Letter 4052: I want to commend to you the work of Bishop Secundinus, who handled the case of Anastasius with exactly the kind of...

To John the Archbishop. [Summary:] He praises Bishop Secundinus for having rightly investigated and settled the case of Anastasius. To the clerics who had desisted from the accusation of Anastasius, namely to Paul and to Clematius, he grants pardon [...]. He wishes the customary stipends to be paid out to each, and that there be restored to Paul whatever he had spent for the benefit of the Church. Gregory to John, Archbishop of the Corinthians. The fairness and conscientiousness of our brother and fellow bishop Secundinus, which was once well known to us, the account that was reported has now also made plain. In this matter it greatly pleased us, and rendered us glad, that in the case of Anastasius, formerly bishop, which we had enjoined upon him to examine, he both exercised his vigilance diligently, and, when the crimes had been ascertained, judged them as justice demanded and as was fitting. But for all these things we render thanks to almighty God, who, when certain of the accusers had desisted, displayed the truth to his examination, lest the cause of such great crimes might lie hidden. But since it is established that, by the same sentence in which the aforesaid Anastasius was justly condemned and deposed, our aforesaid brother and fellow bishop likewise punished certain persons in such a way that he reserved them to our judgment, therefore we have judged it right to indicate by the present letter what is to be held and observed concerning them. [Editorial note: "...ler.," etc., not "Prudentius," as is read in the printed editions. So read in two Vatican manuscripts, but not in our old codices. Epistle 51 [alternatively 51]. In the printed editions, "bishop." We follow the unanimous consensus of the manuscripts.] [...] Paul the deacon, accordingly, the bearer of the present letter, although his own fault greatly confounds and convicts him, in that, deceived by a promise, he lately desisted from the accusation of his sometime bishop after [the latter] had been deposed, and out of zeal for gain consented to keep silence against his own soul rather than to bring forth the truth, nevertheless, because it befits us to be more dutiful than severe, we pardon him this fault, and we judge that he ought to be received back into his own rank and place. For we believe that the affliction which he has endured from the time the sentence was pronounced can suffice for the punishment of this fault. But as for Euphemius and Thomas, who received sacred orders in return for abandoning the accusation, we wish them to be deprived of those same sacred orders and to remain deposed just as they are, and we decree that they are never to be recalled to sacred orders under any pretext of excuse whatsoever. For it is exceedingly unworthy, and contrary to the rule of ecclesiastical discipline, that they should exercise an honor which they received not from their merits but as the reward of a crime. Yet because it befits us to devote our effort to justice with more mercy than severity, we wish those same Euphemius and Thomas to be recalled only to the rank and place from which they had been promoted to sacred orders, and for all the days of their life to receive the maintenance of those same places as they had been accustomed to before. As for Clematius the lector, we likewise judge, out of regard for kindness, that he is to be recalled to his own rank and place. [The summary records that] Paul the deacon states that he expended much for the benefit of your church, and he desires to be helped, so that he may be able to recover those things, by the support of your fraternity; we exhort you that, if it is so, you ought with every possibility to assist him in recovering what he gave, and to aid him with your supports, since no reason allows that in those things which he expended for the common benefit he should unjustly sustain any loss. Moreover, the three pounds of gold which it is established that the same Paul the deacon gave to the Church for your benefit, at the instance of our aforesaid brother and fellow bishop Secundinus, let your fraternity restore them without delay, lest, which God forbid, he should seem to have been burdened, not reasonably, but solely by will [...].

