Letter 1527: Since you have asked where the word for pardon (συγγνώμη — literally, 'knowing together') gets its meaning when...
On the name of forgiveness. Since you have written asking from where the name of forgiveness is taken in the sense of release and pardon, I believe it is because the one who has come to know himself — that is, who has recognized his own failings and weaknesses — is most inclined to forgive others. For the person who is aware of his own sins finds it easy to pardon the sins of others, knowing that he himself stands in need of the same mercy he is asked to extend. This is why the Lord taught us to pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." And again: "Be reconciled to your adversary quickly." The word forgiveness implies a kind of shared knowledge — a mutual recognition that all human beings are frail, all are prone to error, and all stand in need of mercy from God and from one another. The person who refuses to forgive reveals that he does not truly know himself, for if he did, he would recognize in his neighbor's sin a mirror of his own. Consider how the great men of Scripture handled similar situations. Moses, confronted with the rebellion of Korah, did not seek compromise but judgment. Elijah, faced with the priests of Baal, did not propose dialogue but a contest of truth. Paul, dealing with the Corinthian disorders, did not mince words but spoke with apostolic authority. These examples teach us that there are times when gentleness is cruelty and severity is the highest form of love. This is such a time, and I pray that you will receive my words in the spirit in which they are offered.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
ΌΧΙ. -- ΕΡΙΡΗΆΝΙΟ ΓΙΑΘΟΝΟ. Συγγνώμης μπάε ποπιόη εοτὶρίμηι. Μαιιι. ν, : ε δίο σοπεομ θη αὐἀνεγδαγὶο ἱμ0, » Οἷς, Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας, πόθεν τὸ τῆς συγγνώμης ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως καὶ συγχωρήσεως παραλαμδά- νεται’ ἡγοῦμα ι, ὅτι ἐπειδὴ ὁ γνοὺς ἑαυτὸν, τουτέστιν, ὁ μῆτε ἐπὶ τοῖς πταίσμασιν ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι ἔπταισεν, ἀλλὰ φυλάττων τὸ σοφὸν ἀπόφθεγμα τὸ, ε Γνῶθι σαυτόν" » μήτε ἐν τοῖς χατορθώμασιν, εἰ καί ποτε ὀλίγον ἀπανυστάξας εἰς ἀλαζονείαν ἤρθη μέγα φρο- γῶν" ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν χαὶ ἀσθένειαν χατα- μανθάνων, χαὶ μὴ πέρα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως φανταζόμενος γνωσιμαχεῖ. Ὃ συγγνοὺς, τουτέστιν, ὦ συννοήσας, ὅτι ἐχεῖνος ἔργῳ παλινῳδίαν ἄδει, συγχωρεῖ τῷ γνόντι ἑαυτόν" ὁ δὲ μὴ συγγνοὺς οὐ Ουδηδο αυϊάδηι ἰηίογγοβ88 υπ6ῪᾺ ἋὉ6Ὁ συγγνώμης, ἰἀ ὁδὶ ΥΘηΪ8., ῃοπηθη δοοδρίυπ) ρΓῸ γεηεδείοπε εἰ ἐ0η- ἀοπαίίοηδ, ἰάοὶΓΟΟ ΔΓΌΪ ΟΡ αυοά υὶ 'ρ66 πονΐι, Ιιος , 4αΐ πδᾳυθ ἀδ !