To Venantius the Patrician, on His Quarrel with the Bishop of Syracuse

Gregory to Venantius, patrician and former monk. [a]

Your letter found us much distressed, because we had learned that offense had arisen between you and our brother and fellow bishop John, in whose agreement with you we had wished to rejoice. For whatever the cause may have been, anger ought not to have broken out to such a pitch that your armed men, as we have heard, burst into the bishop’s residence and did various wrongs there like enemies, and that this affair should meanwhile separate you from his fatherly love. Could not the dispute, whatever it was, have been settled quietly, so that neither side suffered harm and good feeling was not disturbed? Now we are well aware how weighty, how holy, how gentle our brother named above is. From this we gather that unless an excessive weight of provocation had driven him to it, his fraternity would by no means have taken the step by which you say you are aggrieved.

We, however, on hearing of it by letter from him, wrote to him at once, urging him to receive your offerings as before, and not only to allow masses to be celebrated in your house but, if you wish it, even to celebrate them himself; and telling him that he ought to have pursued his case without breaking love. And since we wish no one to fall out or to remain at odds, we have taken care to repeat this same urging. So it is necessary, dearest son, that you, as sons should, show him the reverence due to a priest, and do not provoke his spirit to anger. For with whom will you have sure goodwill if, God forbid, you are at odds with your priest? So put away swelling pride of spirit, and try to handle the cases you have with one another in such a way that love may remain unbroken and what is to your common advantage may be reached in peace.