To Boniface, Bishop of Regium, on the Discipline of His Clergy

Gregory to Boniface, bishop of Regium. It is a shame for priests to be reminded about the worship of God. For then, to their disgrace, they are required to do what they themselves ought to require others to do. Yet in case your fraternity should neglect in any respect the things that belong to the work of God, though I do not suppose so, we have thought it right to urge you on this very point in particular. So we charge you that the clergy of the city of Regium are not to be excused in the least, through your fraternity’s indulgence, from the duties their office demands. In the things that belong to God, let them be made to serve most diligently and most earnestly. We also want you to watch over the reputation of these clergy, so that nothing bad, nothing at all against church discipline, is heard of them, since their office belongs to the adorning of that discipline, not to foul deeds. Further, we decree that what we determined in the case of the Sicilians is to be kept by your subdeacons. Do not allow this decision of ours to be broken by the stubbornness or rashness of anyone at all. Then, as we trust will be the case, when you have kept everything said above most strictly in force, you will neither prove to have disobeyed our charge nor be accused of slackness in the order of pastoral rule that has been entrusted to you. [a]