AD JOANNEM ARCHIEPISCOPUN. Laudat Secundinum episcopum quod Anast1s8ii causam recle discus8erit ac finierit. Clericis qui ab Anastasii accusatione destiierant, Paulo quidem et Clematio, - luum interdicit. Singulis consueta 8lipendia vult erogari, « Paulo reslitui quidquid in Ecclesia ulili- latem expenderat. - Gregorius Joanni * archiepiscopo Corinthioram. Xquitatem atque $0jlicitudinem Secundini fratris et coepisco; i nostri, quz 0'im bene-nobis est cognita, etiam » series indicata monstravil. In qua re valde placuit, lztosque nos reddidit, quia in causa Anasta- S$ii quondam epi>copi, quam ei examinandam injunxi- mus, vigilantiam $uam 2t diligenter exercuit, et c6- gnila crimina, ut jufitia posccbat et oportuit, © judi- cavit. Sed in his omnibus gratias omnipotenti Deo referimus, qui, desisle ilibus quibusdam accusatori- bus,. c-gnitioni ejus veritalem, ne lantorum Causa facinorum [:tere fotuissel, ostendit, Quoviam vero in eadem $ententia in qua Suprascriplum Anasta- D $;um juste damni»tum constat atque depositum Sic quasdam suprascriptus ſrater et coepiscopus no-ler ultus personas est, ut nostro arbitrio reservaret, id- ler., etc., non Prudentius, ut legitur in Excusis. © Ita lectum in dnobus Vatic., non autem in n0+ SItris veleribus Codicibus. EersT. Lil [ Al. 51]. — * In Vulgatis, episcopo. Ob- Sequimur unanimi Mss. consensui. —_— OO = 0 ED Re OY —_—— circo quid de eis tenendum Servandumque Sit pree- A plans Paulus diaconus multa $e kf pro uilitate Fecle- Senti epistola 8ignare perspeximns. Paulum itaque diaconom (Grar. 2, q. 4, c. 6) la- torem prxsentium, quamvis culpa s1ua vehementer confundat atque redarguat, quod deceptus promis=- gione, 1 ab accusatione JgFQ nuper depositi quon- dam episcopi sui destiterit, et cupiditatis Studio $i- lere conra animam $uam polius quam prodere vera consenserit, tamen quia pios plus nos esse convenit quam districtos, hane ci culpam ignoscimus, atque eum in ordine locoque $U0 recipiendum esse cense-. mus. Nam ei a tempore prolatz 'sententie aſflictio- - nem quam pertulit credimus ad vindictam hujus posse cvlpz sufficere. Euphemium vero atque Tho- mam (Grat. ibid.) , qui pro deserenda accusatione $acros ordines acceperunt, eisdem $acris privatos BR ordinibus esse atque ita Sicuti sunt depositi volumus permanere, nec unquam eos Sub qualibet excusatio- nis Specie 8acros in ordines revocari decernimus. Nam nimis indignum, et contra ecclesiastice regulam disciplinz est, ut honore, quem non ex.merilis sed pro sceleris premio perceperunt, ſungantur. Quia tamen plus misericordiz quam districlie nos con- venit operam dare justitix, eosdem Euphemium at- que Thomam in ordine locoque tantummodo unde ad ordines sacros-promoti ſuerant volumus revocari, el cunctis diebus vitze $uz eorumdem © Iocorum continentiam. $Sicut consneverant ante percipiant. Clematium vero lectorem similiter benignitatis in- twitu in ordinem locumque $num revocantfim esse size veslre memorat expeniisse, et ut . ea possit re- cipere ſraternitatis vestra2 $0latio desiderat adjuyari, horiamvr, ut, $i ita ext, omni ei possibilitate ad re- cipienda quz dedit debeatis concurrere, alque ves'ris -um auxiliis adjuvare, quia nulla ratio patitur ut in his qu:e pro utilitate generalitatis impendit altiquod s1$tineat injuste dispendium. Preterea tres libras auri, quas, imminente $suprascripto fratre et coepi- $cvpo nostro Secundino, eumdem Paulum diaconum pro utilitale vestrz dedisse constat Ecclesiz, frater- nitas vestra eas cessante dilatione restituat, ne, quod absit, non rationabiliter, sed sola eum gravare voluntate tantummodo videatur 8.