To Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria, on Simony in His Church

Gregory to Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria. [a]

One day a conversation arose between me and my close friends about the customs of the churches. One of them, who had studied medicine in the great city of Alexandria, told us that he had had a fellow student attending the same lectures, a boy of extreme depravity, who, he said, had suddenly been ordained a deacon. And he added that this boy had obtained his ordination by bribes and gifts, for he admitted that this custom had taken hold in the holy church of Alexandria. When I heard this I was astonished, and very much surprised that the tongue of that most holy and blessed man, the lord Eulogius, which calls back so many heretics to the catholic faith, has not rooted out the heresy of simony from the holy church of Alexandria. And who will there be whose urging or correction can set this right, if his great and admirable teaching has left it uncorrected?

So, for the absolution of your soul and the increase of your reward, and so that your works may be perfect in every respect before the eyes of the fearful Judge, you ought to make haste to pull up and root out completely the heresy of simony, which was the first heresy to arise in the church, from your most holy see, which is ours. [c] For this is why the holiness of the church’s orders falls away from so very many: people are promoted to these orders not for their life and conduct but for bribes. But if a worthy character is looked for, and not bribes, unworthy people will not come to ordination. And the more any good men who have been promoted to holy orders devote themselves to the care of winning souls, the more reward will begin to come to you.