Letter 5024

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Romanus, exarch of Italy Date: ~595 AD Context: Gregory asks the exarch not to defend the priest Speciosus against his bishop. Gregory to Romanus, exarch of Italy. It has come to my attention that the priest Speciosus has been resisting his bishop, and that he may seek — or has sought — your support in this resistance. I ask you not to extend that support. A priest who resists his bishop's legitimate authority is not a victim to be defended; he is someone exercising a kind of insubordination that, if unchecked, undermines the whole order of the church. Your defense of him against his bishop would be a defense of disorder. I understand that Speciosus may make a persuasive case for himself. But I ask you to refer the matter to the ecclesiastical authorities who have jurisdiction rather than allowing civil authority to become the instrument of clerical resistance. Gregory

AD ROMANUM EXARCHUM. Ne Speciosum presbyterum episcepo 810 resistenlem luealur, neque palrocinelur sanctimonialibus ud s@- culum reversis. Gregorius *® Romano exarcho ltaliz. Apud excellentiam vestrain pravorum audacia cor- replionis debet aculeos magis quam deſensionis jn- venire 80laltium. Nam S$alis grave est $i illic habere pravam contingat actionem refgium, unde discipline decet prodire censurain. Perveuit itaque ad nvs Spe- ciosum quemdam presbyterum, qui causa poscente in monaslerium a Joanue fraitre et coepiscopo nostro C fuerat depulatus, contra Sul pasLoris exinde volunta- tem exiisse, Þ et, ecclesiaslice conslitutionis vie gore despecto, ante dicto episcopo, vestra ſretum luitione, resislere. Quod quia excellentiz vestra $ine dubio pulsat invidiain, necesse est ut ab ejus vos, habita discrelione, debeatis tuitione suspendere, n& $i Nominis vestri occasione pastori $u0 inobediens vel contumax ſuerit ad tempus, et vesiros contra vos judices deſensare, atque excelleniiam vestram hac ex re cogatur offendere, et nos pariter de vestra discor- dia contristare. Comperimus przxterea, quod dici nefas est, quas- dam mulieres, quz nunc usque. in religios0 alque monachico habitu permanserunt, © suam veslem et Suam velaluram deponere, et conjugibus, quod $ine D gravi reſerre non possumus dolore, svciari. Sed huc quidem 4 ut dicere vel allentare presumant, ſavoris Ee1isT. XXIV [Al. 18]. — * De Romano lege episl. 55 lib. 1. In Editis additur Ltulo, Kesidenti Ravenud, quod in Mss. minime repertum expunximus. Solis Sacris Virginibus non loquitur. De 80Jemni veli impositione ac beaedictione pro $acris virginibus, Hieronymus ad Demetriadem de servand virgiutale: Scio quod ad imprecationem ponlificis flumme«m virgi- nale 8ganclum oprruit caput, Kt Ambros., exhort. ad virgines : renit Pasche dies, in tolo orbe bapligmi 8@- cramenta celebrantur, velantur 8acre@ virgines. 4 Excusi, «enSu quidem oplimo, ut ſacere rel atten» lare. T5 vestri patrocinio ſulciri dicuntur, quod nos credere A quidem eum exinde aliquid incongrue minuisse didi- perversitatis ipsius acerbitas non permittit. Petimns ergo ut in tanto vos peccalo miscere nnllatenus de- heatis. Nam hujusmodi iniquitatem impunitam pro- pter' Deum nullo modo patimur remanere. Unde iterum quesumns ut excellentia vestra in talium $se causarum deſensione non misceat, ne et Deus S$uam deſendat injuriam, et inter nos aliorum pariat culpa discordiam. * Mense Februnrio, indictione 13. (Cf. Joan. Diae. |. 1n, n. 40.)