Letter 1588: I know that they have received positions of dignity greater than their personal merit warranted.
To Eutonius the Deacon. The stewardship of the Church's resources is a matter of the gravest responsibility, and the deacon who administers them must hold himself to the highest standard of integrity and transparency. Every coin received must be accounted for, every expenditure justified, and every distribution made according to need rather than favoritism. The poor are the treasurers of the Church, as Chrysostom said, and the money set aside for their relief is sacred. The deacon who diverts it to other purposes — however worthy those purposes may seem — commits a breach of trust that will not go unpunished. For God, who sees in secret, knows the destination of every penny, and the deacon who thinks he can deceive the Almighty deceives only himself. Manage the Church's wealth therefore with the same care and honesty with which you would manage a deposit entrusted to you by the emperor, knowing that the Lord of the Church is a far stricter auditor than any earthly ruler. If we examine the matter carefully, we shall find that the Scriptures are consistent in their teaching on this point, and that the apparent difficulties dissolve when we consider the context and the purpose of each passage. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself, nor does he leave his readers without guidance. What seems obscure in one place is clarified in another, and what seems harsh in isolation is softened when viewed in the light of the whole. The diligent student who searches the Scriptures with a humble heart and a teachable spirit will always find more light, more truth, and more consolation than the casual reader who skims the surface and pronounces judgment on what he does not understand.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Ῥε Ζοεῖιπο, ςαἰφτῖεφιε φωυὶ δεὶ ἰοπραπίηιϊαἰ6 αϑειεϑαπίμν. δέρτα εαρο εἰξάεπι αὐ ἐμημάἐηϊ. Οἶδα ὅτι χρειττόνων ἣ χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς τετυχήχασιν Β ϑοῖο ἀϊφηϊίδίδδϑυργα υγογϊυπὶ ΘΟπβο Ό ρΙΟρΡίοΓοα. ἀξιωμάτων" διὰ τοῦτο πλημμελεῖν ἀδεῶς οἰόμενοι, οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἣ τὴν θείαν φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν παντὸς ἐπαίνου χρείττονα, ὑπόθεσιν τῶν οἰχείων πταισμά- των ὁρίζονται, ὅπερ οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν θέμις. