To Antoninus the Subdeacon, on the Death of Natalis

Gregory to Antoninus, subdeacon, rector of the patrimony in Dalmatia.

It is commonly reported in these parts that our brother and fellow bishop Natalis, of the church of Salona, is dead. If this is true, let your experience hurry, with all speed and care, to urge the clergy and people of that city to elect a priest for ordination with one consent. Once the person elected has been named, take care to send the nomination to us, so that he may be ordained with our consent, as has been done from ancient times. Above all, see to it that in this election no bribery comes in by any means at all, and that the patronage of no persons whatever prevails. For if a man is elected through the patronage of certain people, he is obliged out of deference to them to do what they want after his ordination. So it comes about that the possessions of that church are diminished and church order is not kept. Under your supervision, then, they must elect a man who will not be improperly subservient to anyone’s will, but who by the beauty of his life and conduct may be found worthy of so high a rank. Have an inventory of the possessions and ornaments of that church faithfully written out in your presence. And so that none of the possessions themselves may be lost, warn Respectus the deacon and Stephanus the chief notary to take sole charge of them, and warn them that they will have to make good from their own means any loss that has come about through their negligence. [b]

Moreover, strictly charge Malchus, our brother and fellow bishop, to keep entirely out of this matter. For if we learn that he has done or attempted anything against our will, let him know that he will incur no small guilt and danger. Warn him also that he must take care to draw up and complete the accounts of our patrimony that he has had in his charge. To do this, let him put aside all excuses and hurry to come to us from the parts of Sicily. So let him by no means presume to meddle in the affairs of the church of Salona, or he may become still more liable to it and perhaps be found guilty. For he is said to have many things belonging to that church, and the report is that he was very nearly the chief mover in the sale of its possessions and in other unlawful doings. If this is found to be plainly true, as it is said to be, he may be sure that it will by no means go unpunished.

Let any necessary expenses be paid by the steward who was in office when the bishop died, so that he may explain his accounts to the future bishop as he knows them to be. Everything we have charged you to do you must certainly do with the advice of our son, the magnificent and most eloquent Marcellus, so that you may carry out carefully and effectively everything contained in this paper of instructions, and no blame for negligence may attach to you. [c]