quoque synodum quz Jusliniani imperato+ ris temporibus de tribus capitulis ſacta est et susci- pere ct cuslodire promisisti; et prohibitus a nobis codicem ipsum legere in quo. peslifere ſraudis virus innexum est libentissime consensisli; reprobans eliam atque condemnans ea omnia qu:e contra catho- lice fidei integritalem in eo B44 dicta vel laten:er D advertere debebant qui titulum illum corruperunt. liem error reperitur in Editis Joaunis Diaconi, licet mss. Codices reclament. Gus8avv. Vide indicem Chronolog. Hist. monast. Ori ntalis, p. 65. ec Est regio A$izz minoris, Cappadocize pars, in aus.rum Ciliciam versvs, ab ea Tauro moc..le divisa, inter Isauriam ad occasum, et Armeniam minore ad ortum, cujus metropolis Iconium hedie, vulgo Cogni. GUSSANvY. 4 Cui ut Conslantinop. patriarch:e 8nberat Lyeao- nia, juxia concil. Chalced., can. 9, 17, 29S. © Agnosce antiquan in Romanis ponlficibus li- bros aliquos jp: ohibendi poleslatem el cansuetudi- nem, cui parere tenebantur etiam Orientalis Ecclesiz alumui Constantinop. I is aul alleri alioquin $ubciti, jinserta sunt, nec eum te legere denuo promisisli ; A quoq::e ct dilectissimo ſratri nostro Constantinopoli- hac ratione permoti, postquam ctiam f ex probati lanz civitatis antisliti, qui in $upradicti sancti Joan- nis loco ordinatus est, nostra volumus Scripta trans- miltere. Sed quia 8 consuetudo non est ut prius gum ad nos ejus synodica deferatir debeamus 8cri- here, idcirco distulimus. Sed postquam ea nobis de- lata ſucrit, ei hc, dum opportunum ſuerit, indicabi- mus. (C[. Joan. Diac. l. rv, n. 56 et n. 25. Vide ind. 11 ep. 52, ind. 15p. 48.) | ac te<tes, quod sanctns Gregorius, epist. 24, nunec 25, lib. 1, prixstivu. Gelasii Pape | verba, epi-t. 2, ad Laurentium, tam Sunt aperla, ut n: (lis possmt tenebris ob>cnrari : Mos ext Romane Ecclesie 5a- cerdoti noviter constituto ſormam fidei sut ad sancias Ececlesias prerogare, elc. —__—@Þs _ LIBER SEPTIMUS- Indictione xy, et anno ordinationis ejus septimo. 845 * EPISTOLA PRIMA. AD FORTUXNATUM EPISCOPUNM. Uzorem, que li'era approbata es! , riro 810 reslituat ; neque hic de illa iterum ubjicienda cogitet. Greg rivs Fortunato episcopo Neapolitano. Cnjn1s rei causa (Grat. 29, q. 2, c. 6) cum matre $ua huc compulsa auno prix terilo presentium veuerit latrix, (raternitas tua Þ cautius novit. © Quam quia marcitus $uns, vester clericus, ob hoc quod de servi-i ſucrat conditione pulsa'a, a $u0 noScitur removisse consortio, vosque hic positos as8erunt promisisse ut si probare se liberam, adjuvante Domino, valuisset, $U0 eam vos conjugi reſormare; ſratervitas vestra cognoscat quod, revelante Deo, libertalis auctore, approbata si; libera, 4 nullaque $servilis in ca macula inventa. His ergo cognitis, sine mora aliqua, $uo per vos eam volumus marito reslitoi, nec ulterius idem vir ejus © argumenia $ibi occasionis exquirat quibus eam possit abjiccre. Nam si a vobis, quod non cre- dimus, minime ſuerit adimpletum, eamque recipere ſorte distulerit, f nos illud cognoscatis cum districta vindicla correcturos.