Letter 13029: I must return once more to the matter of Bishop Paschasius of Naples, whose neglect of his pastoral duties has...

It has reached us that our brother and fellow bishop Paschasius has shown himself so slothful and negligent in all things that he is in no way recognized as being a bishop, to such a degree that neither his own church nor the monasteries, nor his sons, nor the oppressed poor feel any zeal of love on his part toward themselves, nor does he extend to those who beseech him any help of defense in matters where it is just, and, what is still graver to say, he allows himself by no reasoning to accept the counsels of the wise and of those who advise rightly, so that what he cannot attend to of himself he might at least learn from another; but, setting aside the things that pertain to a pastor's care, he occupies himself wholly and uselessly in the building of a ship. Whence, as is reported, it has happened that he has already lost four hundred or more solidi. This too is added to his faults, that, so despised, he is said daily to go down to the sea with one or two clerics, so that he is both a byword among his own people and appears to strangers so cheap and contemptible that he is judged to have nothing in himself of episcopal character or reverence. And if this is so, know that it is not without fault of yours, since you have put off rebuking and restraining him as is fitting. Therefore, since all this not only condemns him but is also shown to pertain to the disgrace of the priestly office, it is our will that, in the presence of other priests or of certain of his noble sons, you ought to admonish and exhort him that, shaking off the vice of sloth, he ought not to be slothful, but be vigilant in the care of his church and of the monasteries, show fatherly love to his sons, be upright in the defense of the poor with discretion in matters where justice shall counsel it, willingly accept the counsels of the wise, so that both that city may be able to be consoled by his solicitude, and he himself may be able to cover over the faults of his sloth. But if indeed, which we do not believe, after this our exhortation he should attempt to be still negligent after his accustomed manner, he is by all means to be sent over to us, so that, placed here, he may be able to learn what it befits a priest to do, and in what manner, according to the fear of God.

Pervenit ad nos fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Pascasium ^ ^ ita desidem negle- gentemque in cunctis existere, ut in nullo, quia est^ episcopus^, agnoscatur, adeo ut neque ecclesia ipsius neque monasteria sive filii vel oppressi pauperes eius erga se^ dileotionis studium sentiant nec aliquam * supplicantibus sibi in quibus iustum est opem defensionis accommodet et', quod adhuc dici est^ gravius, consilia sapientium et recta XIII, 28 tihUum om. q*1.4 — pbro (p ca; b m r«. corr.) po$t ra$. B litt. Rl; epo ql; pfo R2. ») curavi Rl. »>) expediunt qB. c) xenodochia Rl. (om. a) fUio n. P. abbati Vat. D. F (ed. M.). Hienisolimis Rl; HierusoL q*; HyeroBolimis ql; Hierosolimis q3; lerosolimis R2. ^ re- lecti Rl. B) hoc om. Rl. debuigse Rl. *) ita R2.q*.q3; iumutari RI.qI. k) iui R2.q1; potuisset {pm. sed) Rl; potuit Q*.q3. quia facitis om. q3. ^) pronixius q3. ^) presenti Rl. Mense cet. om. q*1.4 — mar <Mr. R1.q1.q*2.3, mart. q3.R*1. XIII, 29 titulum om. q*1.4 — Anthemio R1.q3.R*1; Anthemo If^.Ql; Antemio q*2.3 — sub abbr. q1, subd. R2.q*2.3, subdiac Rl — Rl add. rubro: de epo cum uno aut curo duobus descente [ad ma]re. ») Paschasium q. ^) et Rl. ^) episcopatus R1.q*1. *) arga om. se Q*l. «) aliqua Rl. 0 verba et uaque suscipere om. Q*2.3. 8) diem {pro dici est) Rl — dici quod est Q*l. 1) Nescio an alim sit Probus, de quo agitw tn ep. IX, 44 n. 1. 