Letter 6032: Gregory to Fortunatus, Bishop of Neapolis (Naples). We have written before now to your Fraternity that, if any [slaves] by the inspiration of God, desire to come from Jewish superstition to the Christian faith, their masters have no liberty to sell them, but that from the time of their declaring their wish they have a full claim to freedom. But ...

Gregory to Fortunatus, Bishop of Naples. We have previously written to Your Brotherhood that if any slaves, by the inspiration of God, wish to come from Jewish superstition to the Christian faith, their masters have no right to sell them -- from the moment they declare their intention, they have a full claim to freedom. But we have learned that Jewish masters, parsing the matter with clever discrimination, consider themselves not bound by this rule in the case of pagan slaves. Your Brotherhood must therefore attend to such cases. If any of their slaves, whether Jewish or pagan, should wish to become a Christian, once this wish has been openly declared, no Jew may have the power to sell that person under cover of any device or argument whatsoever. Anyone who desires conversion to the Christian faith must be fully supported by you in his claim to freedom. However, so that masters who lose slaves in this way do not feel their interests are unreasonably harmed, you should observe the following rule with careful attention: if pagans who have been brought from foreign lands for the purpose of trade should happen to flee to the Church and declare their wish to become Christians -- or even announce this wish outside the Church -- then for a period of three months during which a buyer may recoup his investment, appropriate arrangements should be made.

Book VI, Letter 32 To Fortunatus, Bishop. Gregory to Fortunatus, Bishop of Neapolis (Naples). We have written before now to your Fraternity that, if any [slaves] by the inspiration of God, desire to come from Jewish superstition to the Christian faith, their masters have no liberty to sell them, but that from the time of their declaring their wish they have a full claim to freedom. But since, so far as we have learned, they [i.e. Jewish masters], weighing with nice discrimination neither our wish nor the ordinances of the law, think that they are not bound by this condition in the case of pagan slaves, your Fraternity ought to attend to such cases, and, if any one of their slaves, whether he be a Jew or a pagan, should wish to become a Christian, after his wish has been openly declared, let not any one of the Jews, under cover of any device or argument whatever, have power to sell him; but let him who desires to be converted to the Christian faith be in all ways supported by you in his claim to freedom. Lest, however, those who have to lose slaves of this kind should consider that their interests are unreasonably prejudiced, it is fitting that with careful consideration you should observe this rule — that if pagans when they have been brought out of foreign parts for the sake of traffic should chance to flee to the Church, and say that they wish to become Christians, or even outside the Church should announce this wish, then, till the end of three months during which a buyer to sell them to may be sought for, they [the Jewish owners] may receive their price; that is to say, from a Christian buyer. But if after the aforesaid three months any one of such slaves should declare his wish and desire to become a Christian, let not either any one afterwards dare to buy him, or his master, under color of any occasion whatever, dare to sell him; but let him unreservedly attain to the benefit of freedom; since he (i.e. the master) is in such case understood to have acquired him not for sale but for his own service. Let, then, your Fraternity so vigilantly observe all these things that neither the supplication of any nor respect of persons may avail to inveigle you. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360206032.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.