To Paschasius, Bishop of Naples, on the Festivals of the Jews

Gregory to Paschasius, and so on.

Those who sincerely desire to bring people outside the Christian religion to the true faith should work at kindness, not harshness; otherwise opposition may drive far away those whom reasoning offered gently might have won. For whoever acts otherwise, and on the pretext of such an aim would bar people from the customary observance of their own rites, is shown to be intent on his own cause rather than on God’s. To be specific: the Jews living in Naples have complained to us, saying that certain persons are trying, without reason, to keep them from certain solemn rites of their holy days, so that they may not lawfully observe the solemnities of their festivals, as it has been lawful for them and their forefathers to keep and observe them from long ago up to this time. Now, if this is true, these people seem to be taking trouble to no purpose. For what use is it, when even a prohibition so long out of custom does nothing for their faith and conversion? Or why should we lay down rules for the Jews about how to observe their ceremonies, if we cannot win them by doing so? We should act, then, in such a way that, appealed to rather by reason and kindness, they may want to follow us and not flee from us; and that, proving to them from their own Scriptures what we tell them, we may be able, with God’s help, to convert them to the bosom of Mother Church.

So let your fraternity, as far as you can with God’s help, kindle them to conversion, and not let them be troubled any more about their solemnities. Let them have full freedom to observe and celebrate all their festivals and holy days, just as both they and their forefathers have kept and held them for a long time past.