LETTER [formerly III]
TO THE BISHOPS OF ITALY
Pelagius, to his most beloved and distinguished brothers — all the bishops, and especially those serving the Lord throughout the provinces of Campania and Italy — greetings.
Bearing the care of all the churches (as the Apostle says), we must be mindful of the divine grace shown toward us, for the Lord in His merciful kindness has raised us to this summit of priestly office so that, holding fast to His commandments and standing as watchmen over His priests, we may forbid what is unlawful and teach what must be followed. All of you, dearest brothers, who wish to live devoutly in Christ, must of necessity endure insults from the impious and the hostile, and be despised as fools and madmen — those who give up present goods in order to gain what is invisible and truly beneficial. But this contempt and mockery will be turned back upon the mockers themselves.
**Bishops must be held in the highest honor and may not be accused by just anyone.**
We judge that those whom the divine laws call "dead" [i.e., persons excommunicated or under canonical penalty] must be removed from bringing any accusation and must be subjected to public penance. Furthermore, so long as the possessions or property of any bishop's church are being held — not voluntarily — by his rivals or by any other persons, nothing may or should be charged against him by anyone until all his property has been fully restored. First, everything must be restored to him according to law, and only afterward, at the time prescribed by the Fathers, may cases be examined. Likewise, robbers, thieves, those guilty of sacrilege, adulterers, and persons of similar character must be rejected as accusers. For it is clear that such people always pursue discord rather than peace. No monk should ever undertake such matters or presume to disturb secular or ecclesiastical affairs, for in such cases their voice is dead [i.e., monks have no standing to bring accusations against bishops].
For the Lord wills that His highest preachers always remain steadfast — not subject to reckless attacks by others, but free to serve Him in liberty and peace. Hence He Himself says: *"Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye"* [Zechariah 2:8]. And: *"Whoever grieves you grieves me"* [cf. Colossians 3]. And: *"Whoever does wrong will receive back what he has done unjustly"* [cf. Matthew 16:27]. And elsewhere: *"Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever rejects you rejects me"* [Luke 10:16]. In the same way, the pastors and preachers of the Church must be feared, supported, and honored by the people and by all others generally, so that through the exercise of good will, temporal hardships may be endured and eternal rewards hoped for. For the one who does not abandon but rather increases the commitment of his religious life adds to the merit of his virtue.
Charity always renews a person. And just as malice makes people old, so love makes them new. The faith of those who will see God believes what it does not yet see. For if one already sees, it is not faith. For the believer, merit is being gathered; for the one who sees, the reward is given. Then the precious crown of the pastor shines brightest when his ecclesiastical flock does not resist his guidance as it advances toward uprightness. The one who follows his pastor's teachings loves him as an honest counselor with a truthful voice. The lessons of nature and its admonitions provide their own answer to humanity. The exchange of anxious care returns to mortals, for each person will receive according to what he has done. For the benefit that words have received perishes in vain unless the matter has been legitimately begun and canonically carried through. What apostolic authority commands is sent out of confidence in our role. You, therefore, O leaders of Christ — always show your kindness with fairness of hearing and mind, and with good will. For to help against attacks and to restore the wanderer after a period of absence is justice itself. The one who drives adversity from the afflicted offers a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord.
The fruit appointed for your labors, venerable bishops, must be rendered with the purest judgment, so that the outcome does no dishonor to the recipient if it came from an unworthy source, nor stain the giver if it was conferred undeservedly. Let there always be firmness against the wicked and the impious, and against the persecutors of the servants of God.
[The letter continues with further exhortation:]
May God Almighty always guard what He has granted and increase it with beneficial successes. Let all your actions, brothers, always be done in charity [1 Corinthians 16:14]. And do not slander those who slander, for slandering the slanderers is not good, lest we be stirred up and make a battle of what has been written. We must not at all fear the reproach of men or be overcome by their insults, for the Lord commands us through the prophet Isaiah, saying: *"Hear me, you who know justice, my people in whose hearts my law dwells. Do not fear the reproach of men, and do not be afraid of their blasphemies"* [Isaiah 51:7] — considering what is written in the Psalm [that God is our protector and vindicator].
---
**Translator's note:** This letter was written during the Lombard invasions of Italy [568 onward], when the disruption of war had emboldened laypeople to seize church properties and then bring false accusations against bishops who tried to recover them. Pelagius II issued this decretal to reassert that bishops cannot be tried until their stolen property is restored, and that excommunicated persons, criminals, and monks lack standing to accuse bishops. The letter draws heavily on earlier papal decretals and the writings of Ennodius of Pavia and Prosper of Aquitaine.