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐ τοὺς εὐφρονοῦντας οὕτω διαχεῖσθαι χρὴ, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν αὐ- τὴν ἐχείνοις ἐλαύνειν μανίαν, ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα σπουδάζειν τῇ τιμῇ συμδαίνοντα παρέχεσθαι τὸν βίον, καὶ ὡς ἐνδέχεται λαμπρύνεσθαι τοῖς ἔργοις " ἵνα χαὶ γλῶτταν εὔφημον, καὶ διάνοιαν εὐγνώμονα ἔχοντες τοὺς κατὰ τῆς θείας μαχροθυμίας ὁπλίζοντας τὰς γλώττας ἐπιστομίζωμεν. ΤΚΑ', --- ΙἹΕΡΑΚΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. ἀοϊπαθθτο δυάδοίογ, φυοά οχἰβιϊπηθηΐ ἢ ἰϊυὰ φυδῖι ἀϊνίηϑπι Ὀοπίβη ἰ8ί6π , ἸΔυάαγί δ81 "θη ρο881 , ΘΒ ἀγρυιιοηίυπν δυογυπὶ ἀεἰϊ- οἰογυπι, φυοὰ ποίδ5 6δὶ ἀΐςογθ. Αἱ ποη [ δ6ῃι ἀδοδὶ βαρίοη!, ποὺ ἴῃ δδηιίοπὶ ἱπη ΔΠΊ6Ι - εἶδαν, δβοὰ ἰυπὶ πιαχὶπ ἀδγθ ορϑῦϑπι, υἱ ᾿ιοπαϑία γἱίὰ ἰγδηδίχϑιυν, υἱαὺς τοοῖο δοιί8 6δηὶ ΠΠϑιΓοηί, υἱ οἱ ᾿ἰησυδ Ὀδηΐσηθ Ἰοαυδηιοπι, πιοηίοιηαυ8 ΓΘΟΙΘ βοηιἰοηίοπὶ ΒΔ Ὀ , ΘΟ ὡἃ ΟὈίυγοηι, αυΐ ἴῃ Ὀεἱ Ἰοπραηϊπι! δίθαι ᾿ἰη5 δουσγυηῖ. ΟΟΟΧΣΙ. --- ΙΠΕΒΑΟΪ ΡΆΕΒΒΥΤΕΠΟ. ϑαεεταοιὶ νἱαπάα εραπάαία, μί εἰ δρὶεί. ἐεᾳ. ἰδ. τι, ρει. . Οὐχ ἴσην, ὦ μαχάριε, πρὸ τοῦ ἱερωσύνης ἠξιῶ- Νόοη ρᾶγοπι), Ο ὈΟηΘ, 8ηῖ6 αἱ ροδί δδρίι πὶ Γ- σθαι, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀξιωθῆναι, εἰ πταίσωμεν, δίχην δώσομεν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πιχροτέραν. Οἱ γὰρ μηδὲ τῷ τῆς τιμῆς τοιαύτης ἠξιῶσθαι βελτιωθέντες, ἀργα- λεώτερον δίχαιοι ἂν εἶεν χολάζεσθαι. Γίγνεται γὰρ εἰχότως τὸ τῆς τιμῆς μέγεθος μείζονος; τιμωρίας ἐφόδιον ΤΚΒ'. --- ΤῊ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. ἀοιξμη ἀ6! πΠαᾳυδῆυβ, ρα διὴ ἰυδϑαμ185, . μ δΔοούθίογοι. ΝᾺΠπὶ Π6 ἰδία φυϊάδπιὶ ΠΟΠΟΓΪ8 ἀΐφιὶ" (αἴ6 τοάάϊιϊ δυιηῖ πιο! οΓ68, Θαυυπι . ξ, ΑΜΠ18 Ρπηΐνὶ. Εδι οπΐπὶ τρογίιο ἴρβ8 [ΙΟΠΟΥΪ5 πηϑρηΐυ00 δ ΡΠ οἰ! τηαὐοτίβ οοςδϑῖο. ΟΟΟΧΧΊΙ. --- ΟΙΌΕΜ. ἰδαεσογαοίμηι σταυΐοτα χσιαπι ἰαἰσοταπι ἀεἰϊεία. Ὥσπερ ἐν νηῖ, ὅταν μὲν ναύτης σφαλείη, βρα- χεῖαν τὴν βλάδην τοῖς συμπλέουσι φέρει", ὅταν δὲ ὁ χυδερνήτης, χοινὸν ὄλεθρον παρασχευάζει, οὕτω τὰ μὲν τῶν ὑπηχόων πταίσματα, οὐχ εἰς τὸ χοινὸν τοσ- οὔτον, ὅσον εἰς αὐτοὺς φέρει τὴν βλάθην “ τὰ δὲ τῶν ἱερωμένων εἰς; πάντας ἀφικνεῖται. ΈΚΡ', -- ΤΏ ΑΥ̓́ΤΩ. ὕι ἴα πανὶ ίο 8ἷ αυΐὶθ παυϊὰ ἀοιπαυδὶ, πιΐηι: ἰά παν ραηιδυ8 δἴογι ἱποοπιπηοάιϊιπι; 5Ϊ υ6γῸ συθθγι- ἰογ, σοπηπηπθπὶ) ργοουγδὶ ἱπιθγιη; δὰ δυιϊηθοιη τούυπι δυθάϊιοτυπι ρθοοαῖα ποπῳ ἰδ πὶ , υδπὶ . ἰρδὶ οδρὶ τὶ τη υπὶ ἀγοθβϑυηϊ. Αἱ βδςρογάοίαπι Υἱ- Π ιἷα ἰπ οππὸδ οχοιηρίο γοὐυηιλη!. ΟΟΘΟΧΣΙ͂Ι. --- ΕἸΌΕΝ. δαοςεγάοίμπι ἐδ εἰιϑάϊ!οτιιπι ξαίαφόγο, Μαΐογαπι ἀοίϊοσία ηγαυΐοτα. Εἰ μόλις, ὦ ἀγαθὲ, κατορθοῦντες οὗ τὴν τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐστεμμένοι λειτουργίαν ὠφελῇσαι δυνη- θεῖεν (οἱ γὰρ ἀρχόμενοι τὰ μὲν κατορθώματα χᾷἂᾶν μεγάλα ἧ, βραδέως, τὰ ὃὲ πταίσματα χἂν μιχρὰ ἧ, ὀξέως ὁρῶσιν), οἱ ῥᾳθύμως ζῶντες, χαὶ μηδεμίαν τῶν ὑπηχόων ποιούμενοι πρόνοιαν, ποίαν οὐχ ἐνστά- ζουσι (θῦ) χαχίαν τοῖς ὥσπερ ἀπολογίαν ἔχειν οἱο- μένοις τῶν οἰχείων πταισμάτων τὰ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ] υἱχ ἰδηάοιῃ, θομ6 Υἷγ, γοοία αυΐϊὰ ἃς οὐηὶ ἰᾶυ ἀ6 Δ56 4υΐ δ4ογῖ8 βυηι ἰηἰιἰαιΐ ργοάθβδα αυθδηΐ (διά ϊιϊ δηΐπι τοοία φυϊάδπι φόθι8, ΄υδπινΐβ ΠηΔ , ΠΟῚ (Δπὶ Οἷϊο; ροούδία ν6ΓῸ ἰδπιηοίδὶ πη εἰεἰ58η16 δηἰπηδάνογιυπι), πο ἢ ζοη ΟΡ νίνθηίθθ, εἰ Π0 18π συ θά! οτυπὶ ουγᾶιῃ φογοηΐθ8, 4083Π ΠΟη ἷμ - Π 8η ἱπιργοθί(δι6η) [ φιΐ ργοργίογυνη ἀ6 Ἰοἰογι νι ἀοίοηδἰοηθίη ἰιᾶυογα ρυΐδηϊ ροοραίδ δι)ρ6-» ΑΒΕ ΓΚΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΙΑ. () Πύδιη τὴν ἴῃ τὸν πιυϊδηϊ. ῬΟΒ5ΙΝ. () ΡζῸ ἑνστάζουσι, οοάἀϊ. αν δηὶ ἐνστάξουσι, ἰν. . ΙΒΕΟΚΒΣ ΡΕΠΌΒΙΟΤῈ τἱογοπι, οἱ ἰηίγορῖ δ ἴῃ ἀπο [λεΐηυδ τυση! " Μασίπια Α ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ ἀδεῶς ἐπὶ πᾶσαν παρανομίαν χω- ἰιδαθο ἀδεοὶ φδοογάοίοϑ δδίοβεγο ἰδη]ι8π) ΡΓῸ εἰμθίᾳυθ δυϑ᾽δοιϊθ᾽ δίηϊ ταιϊίοηδαι γοἀβϊυγὶ ". ΟΟΟΧΧΙΥ. --- ΖΟΒΙΜῸ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΒΟ. ροῦσι; Μάλιστα τοίνυν τοὺς ἱερωμένους φροντίζειν χρὴ, ὡς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑπηχόων λόγον ἀποδώσοντας. ἘΚΔ΄. --- ΖΩΣΙΜΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Βαιτον ἡ ἰεἰξ ἰότοτο ἃ γεεξοαῖῖε γευοσαῦε ΓΟΠαΙΆΓ. ἰπ͵]υγίαγαπι, ἀδαυδ ομίπίοπυπη πηαππίιυσίπα, ΟΥ ὨυπΊΈΓΟ ΘΟΓῦπιὶ 4ιἱἰ οσοηβοί
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