To Aregius, Bishop of Gap, on Grief for His People and the Dalmatics

Gregory to Aregius, bishop in Gaul. [a]

Your fraternity’s affliction over the loss of your people, which we have heard about, has given us such cause for grief that, since love makes the two of us one, we feel our own heart to be caught up in a special way in your distress. But in the midst of this we have been greatly comforted that you have brought your mind to see how fitting it is for you to bear sorrow patiently, and, in the hope of another life, not to go on grieving long over death. Still, in case some distress should yet linger in your soul, I urge you to rest from sorrow and to stop being sad. For it is unfitting to give oneself up to wearisome affliction over those who, we must believe, have reached true life by dying. Those who know nothing of another life, and have no confidence that there is a passing from this world to a better one, perhaps have a fair excuse for long grief. But we who know this, who believe it and teach it, ought not to be too much distressed for those who depart, or what looks like affection in others may be in us rather a matter for blame. For to be tormented by sadness against what everyone preaches is, as it were, a kind of distrust, as the apostle says, “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” [b]

Having this reason before us, then, dearest brother, we should try, as we have said, not to torment ourselves over the dead, but to give our affection to the living, for whom pity can do some good and love can bear fruit. From now on let us hurry to help all we can, by rebuking, urging, persuading, soothing and comforting. Let our tongue be an encouragement to the good and a goad to the bad; let it beat down the proud, calm the angry, stir up the slow, kindle the idle by exhortation, persuade those who shrink back, soften the rough and comfort the despairing; so that, since we are called leaders, we may show the way of salvation to those who are moving forward. Let us be watchful in keeping guard, and let us defend every approach against the snares of the enemy. And if error ever leads astray by winding paths a sheep of the flocks entrusted to us, let us strive with all our efforts to bring it back to the Lord’s sheepfolds, so that from the name of shepherd which we bear we may reap not punishment but a reward. Seeing, then, that in all this we need the help of divine grace, let us implore the mercy of Almighty God with constant prayers, that he may give us the will and grant us the power to do these things, and, with the fruit of good work, direct us on that way in which he has declared himself to be the Shepherd of shepherds; so that through him, without whom we cannot rise to do anything, we may be able to accomplish all things.

Furthermore, our common son Peter the deacon has let us know that when your fraternity was here, you asked us to grant you and your archdeacon permission to wear dalmatics. But you were compelled by the sickness of your people to leave in such haste that the very grief weighing on you did not let you press the matter any further, as was proper and as the nature of your request required. We, too, had many engagements, and regard for what is fitting in the church did not allow us to grant a new thing rashly and on the spur of the moment. For these reasons, carrying out what you asked has been long put off. Now, however, recalling the good deserts of your love, by the terms of this our authority we grant your request, and have granted that you or your archdeacon may be adorned with the use of dalmatics. We have sent these same dalmatics by the hand of our most beloved son, the abbot Cyriacus. [c]

Furthermore, we want you to be present at the synod against the simoniac heresy which we have decreed should be assembled through our brother and fellow bishop Syagrius. We have ordered that the pallium we have sent for our brother be given to him on condition that he promises to remove from holy church, by a decision of the synod, the unlawful things we have forbidden. We want your fraternity to report to us fully by letter all the proceedings of this synod, so that you yourself, whose holiness we know well, may inform us about everything.