Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XII/Gregory the Great/Register of Epistles/Book IV/Chapter 5

Epistle V.

To Boniface, Bishop.

Gregory to Boniface, Bishop of Regium (Reii).

It is a shame for priests to be admonished about matters of divine worship.&#160; For they are then to their disgrace required to do what they ought themselves to require to be done.&#160; Yet lest, as I do not suppose, thy Fraternity should neglect in any respect the things that pertain to the work of, we have thought fit to exhort thee specially on this very head.&#160; We therefore admonish thee that the clergy of the city of Regium be to no extent released by the indulgence of thy Fraternity in duties demanded by their office.&#160; But in the things that pertain to let them be most instantly and most earnestly compelled.&#160; We desire thee also to study the reputation of the aforesaid clergy, that nothing bad, nothing that at all contravenes ecclesiastical discipline, be heard of them; seeing that it is to its adornment, not to foulness of deeds, that their office appertains.&#160; Further, we decree that what we determined in the case of the Sicilians be observed by thy subdeacons ; nor mayest thou suffer this our decision to be infringed by the contumacy or temerity of any one whatever; that so, as we believe will be the case, all that has been said above being most strictly kept in force by thee, thou mayest neither prove a transgressor of our admonition, nor be accused as guilty of remissness in the order of pastoral rule which has been committed to thee.