Pelagius, to his most beloved and distinguished brothers — all the bishops, and especially those serving the Lord throughout the provinces of Campania and Italy — greetings.
Bearing the care of all the churches (as the Apostle says), we must be mindful of the divine grace shown toward us, for the Lord in His merciful kindness has raised us to this summit of priestly office so that, holding fast to His commandments and standing as watchmen over His priests, we may forbid what is unlawful and teach what must be followed. All of you, dearest brothers, who wish to live devoutly in Christ, must of necessity endure insults from the impious and the hostile, and be despised as fools and madmen — those who give up present goods in order to gain what is invisible and truly beneficial. But this contempt and mockery will be turned back upon the mockers themselves.
**Bishops must be held in the highest honor and may not be accused by just anyone.**
We judge that those whom the divine laws call "dead" [i.e., persons excommunicated or under canonical penalty] must be removed from bringing any accusation and must be subjected to public penance. Furthermore, so long as the possessions or property of any bishop's church are being held — not voluntarily — by his rivals or by any other persons, nothing may or should be charged against him by anyone until all his property has been fully restored. First, everything must be restored to him according to law, and only afterward, at the time prescribed by the Fathers, may cases be examined. Likewise, robbers, thieves, those guilty of sacrilege, adulterers, and persons of similar character must be rejected as accusers. For it is clear that such people always pursue discord rather than peace. No monk should ever undertake such matters or presume to disturb secular or ecclesiastical affairs, for in such cases their voice is dead [i.e., monks have no standing to bring accusations against bishops].
For the Lord wills that His highest preachers always remain steadfast — not subject to reckless attacks by others, but free to serve Him in liberty and peace. Hence He Himself says: *"Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye"* [Zechariah 2:8]. And: *"Whoever grieves you grieves me"* [cf. Colossians 3]. And: *"Whoever does wrong will receive back what he has done unjustly"* [cf. Matthew 16:27]. And elsewhere: *"Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever rejects you rejects me"* [Luke 10:16]. In the same way, the pastors and preachers of the Church must be feared, supported, and honored by the people and by all others generally, so that through the exercise of good will, temporal hardships may be endured and eternal rewards hoped for. For the one who does not abandon but rather increases the commitment of his religious life adds to the merit of his virtue.
Charity always renews a person. And just as malice makes people old, so love makes them new. The faith of those who will see God believes what it does not yet see. For if one already sees, it is not faith. For the believer, merit is being gathered; for the one who sees, the reward is given. Then the precious crown of the pastor shines brightest when his ecclesiastical flock does not resist his guidance as it advances toward uprightness. The one who follows his pastor's teachings loves him as an honest counselor with a truthful voice. The lessons of nature and its admonitions provide their own answer to humanity. The exchange of anxious care returns to mortals, for each person will receive according to what he has done. For the benefit that words have received perishes in vain unless the matter has been legitimately begun and canonically carried through. What apostolic authority commands is sent out of confidence in our role. You, therefore, O leaders of Christ — always show your kindness with fairness of hearing and mind, and with good will. For to help against attacks and to restore the wanderer after a period of absence is justice itself. The one who drives adversity from the afflicted offers a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord.
The fruit appointed for your labors, venerable bishops, must be rendered with the purest judgment, so that the outcome does no dishonor to the recipient if it came from an unworthy source, nor stain the giver if it was conferred undeservedly. Let there always be firmness against the wicked and the impious, and against the persecutors of the servants of God.
[The letter continues with further exhortation:]
May God Almighty always guard what He has granted and increase it with beneficial successes. Let all your actions, brothers, always be done in charity [1 Corinthians 16:14]. And do not slander those who slander, for slandering the slanderers is not good, lest we be stirred up and make a battle of what has been written. We must not at all fear the reproach of men or be overcome by their insults, for the Lord commands us through the prophet Isaiah, saying: *"Hear me, you who know justice, my people in whose hearts my law dwells. Do not fear the reproach of men, and do not be afraid of their blasphemies"* [Isaiah 51:7] — considering what is written in the Psalm [that God is our protector and vindicator].
---
**Translator's note:** This letter was written during the Lombard invasions of Italy [568 onward], when the disruption of war had emboldened laypeople to seize church properties and then bring false accusations against bishops who tried to recover them. Pelagius II issued this decretal to reassert that bishops cannot be tried until their stolen property is restored, and that excommunicated persons, criminals, and monks lack standing to accuse bishops. The letter draws heavily on earlier papal decretals and the writings of Ennodius of Pavia and Prosper of Aquitaine.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.