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| To Leo, Bishop in Corsica.
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Epistle
LXXVIII.
To Leo, Bishop in Corsica.
Gregory to Leo, &c.
Our pastoral charge constrains us to come with
anxious consideration to the succour of a church that is destitute of
the control of a priest1391
| 1391
Sacerdotis. The term includes bishops as well as
presbyters, and is used in this and the two following Epistles, as
usually elsewhere by Gregory, to denote the former in distinction from
the latter. The occasion of this and the two following Epistles
will be seen to be as follows. The See of Saona in Corsica had
been for some time vacant. It rested with the clergy and nobles
of the island (see above, Ep. LXXX.), to elect a new bishop; but they
had failed to do so; and consequently Gregory remedied their neglect by
himself filling up the vacancy. His right to do so would not be
questioned there, Corsica as well as Sicily being among the
Suburbicarian provinces which were under the acknowledged patriarchal
jurisdiction of the See of Rome. Meanwhile he also commissioned
Leo, the bishop of a neighbouring See (to whom this letter is
addressed), to make a visitation of the Church of Saona, and exercise
episcopal authority there, till the new bishop should take
possession. There are several other Epistles, not included in
this translation, appointing visitors of various churches. | . And,
inasmuch as we have learnt
that the church of Saona for many years,
since the death of its pontiff, has been thus entirely destitute, we
have thought it needful to enjoin on thy Fraternity the work of
visiting it, to the end that through thy ordering its welfare may be
promoted. In this church also and in its parishes we grant thee
licence to ordain deacons and presbyters; concerning whom, however, let
it be thy care to make diligent enquiry, that they be not personally in
any respect such as are rejected by the sacred canons. But
whomsoever thy Fraternity has perceived to be worthy of so great a
ministry, having ascertained that their manners and actions fit them
for ordination, them, by permission of our authority, thou mayest
freely promote to the aforesaid office. We desire thee,
therefore, to make use of all the property of the above named church as
though thou wert its proper pontiff, until we write to thee
again. Be, then, so diligent and careful in all these matters
that through thy ordering all things may, with the help of God, be salubriously arranged to the Church’s
profit.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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