2) De hac voce cf. ep. VI, 58 n.5. 3) Tempore, quo haec ep. scripta est, hellum gestum induUasque interruptas esse elucet ex ep. XI, 31 (n. 1). XIII 36. Cf. cp. XIII, 25 (n. 1). XIII, 29. De Antheinio cf. ep. I, 23 n. 1) De Fascasio cf. cp. X, 18 n. 3. XI, 19 n. — Adde ep. XUI,31. Beg. Greg. II. M suadentium nulla patiatur rationc suscipere^, ut quod per se nequit attendere ab alio saltem possit addiscere, sed rebus quae ad pastoris curam pertinent praetermissis ad fabricandum^ navim* toto se studio inutiliter'' occupare. Unde, sicut fertur, contigit quadringentos aut amplius illum iam^ solidos perdidisse. Hoc quoque eius culpis adiungitur°*, quod ita cotidie despectus cum uno" aut duobus clericis dicitur ad mare descendere ut et apud suosp in fabula sit et"» extraneis sic' vilis ac despicabilis ■ videatur, ut nihil in sc habere episcopalis genii vel reverentiae iudicetur. Quod si ita est, non sine culpa tua esse cognoscas, qui eum obiurgare atque coercere, ut dignum est, distulisti. Quia ergo hoc totum non solum ipsum reprobat, sed etiam ad^ sacerdotalis officii pertinere probatur opprobrium, volumus, ut cum coram aliis sacer- dotibus vel quibusdam de iiliis suis nobilibus contestari debeas ac hortari, ut vitio^ torporis^ excusso deses^ esse non debeat, sed in ecclesiae suae ac monasteriorum cura sit vigilans, patemam filiis suis caritatem exhibeat, in defensionem pauperum cum' discretione in quibus iustitia suaserit sit erectus, consilia sapientium libenter suscipiat, quatenus et civitas illa eius queat sollicitudine consolariy et ipse desidiae suae culpas' valeat operire. Si vero, quod non credimus, post hanc adhortationem* nostram solito adhuc more^ neglegens esse temptaverit, ad nos est modis omnibus transmittendus, ut hic positus discere possit, quid^ vel qualiter secundum Dei timorem^ agere conveniat sacerdotem. xin, 30. Grregorius L papa Marinianum, episcopum Ravennatem, cum eruptionem sanguinis patienti ieiunia medici omnino dicant esse contraria, hortatur, ne ieiunandi sibi laborem imponat. 603, Mart. Codd. B: IndicUo I—VL cap. 266; q: cap. 255. Edd. M: Lib. XI ep. 40; G: Lib. XL ep. 34. — laffi Reg. 1895 (1512). GREG0RIU8 MARINIANO EPISCOPO RAVENNATI. Multa nos, fratrum carissime, cogit infirmitas, ex quibus, si sani essemus, iure reprehensibiles* videremur. Sed quia aliter subsistere in hoc fragili corpore positi non valemus , nisi eius languoribus serviamus , erubescere quod imponit necessitas non debemus. Et ideo quoniam eruptionem'^ sanguinis patientibus ieiunia medici omnino dicunt esse contraria, his fratemitatem tuam hortamur*^ affatibus, ut reducens ad animum ea quae de aegritudine ipsa est solita sustinere ieiunandi sibi laborem minime imponat ^ fubricandam R2; frabricaiidum q*2.3. >) ita R2.Q.Q* 1.2, aed in navigium (ita q*3) corr. q*2; naves Rl. utiliter q3. iam illum R. ™) adiungunt Rl. o) communi Rl. o) discendere Q*l. P) V08 Q*. et om. Q*l. ') sit Q. ») despectibilis Rl. & q*]. «) ut tio Q*l. *) corporis ^*. ^) desidis Q*.Ql, sed corr. in deBis Q*2. cum om. Rl. 7) sollicitudinem consolare q*1 — consolaris q1. «) culpa q*1. *) orationem Rl. ^) adhuc more solito q3. XlllySO Htulum om. q*1.4 — Ravenati q1; Kavennae, ut videturf q3. ») inreprehensibiles (om. iure) Rl. ruptionem Ql; ruptiones Rl; corruptionem Vat. D. E (ed. M.). o) oramus Vat. E (ed. M.). iau (pro si autem) Rl. ®) meliorata RI.qI.q*. *") tuam q*, fS) non add. Rl. ^) cognoscat Rl. XIII, 30. De Mariniano cf. ep. V, 51 n. 5. 1) De eadem re scribit noster in ep. XI, 21. omnibus studere convenit, ut exasperationem sentire nullo modo debeas, ne aegri- tudo^, quae modo levior^ et quasi suspensa creditur, per exacerbationem postmodum gravius sentiatur.