Letter 285: The hearer of this letter is one on whom rests the care of our Church and the management of its property — our beloved son. Deign to grant him freedom of speech on those points that are referred to your holiness, and attention to the expression of his own views; so shall our Church at length recover herself, and henceforth be released from this ...

The bearer of this letter is the man responsible for the care of our Church and the management of its property -- our beloved son. Please grant him the freedom to speak on the matters referred to Your Holiness, and give his views a hearing. If you do, our Church may at last recover itself and be delivered from this many-headed Hydra. Our property is our poverty -- so much so that we are constantly looking for someone to take it off our hands. The expenses of managing the Church's property amount to more than any income it produces.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Without Address. The hearer of this letter is one on whom rests the care of our Church and the management of its property — our beloved son. Deign to grant him freedom of speech on those points that are referred to your holiness, and attention to the expression of his own views; so shall our Church at length recover herself, and henceforth be released from this many-headed Hydra. Our property is our poverty; so much so that we are ever in search of one to relieve us of it; for the expenses of the Church property amount to more than any profit that she derives from it.

[Πρός: Ἀνεπίγραφος, ἐπὶ τῇ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προστασίᾳ] Ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φροντίζων καὶ διὰ χειρὸς ἔχων τῶν κτήσεων τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπιδιδούς σοι ταύτην, ὁ ἀγαπητὸς υἱὸς ὁ δεῖνα. τούτῳ καταξίωσον, περὶ ὧν ἀναφέρει τῇ κοσμιότητί σου, δοῦναι καὶ λόγου παρρησίαν, καὶ περὶ ὧν διαβεβαιοῦται προσχεῖν· ἵνα ἀπὸ γοῦν τοῦ νῦν δυνηθῇ ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἑαυτὴν ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ τῆς πολυκεφάλου ταύτης ὕδρας ἀπαλλαγῆναι. τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῶν πτωχῶν κτῆσις, ὥστε ἀεὶ ἡμᾶς ζητῆσαι τὸν ὑποδεχόμενον αὐτήν, διὰ τὸ προσαναλίσκειν μᾶλλον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἤ τινα καρπὸν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν κτημάτων.