Letter 2022: It both affords us joy for your carefulness, and makes your Fraternity safe in your own ordination, if the order of ancient custom is maintained. Since, then, we have learned from the letters which you have sent to us through the presbyter Maximianus and the deacon Andreas that the consent of all of you and the will of the most serene Prince hav...

Pope Gregory the GreatBishops of Illyricum|c. 591 AD|Pope Gregory the Great|To Bishops of Illyricum (recipient)|Human translated
imperial politics

Book II, Letter 22

To all the Bishops of Illyricum [the Roman province in the western Balkans].

Gregory to all the bishops.

It both gives us joy for your careful judgment and confirms the validity of your own ordination that the ancient order of custom has been maintained. We have learned from the letters you sent through the priest Maximianus and the deacon Andreas that the unanimous consent of all of you, together with the will of the most serene Emperor [Mauricius], has come together in the person of our brother and fellow bishop John. We rejoice greatly that, under God's guidance, the judgment of all has approved as worthy the man advanced to the episcopal office.

In accordance with your request, we therefore confirm our brother Bishop John in the priestly office to which he has been appointed, by the authority of our assent. We declare our ratification of his consecration by sending him the pallium [the vestment symbolizing his authority]. And since, following custom, we have entrusted him with authority as our vicar [representative of the papacy], we must urge Your Fraternity to obey him without hesitation in all matters pertaining to church order and proper discipline, as well as other matters not prohibited by canon law [church rules]. The obedience you show will prove the soundness of your judgment in electing him.

Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)

Latin / Greek Original

JOANNEM EPISCOPUNes

Gratulatur quod unanimi omninum consensu electus
sit. Ipsum ex more pallio donat, et vicarialu ape-
s'olice zsedis. Ad pastorale munus summa prudentia
et charitate implendum horlatur.

Gregorius Joanni episcopo ® prime Juslinianz I[1-
lyrici. |

Manifestum bonitatis esse liquet indicium, in uniug
electione cunctorum convenire FG consensum.

C Qnia igitur (Grat. dist. 63, c. 9) SUSCePlA ſratrum et

coepiscoporum nostrorum relatio ad locum vos sa-
cerdotii totius concil:i unito congensu et serenissimi
principis voluntate declarat accersiri, gratias omni-
potenti Deo creatori nostro magna cum exsultatione
retulimus, qui vitam actusque vestros ita de praete-
ritis ſecit essc probabiles, ut omnium vos, quod est
vaide laudabile, faceret placere judicio. Quibus nos
quoque in personam fraternitatis tuz per omnia con-
sentimus. Atque omnipotentem Dominum depreca-
mur, ut charitatem vestram sSicut ua gratia elegit,
ila in omnibus sua protectione cuStodiat. > Palliam

tiali dignitate et vicaria Romanz sedis, quod oblinuit

Revision history

  1. 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import

    Initial corpus import from New Advent / NPNF.

    Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360202022.htm

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