To John, Bishop of Syracuse

Gregory to John, and so on. [a]

I have received your fraternity’s letter telling me of the sickness of my dearest son, the lord Venantius, and reporting how everything is going with him. But when I heard at one and the same time that he was desperately and gravely ill, and that unjust men were laying claim to the orphans’ property, the sorrow in my heart could scarcely contain itself. Yet there was comfort in this, that tears relieved my groaning. So your holiness ought not to neglect what should be your first care: to look after his soul. Urge him, plead with him, set before him the terrible judgment of God, and promise him God’s mercy beyond all words, so as to bring him to return, even at his last moments, to his former way of life, so that the guilt of so great a fault may not stand against him in the eternal judgment. And then it is your duty to consider how his daughters, the ladies Barbara and Antonina, may be settled, so that no opening is given to bad men. For after he had solemnly begged me to take anxious care of them, adding that I should see to their settlement, he went on in his letter to mention something that, when I consider the matter, I have no doubt might stand in the way. For he says that I should petition our most devout lord the emperor again and again, so that the emperor himself might have provision made for their settlement. You see how different this is from his former wish. And I fear that this may give a ready opening to men in Sicily who are looking for every opportunity to meddle in his affairs. For when this becomes known, what will those men do who, as report has it, have already been trying to put a seal on his goods? Would not reason seem to be on their side, and give them, as it were, a just ground for this proceeding? Suppose they should say: “The girls have been commended to our lord the emperor. We cannot neglect the matter; it is at our peril if we do. We are keeping the property safe until our lord the emperor orders them to be taken to Constantinople.” Tell me, I beg you, what could I do in such a case, where the father’s commendation seems to support a man who has authority? For he solemnly begs me to see that they are settled in such a way that they either live in the city of Rome or are not taken away from Sicily; and yet he acts in such a way as to leave no means either of bringing them here or of keeping them there. But you, as far as you can, oppose these bad men. Defend their property for the sake of Almighty God as if it were your own, and, if it is still possible, see that every opening for wrong is removed as regards the will of the lord Venantius. But if it is thought best that they be commended to the palace, he ought not to lay such a burden on me as to wish to charge my soul with the care of their settlement. As to which, let it be enough that God Almighty knows how I am taking thought for them. So I have taken care to write at once to my most beloved son, the deacon Anatolius, telling him to try to speak with the glorious patrician lady Rusticiana, and instructing him how he should inquire and report to me about the persons whose names have been sent to me. In this way he may inform us of everything quickly, and what must be done may be arranged under God’s ordering. [b]

Further, in the letter sent to us we find that your fraternity has been hurt that we did not wish you to come here, as though it were because of some displeasure. But we acted with no other aim than usefulness, knowing that because of certain persons in your district your presence there was extremely necessary. But so that you may not suppose from this that we have any ill feeling or displeasure toward you, God forbid, if you wish to come to us, present yourself at a suitable time at the threshold of the apostles. For, as far as we are concerned, we hold your love so dear that we wish to see you often. [f]