Letter 9053: Gregory to Constantius, bishop of Milan.

[Rubric:] To Constantius, Bishop of Milan. [Summary:] He is prepared to grant the disputed possession to the clergy of Como, if they return to the unity of the Church. Gregory to Constantius, Bishop of Milan. From the report of the bearer of the present letter, our common son Eventius the deacon, who delivered to us your Fraternity's writings, we have learned that the clergy of the Church of Como, whom you have admonished with priestly zeal to return to the unity of the Church, have replied that such affection has not been shown to them by us that they should, by the persuasion of charity, prevail upon themselves to return to this; for they assert that their various properties are being unjustly withheld by others, among whom is also the possession called the estate of Mauriana, which is held by our Church. We indeed have wholly praised the solicitude of your Holiness, because you have by no means neglected what it was fitting for you to do. But neither do we permit the aforesaid possession to be withheld contrary to the order of reason, if it lawfully belongs to them, even if perhaps they have deferred returning to communion; rather, once the truth is known, we wish it to be restored. But if they should turn to the unity of the Church, which we desire, by God's own inspiration, even if nothing of it should be due to them, we are prepared to grant it to them. For we wish those whom we long for, with desire, to return to the bosom of mother Church, to be excused on no pretext whatever. As for the gardens which, in the capitulary that was sent on, you have indicated to belong to your Church out of the property of the Church of Nalia [reading uncertain in the source], or which the aforesaid bearer has indicated to us, we shall hereafter send a person there to whom, among other things, we shall take care expressly to enjoin that he ascertain the truth by suitable inquiry, and do whatever shall be just. For we who do not permit others to be saddened contrary to equity, are much more unable to leave you, whom we greatly love, in sorrow. But concerning the other matters, what our reply has been to each, you will learn from the report of the aforesaid common son. As for the writings to our most beloved son Anatolius the deacon, on behalf of the commendation of your men, we have done as you wished. [Addressed] to the Bishop of Milan. [Editorial note (Gussany):] With how much zeal we ought to procure unity, this passage teaches. By a rare example the African Fathers had taught it, who offered their own sees and their own chairs to the Donatist bishops, that they might return to the bosom of the Catholic Church. Bitter zeal neither hears, nor understands, nor applies this diligence of charity. On this matter let there be read [the work] of Saint Augustine, the book On the Proceedings with Emeritus, where he relates a not ungraceful story about an aged old man. "All had so taken fire," he says, "that they were ready to lay down their episcopate for the unity of Christ, and not to lose it but to commend it more safely to God. Two men were found there to whom it was displeasing" (the Council was of nearly three hundred bishops) — "one an aged old man, who even dared to say this rather freely, the other who signified his will by a silent countenance; but after the fraternal rebuke of all overwhelmed that old man as he spoke this rather freely," etc. GUSSANY. [Footnote:] That is, to give no occasion for excusing oneself, to cast up no shadow by which they could be held back in schism. [Footnote:] In the recent [edition], "out of the property of such-and-such a Church." The Vatican, Norman, Rheims, and other manuscripts resist this. Below the printed editions have "the bearer has indicated to you." But "to us" is to be read, as both the manuscripts prove and reason advises. [Running header:] 993 / Of the Letters, Book IX — Indiction [...] — Letter 57. / 994

AD CONSTANTIUM MEDIOLANENS. EPISCOPUN. Clericis Comanis, si ad Ecrclesie unitatem redeant, 88 controversam possessionem concedere paratum. Gregorius Constanlio episcopo Mediolanensi. Latore przsentium communi filio Eventio diacono, qui ſraternitatis vestrz nobis scripta detulit, referente, cognovimus clericos Ecclesiz * Comensis, quos $4- cerdotali studio reverti ad unitatem Ecclesiz monui- stis, respondisse non $ibi talem Þ a nobis affectum impendi, ut ad hoc redire charitate $uadente praeve leant : asserenles res diversas $uas injuste ab aliis, inter quos et a nostra Ecclesia possessionem que villa Mauriana dicitur, detineri. Nos quidem $ancli- tatis vesirz s0llicitudinem omnino laudavimus, quia quod vos oporluit facere, minime neglexistis. Sed nec nos przdictam possessionem, $i eis jure compel, eltiamsi ad communionem forte reverti distulerint, contra rationis. ordinem palimur detineri; sed eam cognita volumus verilate restitui. Si vero ad unitatemn Ecclesix, quod optamus, Deo se inspirante converie- rint, © etiamsi nihil jllis competat, eam illis parati s$umus concedere. Nam nulla occasione © excusari volumus quos ad matris Ecclesiz sinum redire desi- derabiliter exspectamus. De hortis vero quos in ca- pitulari transmiss0, * ex Subslantia Nalie Ecclesize vesirz compelere signastis, vel predictus nobis por- titor indicavit, in subsequenti illuc personam 9/7 $Z transmitiemus, cui inter alia curabimus evidenter injungere ut verilatem congrua indagatione cogno- scal, et quidquid justum fuerit, faciat. Nam nos qui alios contristari contra Zquitatem non ' palimur , multo magis vos quos valde diligimus, tristes relin- quere non valemus. De aliis autem causis quale no- Strum ad singula sit responsum, supradicti communis filii relatione cognoscelis. Scripta vero ad dileclissi- mum filium nostrum Anatolium diaconum pro com- mendatione hominum vestrorum, sicut voluistis, ſeci- mus. Mediolanensi. | © Quanto studio procurare debeamus unitatem, do- cet hic locus : docuerant raro exempl » Patres Aſri- canj, qui Donalistis episcopis ut ad Ecclesiz catho- liez sinum redirent, suas sedes, Suas cathedras offe- rebant. Istam charitatis industriam zelus amarus nec audit, nec ittelligit, nec adhibet. Legatur in hane rem 8ancti Auguslini, lib. de gestis cum Emerito, ubi historiam de annos0 sene reſfert haud illepidam. Sic exarserant omnes, inquit, ut parati essent ep;scopatum pro Christi unilate deponere, el non perdere, ed Deo lutius commendare. Duo ibi viz inventi >unt quibus dis- pliceret (Concilium eral pene Ccc episcopurum) «nu annosus 8ener, qui hoc etiam dicere liberius ausus el, alter voluntalem suam lacilo vultu 8ignificavit; 8 postquam senem illum liberius hoc dicentem obruil omnium ſraterna correptio, ec. GUSSANY. | « 14 est, nullam occasionem dare excusandi, nul- lam umbram objicere, qua in schi>mate reliner! possent. * Recent., ex 8ubslantia tali Ecclesi@. Reluctaniur Mss. Vatic., N»rm., Rhem., etc. Infra excusi habevt, vobis porlitor indicavit. Legendum vero nobis, el Mss. probant, et suadet ratio. 2 993 EPISTOLARUM LIB. IX. — INDICT. If. — EPIST. LVIL. 994