To All the Bishops of Italy, on the Children of the Lombards

Gregory to all, and so on.

During this Easter festival, which has lately ended, the abominable Authari forbade the children of Lombards to be baptized in the catholic faith; and for this sin the divine Majesty cut him off, so that he should not see the festival of another Easter. So it is fitting that your fraternity should warn all the Lombards in your districts, since a grievous mortality threatens everywhere, to reconcile to the catholic faith these children of theirs who have been baptized in the Arian heresy, and so to appease the wrath of the Almighty Lord that hangs over them. Warn, then, all you can. Lay hold of them with all the power of persuasion you have, and bring them to a right faith. Preach to them eternal life without end, so that when you come into the sight of the strict Judge, you may be able, because of your care, to show in your own persons a shepherd’s gains. [b]