Letter 9155

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Syagrius, Bishop of Autun [in Burgundy] Date: ~599 AD Context: Gregory praises Syagrius for his assistance to Augustine's mission in England, and grants the pallium to the church of Autun. Gregory to his most reverend brother Syagrius, bishop of Autun. I have heard with great pleasure of the assistance you gave to my servant Augustine in his mission to the English. [Augustine of Canterbury, sent by Gregory to convert the Anglo-Saxons, passed through Burgundy on his journey and received crucial support from the Frankish church, of which Syagrius was a prominent leader.] What you did was more than mere hospitality; it was a contribution to the conversion of a whole people. The harvest of souls that Augustine is gathering in England — the English king Ethelbert baptized, thousands coming to the faith — is a joy that belongs to all who helped make the mission possible. You are among those people. In recognition of your service to the church, I grant the pallium [the wool vestment signifying metropolitan authority, given only by the pope] to your church of Autun. Wear it in the knowledge that it is given not merely as a honor but as a symbol of the trust the apostolic see places in you. Continue your excellent service to the church. Gregory

AD SYAGRIUM EPISCOPUM. Laudat eum ob operam Auqustino navatam ; pallii [eelesia Auqustodunensis primum in ea provincia post Lugdunensem locum usum concedit; slatuit ut obtineat ; de synodo tlerum. Gregorius Syagrio episcopo * Auguslodunensi. Magistra bonorum omnium charitas, quz nil sapit extraneum, nil asperum, nil conſusum, ita exercel corda et corroborat, ut nibil grave, nil diſficile, sed fiat totum dulce quod agitur. Hujus igitur cum sit proprium > nutrire concordia, Servare composita , dissociata conjungere, prava dirigere, et virtutes czteras perſectionis 8uz munimine s0lidare, quisquis in ejus radices $e inserit, nec a viriditate deficit, nec a ſructibus inanescit, quia humorem ſecunditalis opus efficax non amillit. Aique ideo multum libi, dilectissime frater, in Domino condelector atque congaudeo, quod sic eadem charitate te przeditum muliorum lestificatione comperio, ut et ipse quz Sacerdotis sunt decenter exhibeas, et aliis te lauda- biliter imilandum ostendas. Quia igitur in predicationis opere, quam diu cogi- D tans ang.orum genti per Auguslinum tunc monaste- rii mei prepositum, nunc fratrem et cvepiscopum nostrum, impendere $tudui, ita sollicitum atque de- votum adjutoremque in omnibus te, ut oportuit, 5s Nerm., cen 8eMus. Eersr. CVINE [AL. 143]. — © ln Rhem., omnibus Norm. et quatnor Colbert., legitur Augustiduno. » ha Norm. plurimi, Vatie. et plerique Mss. In Vulgatis, nutrire concordiam, 8ervare conjuncta. mbus Norm. 4 Vatic. B, commotus. _ © Norm., wt metropoli 8ue; et quidem de Eccle- siarum ordine ac dignitate hoc loco agitur, non de personarum principatu el jure pr cedendi. mur Ecclesiz petivisse. Cujus ne indumenti muni- licentiam nudam videamur quodammodo conlulisse, hoc eliam pariter prospeximus concedendum, * ut metropolitzx suo per omnia loco et honore gervalo, Ecclesia Civitatis Augustodunz, cui omnipotens Deus przeesse le voluit, post Lugdunensem Ecclesiam esse debeat, et hunc sibi locum et ordinem ex nostre auctoritatis indulgentia vendicare. Cziteros vero episcopos (Grat. dist. 17, c. 7) secundum ordiuationis SUZ2 lempus, sive ad consedendum in concilio, sive ad subscribendum, vel in qualibet alia re sua auendere loca YONG decernimus, et guorum Sibi prerogativam ordinum vendicare, quia omnino Fa- tionis ordo nos admonet (Dist. 100, c. 9) ut cum C. usv Pallii aliqua 8imul sjcut diximus, largiri privile- gia debeamus. | Sed quoniam cum honoris augments cura quoque s0llicitudinis debet excrescere, ut cultui vestium actionis quoque ornaments conveniant, oporie! ut enixius in ® cunciis $e 8tudiis vestra fralernitas exerceat. Circa subjectorum actas Þ sit vigilans, vesirum illis exemplum instructio et vita magistra Sit. Linguz vestre exhorlatione discant quod me- lwant, et doceantur quod diligant; ut dum talenta credila lucro muliiplicato reddideris, in die retribu- tionis audire sis meritus : Euge serve bone et fidelis, intra in gaudium Domini twi (Maith. ixv, 25; Luc. X1X)s | Caram przeterea congregandz synodi, quam vobis alque aliis fratribus nosiris pro illicitarum rerum prohibitione fieadam scripsimus, vesirz specialiter Sollicitudini noveritis incumbere. Unde quia precet lentissimos filios nostros Francorum reges magnam vobis novimus dilectionem impendere, omni v0s SesSionibus el Subscriptivnibus non licel quidquaw de sedium dignitate slatuere. 4037 EPISTOLARUM LIB. IX. —. INDICT. If. — EPIST. CIX. 1038 8todio omnique agere annisu necesse est ut quod de A Nam quis denuo venervter quod venditor, «mt non gynodo congreganda mandavimus fraternitatis ve- strze vigilantia compleatur, atque omnia illic que pro animarum 8$alute scripsimus Ccenseantur; quate- nus per hoc, et vos zelum vestrum et qualiter vobis iſicita displicean! ostendatis, et nos utiliter provi- disse, qui vestram ad hoc pre c#teris personam elegimus, videamur. (Vide sup. epist. 106 et 107.)