Letter 7021: The church of Rimini has been without a bishop long enough.

To Bishop Sebastian. That he should urge the clergy and people of Rimini to the election of a suitable bishop. Gregory to Bishop Sebastian. The care of the pastoral office constrains us to attend with anxious consideration to those Churches that are deprived of the guidance of a priest [bishop]. And therefore, since the Church of Rimini, to which your Fraternity has rendered the office of Visitation, has long been deprived of pastoral governance by its own bishop on account of a bodily affliction which, as you know, stands in the way, we, moved by the entreaties of the clergy and of the citizens, have not ceased to admonish that same bishop that, if he should feel himself improved from that affliction, he ought to return to the ministry of the priesthood he had undertaken. He, having been admonished by us once and indeed often, with that same affliction still pressing upon him, is now known to have made known to us, by a supplication set forth in writing, that he is in no way able to rise up to the governance of that Church or to the office he had undertaken, the affliction standing in his way. Compelled by the desperation of his condition, we have judged it necessary to deliberate concerning the ordination [appointment of a bishop] for that same Church. We exhort you, therefore, that you should by anxious admonition compel the clergy and people of that same Church to elect for themselves, with the Lord's help, such a bishop to be set over them as may be found fit for so great a ministry and may in no way be rejected by the venerable canons. And when he has been requested, let him present himself here to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree confirmed by the subscriptions of all, and also with the testimony of your letters, so that this Church may, with the Lord's help, be able to have its own bishop. In the month of May.

AD SEBASTIANUM EPISCOPUM. Ut clerum et plebem Ariminensem ad idonei anlislilis electionem urgeat. | Gregorius Sebasliano episcopo. Pasioralis nos cura conslringit Ecclesiis sacerdo- lis moderamine deslitutis sollicita consideratione concurrere, Et ideo quia Ariminensis Ecclesia cui ſraternitas vestra Visitationis impendit officium, diu sacerdolis proprii, corporis qua nostis impediente molestia, paslorali est regimine deslituta , cleri vel civium Pprecibus permoti, eumdem episcopum non destitimus admonere ut $i ex eadem molestia se me- lioratum esse sentirel, ad Suscepti Sacerdolii debuis- set ministerium remeare. Qui $semel a nobis sx- piusve commonitus, cadem urgente molestia nunc scriplis nobis supplicatione porrecta noscitur inti- masse nullatenus se ad regimen ejusdem Ecclesie vel susceptum offlicium, impediente moleslia, assur- gere posse. Qua personz ejus des-perationve compulsi, necessarium duximus de ordinatione nos ejusdem Ecclesiz cegi:are. Horlamur ergo ut clerum, ple- bemque Ecclesiz ejusdem sollicita debeatis admoni- tione compellere, ut Sibi cum Domini auxilio talem preliciendum eligant Sacerdolem, qui et aptus tanto minisLlerio valeat inveniri, el a vernerandis cauonibus nullo modo respuatur. Qui dum fuerit postwlatus, cum $o0lemaitlate decrelti omuium $ubscriptionibus roborati, vestrarum qguoque lestimonio lilterarum, huc sacrandus occurrat, qualenus Ecclesia ipsa pro- prium, auxiliante Domino, habere valeat sacerdo- . let. * Mense Maio.