Letter 9034: Two things are needed in this city: proper clergy, and the genuine conversion of its inhabitants from whatever...

TO BISHOP VENANTIUS. That he should ordain priests and deacons in the city of Aldio, and exhort these same men to the conversion of the unbelievers. Gregory to Bishop Venantius. As often as we are asked for those things which it befits us to encourage, we ought not to make delays in granting them, lest we should seem to defer good desires, which ought rather to be fostered. And therefore, since the glorious Aldio, master of the soldiers, desires that priests and deacons be ordained without exception in his city, as he has indicated to us by his own letters, [...] let him inquire diligently. And if there is nothing that canonically impedes their ordination, let him be zealous to ordain them, God being favorable. With these men it also befits you to speak, so that by the solicitude of his exhortation they may strive to recall from unbelief the people dwelling there [...]; he commends that John shall act as deputy of the prefecture, yet on this condition, that (as had happened in the case of Vigilius) the Church be not thereby burdened. Gregory to Bishop Constantius of Milan. Although your fraternity is so distinguished by a gravity befitting it that, without being admonished, you understand of your own accord what is to be bestowed upon each person, nevertheless, because the bearer of the present letter, John, a magnificent man, who comes to act there as deputy of the prefecture, has asked to be commended by our letter, let your sanctity, while it shall be necessary, with due regard to right reason, bestow upon him the protection of your favor, and so be zealous to assist him in priestly fashion with your consolations, to the end that, with you present, he ought neither to labor under the unjust oppressions of others, nor himself prove burdensome to others contrary to reason. But because it has come to us that Vigilius, who before this man discharged the deputyship of the prefecture there, on the occasion of our writings, by which, compelled by his petition, we had commended him, had exacted from you, so to speak, mutual sums of money, we bear it with grief if it is true, and that he obtained this not of himself, but as if through our letter. And therefore it is necessary that your fraternity should know that those who exact this are so commended to you by us, that one ought to support them insofar as is possible and just, yet not so that on the occasion of this matter he should impose any burden upon his Church. Given in the month of February, in the second indiction.

AD VENANTIUM EPISCOPUM. Prezbyleros vel diaconos in Aldionis civitate ordinet, atque ips0s ad infidelium conversionem adhorte- tur, Gregorius Venantio *® episcopo. Quoties ea que hortari nos convenit postulamur, moras ad concedendum facere non debemus ; ne dif- ſerre bona desideria, quz magis fovenda sunt, videa- wur. Et ideo quia gloriosus Aldio magister militum in civitate ips1us presbyteros vel diaconos omnino, icut 8uis nobis epistolis indicavit, desiderat ordinari, Wig. et San Victorino, qui fere soli cum Valic. A epi- d0'am hanc exhibent. Preterea, in epis!. 31, que adem de causa $Cripta est, magno Mss. omnium eonsensu legitur in- {oto. | Episr. XX XIII [Al. 32]. — *® In recent, Excusis, Andree Scholast1co. Abest Schol. a quinque Vatic. omnibus Anglic., Norim., etc. PaTROL, LXXVII. diligenter inquirat. Et si nibil est quod canonice eo- rum ordinationem impediat, Deo illos propitio stu- deat ordinare, Cum quibus etiam loqui QF$ vos convenit, ut adhbortationis sue $0llicitudine degentem illic populum ab infidelitate revocare, ac contendant Joannem prefecture vices acturum commendat ; ea - lamen lege ut (quod contigerat in Vi igilio) inde non gravetur Ecclesia. | Gregorijus Constantio episcopo Mediolanensi. Quamvis ita ſraternitas vesira convenienti $ibi gravitate discreta sit, ut non admonita, sed ex $6 quid cui sit impendendum inlelligat, verumtamen quia lator presentium Joannes, vir magnificus, qui preſecturz vices illic acturus advenit, nostra se pe- liit epistola commendari, sanctitas ei vestra , dum neeesse ſuerit, 8alva ratione presidium ui favoris impendat , et ita eum sacerdotaliter 8vis studeat solatiis adjuvare, qualenus vobis presentibus nec aliorum debeat injuste oppressionibus laborare, nec ipse aliis contra rationem gravis existat. Quia vero pervenit ad nos quod Vigilius, qui vices illic ante bunec preſecturz gessit, per scriptorum nostrorum occasionem', quibus eum pelitione ejus compulsi commendavimus, mutuas a vobis, ut ita dicamus, pecunias exegisset, xgre si verum es sustinemus, at hoc non ex $e, 8ed quasi per nostram epistolam ob- tineret. Et ideo ſraternitatem vestram scire necesse est ita 8ibi a nobis eos qui hoc exigant commendari, ut eis adesse in quantum possibile et juslum est de- beat, non lamen ut Ecclesiz suz hujus rei occa- 8ione aliquod gravamen imponat. * Data mense Fe- bruario, indictione 2.