To Queen Brunhild, on the Pallium for Syagrius

Gregory to Brunhild, queen of the Franks. Among the other good things you do, your excellency shows in a praiseworthy way, by your love also for his priests, how firmly your mind is settled in the fear of Almighty God. And your Christian faith gives us great joy, since you are eager to advance with honors those whom you love and revere as truly the servants of Christ. For it becomes you, most excellent daughter, it becomes you, to be such that you can submit yourself to a Lord above you. For by bowing the neck of your mind to the fear of the Almighty Lord, you also strengthen your rule over the nations subject to you; and by subjecting yourself to the service of the Creator, you bind your subjects all the more devotedly to yourself. Therefore, having received your letter, we let you know that your excellency’s earnest wish has greatly pleased us, and we have wanted to send the pallium to our brother and fellow bishop Syagrius. For the disposition of our most serene lord the emperor is also favorable; so far as we have been told by our deacon, who represented our church at his court, he very much wishes this to be granted. And many good reports of our brother have reached us, both from your testimony and from others; in particular we learned what his life is like from John the regionarius on his return to us. And hearing what he did in the case of our brother Augustine, we bless our Redeemer, because we perceive that he fulfills in his deeds the meaning of his name of priest. [a]

But there have been many hindrances that have so far kept us from doing this. First, the man who came to receive the pallium is entangled in the error of the schismatics. Next, you wished it to be understood that it was sent not at your request but on our own initiative. But there was this besides: the man who wishes to use it had not himself asked for it to be granted to him in a petition of his own addressed to us. And it was by no means right for us to grant so great a thing without his request, especially since an ancient custom holds that the honor of the pallium is not to be given except when the merits of the case demand it, and to one who earnestly asks for it. Still, so that we may not seem to want to put off your excellency’s wish under cover of some excuse, we have arranged for the pallium to be sent to our most beloved son Candidus the presbyter, charging him to deliver it in our place with due precaution. So our brother and fellow bishop Syagrius must wait for it until he has, of his own accord, drawn up a petition together with some of his bishops. This he must give to the presbyter, so that he may be in a position, with God’s favor, to obtain properly the use of the pallium. [d]

So, in order that the charge you bear may bear fruit for you before the eyes of our Creator, let the care of your Christianity keep diligent watch, and allow no one under your rule to reach holy orders by giving money, or by anyone’s patronage, or by right of kinship. Rather, let a man be elected to the episcopate, or to the office of any other sacred order, whose life and conduct have shown him to be worthy. Otherwise, if, as we do not expect, the dignity of the priesthood should be for sale, the simoniacal heresy, which was the first to arise in the church and has been condemned by the sentence of the fathers, may spring up in your lands and, God forbid, weaken the strength of your kingdom. For it is a serious matter, and a wickedness beyond words, to sell the Holy Spirit, who redeemed all things.

Let this also be your care: since, as you know, the excellent preacher entirely forbids a novice to rise to the ruling office of the priesthood, allow no one to be consecrated bishop straight from being a layman. For what sort of master will he be who has never been a disciple? Or what kind of leadership can he give the Lord’s flock who has not first been under a shepherd’s discipline? If, then, anyone’s life is such as to show him worthy of promotion to this order, he ought first to serve in the ministry of the church, so that by the experience of long practice he may see what to imitate and learn what to teach. Otherwise the newness of his charge may not bear the burden of governing, and the immaturity of his promotion may become the occasion of a fall. [f]

Moreover, we have learned from the reports of various faithful people how your excellency conducted yourself toward our brother and fellow bishop Augustine, and how great a love, by the inspiration of God, you showed him. For this we give thanks, and we pray the mercy of the divine Power to keep you here under its protection, and to make you reign, as among men, so also, after a course of many years, in life eternal.

Furthermore, strive, for your own reward, to call back to the unity of harmony those whom the error of the schismatics cuts off from the unity of the church. For they are wrapped so far in the blindness of their ignorance for no other reason than to escape the church’s discipline and to be free to live as perversely as they please, since they understand neither what they defend nor what they follow. As for us, we revere and follow in all respects the Synod of Chalcedon, from which they draw the clouds of a pestilent excuse; and if anyone should presume to take away from or add anything to its faith, we anathematize him. But they are so soaked in the stain of error that, trusting their own ignorance, they reject the universal church and all four patriarchs, not with reason but with malicious intent. So the man whom your excellency sent to us, when we asked him why he stood apart from the universal church, admitted that he did not know. Nor indeed was he able to understand either what he said or anything else he had listened to. We urge you no less to restrain the rest of your subjects, under the control of discipline, from sacrificing to idols, from worshiping trees, and from offering sacrilegious sacrifices of the heads of animals. For it has come to our ears that many of the Christians both go to the churches and also, horrible to tell, do not give up their worship of demons. But since these things are altogether displeasing to our God, and he does not own divided minds, see to it that they are restrained from these unlawful practices for their own health, so that, God forbid, the sacrament of holy baptism may not serve for their punishment instead of their rescue. If, then, you know of any who are violent, any who are adulterers, any who are thieves or bent on other wicked deeds, hurry to appease God by correcting them, so that he may not bring on you the scourge due to faithless nations, which, so far as we see, is already raised for the punishment of many peoples. For if, as we do not believe will happen, the wrath of divine vengeance should be kindled by the doings of the wicked, the plague of war may destroy the sinners whom God’s commands do not call back to the way of right. We must, then, hurry with all earnestness and continual prayer to take refuge in the mercy of our Redeemer, where there is a place of safety and great security for all. For whoever stands firm there is not crushed by danger nor alarmed by fear. [g]

As you asked us in your letter, we have sent the book to our most beloved son Candidus the presbyter, to be presented to you, since we are eager to share in your good purpose. May Almighty God keep you under his protection, defend your kingdom by his outstretched arm from unbelieving nations, and bring you after long courses of years to eternal joys. Given in the month of October, in the first indiction. [h]