Letter 6009: Gregory to Donus, Bishop of Messana (Messene). Moved by the benevolence of the Apostolic See, and by the order of ancient custom, we have thought fit to grant to you, who art known to have undertaken the office of government in the Church of Messana, the use of the pallium; to wit, at such times and in such manner as we dispute not that your pre...
Gregory to Donus, Bishop of Messana.
Moved by the goodwill of the Apostolic See and by long-established custom, I have decided to grant you -- who have taken up the office of leadership in the Church of Messana -- the use of the pallium, at such times and in such manner as your predecessor used it. I urge you: just as you take satisfaction in receiving this mark of honor for your priestly office, strive equally to adorn the office by the uprightness of your character and deeds, to the glory of Christ. You will be truly distinguished when the outward adornment matches the inward excellence of your soul. All privileges granted to your Church in the past I confirm by our authority and decree that they shall remain inviolate.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
Related Letters
The most eloquent man, our son Faustinus, has come to us and complained that his late father Peltrasius left some things which were not his own to your Church for his burial. And indeed he knows himself, and we have heard, what the secular law is in such a case; namely, that the heir is bound to pay if his father has bequeathed what was not his ...
Gregory to Donus, Bishop of Messana (Messene). The ordinances both of the sacred canons and of the laws allow the utensils of the Church to be sold for the redemption of captives. And so, seeing that Faustinus, the bearer of these presents, is proved to have contracted a debt of three hundred and thirty solidi for the purpose of redeeming his da...
Know, glorious daughter, that the presbyter Amandus has been elected to the episcopate by the people of Surrentum. And, we having written for him to be sent hither, you ought not to be saddened for his absence, seeing that one who is with you in heart should not even be believed to be departing from you. And, since he who once pleased you is acc...
With how great devotion my mind prostrates itself before your Venerableness I cannot fully express in words; nor yet do I labour to give utterance to it, since, even though I were silent, you read in your heart your own sense of my devotion. I wonder, however, that you withdrew your countenance, till of late bestowed on me, from this my recent e...
The tenor of the report submitted to you sufficiently explains the complaint of the religious lady Theodosia, in which we have found on reading it many heads of accusation, not befitting priestly gentleness, against our brother and fellow bishop Januarius; so much so that, after the foundation by her of a monastery for servants of God, all that ...