Letter 1003: However strangers smile upon me on account of the dignity of my priestly office, this I take not much account of; but I do grieve not a little at your smiling upon me on this account, seeing that you know what I long for, and yet suppose me to have received advancement. For to me it would have been the highest advancement, if what I wished could...
Gregory to Paul, Scholasticus.
When outsiders congratulate me on the dignity of my office, I pay it little mind. But when you do the same, it genuinely pains me -- because you know what I truly wanted, and yet you treat this as a promotion. The real promotion for me would have been achieving what I longed for: the peaceful retirement you have long known I desired.
Still, since I am now stuck in Rome, bound by the chains of this office, I do find one thing to take a certain grim satisfaction in as I write to you: once the most eminent former consul Leo arrives, I suspect you will not be staying in Sicily much longer. And when you too find yourself chained to your own high office and detained in Rome, you will discover firsthand what sorrow and bitterness I endure.
When the distinguished Lord Maurentius, the chartularius, reaches you, I ask you to work with him on the present crisis facing the city of Rome. From the outside we are under constant attack by enemy swords. But the danger pressing us even harder comes from within -- a mutiny among the soldiers. I also commend to you in every respect our subdeacon Peter, whom we have sent to manage the Church patrimony.
Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
Original text not yet available in this corpus.
This letter still needs a Latin or Greek source-text backfill. The source link, when available, is preserved so the text can be checked and added later.
View sourceRevision history
- 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/360201003.htm
Related Letters
If riches, beauty, strength, glory, power, everything we find beautiful, are soon consumed and dissipate like smoke,...
I appointed your Fraternity to preside for the present over the church of Naples, to the end that you might convert all you can to God by persuasive preaching. And, while you ought to be giving your whole mind to this work, you are in haste to return before bringing forth this fruit to the Lord, and request me to settle the affairs of this same ...
Jerome writes to Paul of Concordia, a centenarian (§2), and the owner of a good theological library (§3), to lend him some commentaries. In return he sends him his life (newly written) of Paul the hermit. The date of the letter is 374 A.D.
John, the bearer of these presents, complains that his wife, flying from the molestations of one George, has long been residing within venerable precincts , and has so far met with no assistance. Since she asserts that there is a dispute about her condition , and has asked that it should be commended to your Fraternity, we hereby exhort you that...
Gregory to the clergy and people of the Church of Ravenna. We have been informed that certain men, instigated by the malignant spirit, have wished to corrupt your minds by false speech with regard to the reputation of our brother and fellow bishop Marinianus ; saying that this our brother venerates the holy synod of Chalcedon less than becomes h...