Letter 9139

From: Pope Gregory I To: The Clergy and People of Ariminum [Rimini] Date: ~599 AD Context: Gregory urges the community to elect a new bishop now that Castorius has resigned The resignation of Castorius from the episcopate has left your community without its shepherd, and I write to urge you to move promptly toward electing a successor. I know that such transitions are difficult — the community must grieve what has passed while organizing itself for what comes next. But delay is dangerous. A flock without a bishop is vulnerable to every kind of disorder. Gather your clergy and your leading faithful, conduct your deliberations prayerfully, and bring me a candidate who is sound in faith, blameless in life, and willing to serve. I will confirm and consecrate without unnecessary delay on my end.

Paatoralis nus cura coastringit ccclcsiii) Haccrdotia moderaminc dcstitutis sollicita considerationo concurrere. Et ideo quiii' ccclesia vestra diu sacerdotis proprii corporia u qua nostis impedicnte molestia pastorali est regiminc destituta, vestris precilius permoti eundvm episcopum non destitimus ammonere, ut, si cx eadem molcatia ae mclioratum essc sentirct'', ad suscepti sacerdotii debuisset ministcrium remcare. Qui scmel a nobis saepiusvc commonitus cadem urguente'' molcstia nunc scriptis nobis supplicatiunc por- recta noacitur intimassc nullatcnus se ad rcgimcn eiusdem ecclesiue vel'' susceptum v> oflicium impedientc molcstia adsurgero posse. Qua pcrsonae eius" dcspcraljonc com- pulsi nocossarium duximus de ordinationc nos vcstrae ecciesiae cogitaro. Hortamur crgo, ut uno omncs eodemque consensu rcmoto' atrepitu talem vobis pracficicQdum cligatis auxilianto Domino sacerdotcm, qui et a vcncrandis canonibus nullatcnus rcBpuatur ot tanto ministerio dignus valeat rcppcriri. Qui dum fuerit postulatus cum soUemnitatc » decrcti omnium subscriptionibus roborati ct visitatoris pagioa pruscquonte ad nos veniat ordinandus, quatcnus ccclcsia vcstra disponcnte Bomino proprium habcre valcat sacer- dotem. Volumus autem, ut cum qucm unanimitasB vcstra clcgerit ad fratrem ct co- epiacopum nostrum Marinianum Uavennac sinc dilationc aliqua pcrducatis, ut ab oo suptilitcr inquisitus atque perspcctus ipsius quoquc ad nos vonione tostimonio roborctur. < t) ipsa codd. n. ') cHule q* 1. ■) eplatice p*i. '') ita q* 3. 3; muuUt Rt. q' l. <=) kie in nutrg. add.: \A eit i»i in iiullij mGmbrurum debililsluB fuerit q' 3. *') ta ventr» e' i. ') addita ora. Q*li abditit Jl 1. f) cuimecmrclur if* I. s) antiititeB Jtl. IX, 13ti ia lituio: cuiiHinleiili om. K* 1 — Arimin oUr. q* 1. 4; Arimiiiine q* '2.3; ArimineiiBe R I; Arimineusi R* 1. *) quia um. eodd. u. *■) et add. Q* I. ^) srguente eodd. ». '^) velut R I. •) eiuB Sl; eiuadem q*. premolo Rl. B) uQiainilaB Q* I. 3) Nota efedwm epwwpuffl Arimiiu, urlii» in Pentapoli nitae, ab epiacopo Bavetm. txaminari, Romae a papa amsecrari, epiicopam Fori Qtmelii, iirovinciae AemUiae, cuius me^opoli» tam tunc Ravenna eral, ab epiecvpo Sartnn. conaeerari: cf. ep. VII, 30 (n. 1); Loemng, 1. 1. I p. 443 s». Sed aliaa neque eituh Modi examinatio per ep. Bavennatem comtnenoraliw (ef. ep. I, 55 ». II, 28.) IX, I3ii. Cf. rp. in-aeced. et neq. alque de formula tp. 1, 76. VI, 31 et ep. II, 40 n. Heo. anKa. U. 18 yGoogle ,GoogIe boni intentionem operia perpendentes in einu matris eccleaiae competenti cnm ezhorta- tione su&cepimns eosque noBtrae desiderantes ecclesiae mtlitare grate concesBimua. PniemiBso quapropter excellentiae Testrae patemae Balntadonis alTectu petimuB, ut eos pro bono desiderii aui, quo ad" apoBtolorum principia petram Bolidam concurrerunt, ne fluctuantium adhuc erroribus mixti naufragium deaperatae salutia incurrerent, habere dignemini commeadatOB'' quatenua ad propria remeantes nullia propter hoc bonum, quod appetiBae noacuntur, perreraorum inquietudinibus perturbentnr, sed magia in omnibua auxilium vestrae tuitionis iQveniant', ut ex corum quiete aliomm adhuc in scismate poBitomm corda tlectantur atquc boram per bonum veatri patrocinii provocati^ sequaces ' existant. Ad augmentum namque mercedis vestrae pertinet', si intcr curaB bellicaa, sicut corpus ab exteriori" hoate, sic animam ab interai insidiatoris impugnatione protegitia.