Letter 9114: Gregory to Virgilius, Bishop of Arelate (Arles), and Syagrius, Bishop of Augustodunum (Autun). The nature of the office committed to me, dearest brethren, drives me to break out into a cry of grief, and to sharpen your love with the anxiety of charity, for that it is said that you in your parts have been too negligent and remiss, where the recti...

Gregory to Virgilius, Bishop of Arles, and Syagrius, Bishop of Autun. Dearest brothers, the nature of my office compels me to cry out in grief and to sharpen your love with the urgency of charity -- because I hear that in your region you have been far too negligent and passive in matters where justice and zeal for chastity should have fired your resolve. Here is what has reached me: a certain Syagria had entered the religious life and even changed her dress [adopted the habit of a consecrated woman]. Afterward, she was forced into marriage against her will. And you -- you did nothing to defend her. If this is true, I groan all the more deeply, for fear that before Almighty God -- which God forbid -- you hold the position of hirelings, not of shepherds, since you left a sheep in the wolf's mouth without a fight. What will you say? What account will you give to the future Judge? The violence of abduction did not move you. The religious habit meant nothing to you. Your priestly duty to protect the purity of a consecrated woman did not rouse you to act. Even now, let the memory of this neglect stir you. Let the weight of your office impel you to intervene. Seek out the woman. If time and coercion have turned her submission into willing consent, let your words be her cure. Through your counsel, urge her to prayer. Let the tears of repentance never leave her mind. Let her show a penitent heart to our Redeemer, and make amends with weeping for the loss of chastity that she was not allowed to preserve in her body. If she now wishes to devote her life to prayer, support her fully.

Book IX, Letter 114 To Virgilius and Syagrius, Bishops. Gregory to Virgilius, Bishop of Arelate (Arles), and Syagrius, Bishop of Augustodunum (Autun). The nature of the office committed to me, dearest brethren, drives me to break out into a cry of grief, and to sharpen your love with the anxiety of charity, for that it is said that you in your parts have been too negligent and remiss, where the rectitude of justice and zeal for chastity ought to have inflamed your earnestness. Now it has come to our ears that a certain Syagria had entered on a religious life, having even changed her dress, and was afterwards united by force to a husband (a thing iniquitous to be told), and that you have been moved by no sorrow to interfere in her defense. If this is so, I groan for it the more heavily for fear lest with the Almighty Lord (which God forbid) you should have the office of hirelings, and not the merit of shepherds, as having left without a struggle a sheep in the mouth of the wolf to be torn. For what will you say, or what account will you give of yourselves to the future judge; you whom the lewdness of ravishment has not moved, whom regard to the religious habit has in no wise excited to stand up in defense, whom priestly consideration has not roused to protect the purity of virgin modesty? Even now, then, let your neglect return to your memory; let remembrance of this fault stir you, and consideration of your office impel you to exhortation of the aforesaid woman. And, lest haply in course of time constraint should have passed into willing consent, let your tongue be her cure, and through your exhortations let her give herself diligently to prayer; let not the lamentations of penitence depart from her memory; let her exhibit a penitent heart to our Redeemer; and let her make amends with weeping for the loss of chastity, which in her body it was not allowed her to preserve. Wherefore, inasmuch as the aforesaid woman desires, as it is said, even now to devote her property to pious uses, we exhort you that she experience the favour and enjoy the support of your Fraternity in this thing, and that it be lawful for her, a competent portion being reserved for her children, to decide as she will about her substance. For without doubt you do good yourselves, if you render aid to those who wish to do good. Consider, therefore, most beloved brethren, from how great love these things which we speak proceed, and take them all in the same spirit of charity that inspires them. For, we being one body in Christ, I burn with you in this which I feel to be to your hurt. And with what earnestness, and what affection I send you this epistle, may the Author of truth disclose to your hearts. And so let not this brotherly admonition distress you, since even a bitter cup is taken gladly, when offered with a view to health. Finally, dearest brethren, let us with united prayers implore the mercy of our God, that He would favourably order our life in His fear, to the end that we may both serve Him here as priests should do, and be able to stand in His sight hereafter secure and without fear.