εἰδ δυ8, ουπὶ ἰΔρδ8, ἱξπο- γαῖ, ἰωο Πιὼ ἀϊείυπι βεγναῖὶ : ε ΝΌΒ.. [ ἰρϑυ, » ἡ6406 ἰῃ οιηοημἀδηΐο, εἰδὶ δἰ ἰᾳυδηάο ηἷ- εἰδὴ οἱ ἙΟΠηΐΘη8., ἰῃ ΔΓΓΟΙΔΏΠ8πὶ πηλχηϊ θα ἀ6 δοηϊθη8 οἰογίανγ, δὰ διῶ ᾿οηβοΐι5 πδίυγῷ δίαυς πη ΠΠΠ 8ι ., Ὠδάυθ ΒυρΓᾶ ᾿ιυπηλη8π Δῖυ8 ]- ιἰοηθῶι τοαὶρίβοὶϊ!. Η]ς 4υΐ οοπδοὶυ8 δὶ, ἰιος 6δι, ᾳυΐ δοευπ) ρογροηάϊβ, αυοὰ ΓΟΩρ56 ρα]ποάΐαπιἢ οληδὶ,, ἱχηοδοῖϊ ἰΠΐ, αυΐ 'ρ86 ποΥΐ!. Θυἱ γ ΓῸ συγχωρεΐξ. Διὸ χαὶ ὁ μὲν, μέμψεως () ἄξιος, μὴ Ὁ οοπδείυδ οἰδὶ πο ), ἢ ἱφηοδεῖ!, Ουδτθ οἱ ἢΐς γνοὺς ἑαυτόν" ὁ δὲ μὴ συγγνοὺς τῷ γνόντι ἑαυτόν. ΡΙΒ'. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. αυΐϊάδηι ταΟργοβδηδίομο Οὐ χηβ 68ι, δ6 ἰρϑυῶι πθη ὨΟΒΟΘΩΒ : ἰΠ γθγὸ ποαυδαυδηι οοηθθηιίοηδ ᾿φπ0- ] οἷ, φυὶ δοίρδυι ηονΐ!. ΟΧΊΙ. --- ΕἸΌΕΜ. διαάεῖ σαάμοας ορες ἰΐα ἱπιρεπήετε, μί Πόεαλιτοδ ἱπ οὐἰϊβ ποϑὶς ραγέπιμε : « Τμροεαιτίχαίς υοὐΐδ, ν Οἷς. ἈΙαιιἢ. νἱ, . Πολλά ἐστι χαὶ διάφορα, ὦ προσφιλέστατε, λυμαι- νόμενα τῇ τῶν χρημάτων χτήσει" οὐ μόνον γὰρ σῆτες, χαὶ χρόνος μαχρὸς, ἀλλὰ χαὶ συχοφαντίαι, χαὶ λῃσταὶ, χαὶ οἰχέται, χαὶ τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον, Μυϊα δβδυηὶ ναγίδαυθ, οἰδγίββίπιθ, ρ03868- ϑίουῃθϑ γογυιη ἰϑάυη!. Νοη δηΐπὶ ἰπ6 πηο60 ἰ0η- ξυμάυδ Δηπογυ πὶ ϑραιίυηι, οἱ οΔἰυπ)ηἷς5, [λ1Γ0- Ὠ68, β86ΥΥνΐ ., δἱ [υἱτὰ ἰΠοΟΓί8, τη0Γ8 ἀδηΐᾳηθ ἤηΐδ5 ΥΑΒΙ ΓΚΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. Τροιζῆνος εἰς ᾿Αθήνας ἰὼν ὁδοῦ, πάρεργον ἐξέχοψε τοὺς χαχούργους" Νἰεὶ ΤΑεεομ ἐς Τταξειιε ἀἰσγάϑδιις ἃ υἷα, στὸ με ἐξξης Αἰδεπας ἰαἴγοπεδ ἱἰ0ε ὁχοϊαϊεδεῖ. ΘΟΜΌΤΤ. () Μεί!υ. πράττοντας. Υ εἰ ἰοσυΠ ἰΓΔΏΦΡΟΠΟΘ, οὗ γὰρ ἀδίχως πάσχοντας, ἀλλὰ δικαίως πάσχοντα ; λυπεῖσθαι χρή. Ονὶ ἐἱυ8 : ()κα υεπῖϊ! ὁχ᾽ πιετὶο ρώπα ἀοἰοπάα υοπῖϊ. ϑοβόττ. () [τον μέμψεως οἱ ἄξιος οροἀἀ4. γαιὶς. εἰ ΑἸι. ἰηδασγυμῖ ὅτι. ῬΟΘΘΙΝ. . ΙΒΙΌΟΆΙ ῬΡΕΓΌΒΙΟΤΘΕ οπιΐαπι (4π8π οἴωροτα, εἰδὶ α]ϊα ουφετί!, ροίαβϑι Α χαὶ τέλος ὁ θάνατος ( ὅν οὐχ ἔστι διαφυγεῖν, εἰ χαὶ πθπ0 σΠπὶ "οηΐ5 ἰυπὶ ροβδδϑϑίοηΐνι8 Ὀτίνεϊ, οἰϑί αυΐβ ρμοδείάογα υἱάθϑιυγ,, ποπιῖΐηθ Θπἰπὶ ( ΠῈ8, ΠΟη ΥΈΓῸ Γδᾶρδα ὕοπα ροδδίἀδί. () υΐ Υ6ΓῸ ΘΙ ΘΟΠΊΟΔΥ - πἶβ Ὀοηΐδηι8 οροτίθυ5 γεοομπάϊι,, Π δἰ ρυπιάδηϊὶ νὰ- ᾿Ἰἰάουο δογαποίιΓ ΓΑ ᾽., ποῖ Δδυ]υπὶ, οἱ μΐ οοτγιπι, φυς ἀϊχίτηυδ, ρογι ΖΘ ΓΘ [ 5ἰϊ. δηΐπι τοσίο σα μαι δδὶ, πηαϊαπι δοοδάδγθ πο πὶ 4υολὶ : φιονῖβ ἰογγῷ (Θγι . δἱ ροδί πηυ] 1ἢ εϑογίδιοι [ . ἴῃ ΠΠυἀ δοϊυπι βοΐ πίϊιδ, το , φυΐ ἀθροβίιυπῃ ογοἀϊἀδγυηί, μογροίυο8 υἱ (γυοίυβ οοΟἰ αι. ΟΧΊΙΙ. --- ΜΑΒΟΝΙ. τὰ ἄλλα διαφεύγοιμεν) καὶ τῶν χτημάτων χαὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἀποστερήσειν () ἂν τὸν δοχοῦντα χεχτῇ,- σθαι ἐν ὀνόμασι γὰρ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν πράγμασιν ἔχειν τὰ ἀγαθά. Ὁ δὲ δι᾽ ἐλεημοσυνῶν χαὶ εὐεργεσιῶν ἐνθάδε τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποθέμενος, καὶ φρονίμου καὶ βεθαίου ψήφῳ στεφανωθείη, τόπον εὑρὼν ἄσυλον, χαὶ ᾧ μηδὲν τῶν ῥηθέντων ἐπιδῆναι θέμις. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ χῶρός ἐστιν ὁ οὐρανὸς, πάσῃ μὲν ἄδατος ὧν χαχουργία, πάσης δὲ εὐφορώτερος γῆς " καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ καταθληθέντων σπερμάτων διδοὺς τοῖς ἘΑΡ ἈσΈΣ ΒΕ διὰ παντὸς τρυγᾷν τοὺς χαρπούς.
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