CRISTO RAUL. READING HALL THE DOORS OF WISDOM |
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THE HISTORY OF THE POPES |
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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF POPE GREGORY I THE GREAT. A.D. 540 – 604
CHAPTER V
GREGORY PATRIARCH OF THE WEST.
HIS RELATIONS WITH OTHER WESTERN CHURCHES
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(c) The church of Milan.
The great metropolitan see of Milan was independent of
Rome. Here again, however, Gregory did his best to establish an informal kind
of authority, and to interfere, though unostentatiously, with the acts and
privileges of the archbishops. But the Church of Milan, like the Church in
Africa, was not disposed to submit tamely to dictation from Rome, and Gregory
found it necessary to proceed with the greatest circumspection.
Since the Lombard invasion in 569, the Archbishop of
Milan, together with the greater part of his clergy, had been residing at
Genoa, which was in the hands of the Imperialists. A certain number of clergy,
however, remained in Milan itself, and these, on the death of the aged
Archbishop Laurentius in 592, unanimously elected Constantius, a deacon of the
Church, as his successor. The document of election was drawn up and forwarded
to Rome, but, since the clergy residing in Milan were a minority, it was not subscribed.
The Pope, who had the right of confirming the election and of seeing that the
consecration of the new archbishop was performed according to precedent,
refused to accept Constantius until he learned whether he would be acceptable
also to the Milanese clergy at Genoa. Accordingly he ordered John, his rector
in Liguria, to proceed to Genoa and ascertain the wishes of the clergy there;
if they were in favor of Constantius, then the agent was to “cause him to be
consecrated by his own suffragans, as ancient use demands, with the assent of
our authority and the help of the Lord, that by the preservation of the custom
the Apostolic See may both retain its proper authority and also preserve intact
the rights which it has conceded to others”." Meanwhile Gregory wrote to
the clergy at Milan, expressing his approval of Constantius, whom he had met at
Constantinople, and for whom he had a regard. Nevertheless, he urged them
completely to satisfy themselves respecting their nominee before they took the
irrevocable step of consecrating him as their bishop. “For when he is once set
over you he can no longer be judged by you. Therefore you should examine him
all the more thoroughly now. But when your pastor has once been consecrated,
give yourselves to him heart and soul, and in his person serve Almighty God who
has set him over you”.
Gregory went on to remind them that if they wished for
a good bishop they must show themselves worthy of one. “Divine judgment
provides shepherds according to the deserts of the flock. Therefore do you seek
the things of the Spirit, love what is heavenly, despise the temporal which passeth away, and be assured that you will have a shepherd
well-pleasing to God, if you, on your part, please God by your actions. Lo, as
the Scripture foretold, all the glory of the world has perished. Cities are
overthrown, camps uprooted, churches destroyed; no tiller of the ground
inhabits our land. Among ourselves, the poor remnant who are left, the sword of
man rages incessantly, and the hand of God deals slaughter from above. The
world-destruction, which we heard was coming, we now see before our eyes; the
regions of the earth are become to us an open book. So in the passing of things
we should reflect how all that we loved is nothing. Consider with trembling the
day of the Eternal Judge which is coming, and by repentance anticipate its
terrors. Wash away with your tears all the stains of your sins. By sorrow for a
season allay the eternal wrath which is drawing nigh. For our loving Creator,
when He comes for judgment, will comfort us with greater favor, as He sees us
now punishing ourselves for our own transgressions”.
Constantius in the end was consecrated, but almost
immediately afterwards he became involved in difficulties. In Liguria, of which
Milan was the metropolis, there were many who still adhered to the schism of
the Three Chapters: and certain bishops, the most prominent of whom was the
Bishop of Brescia, refused to communicate with Constantius, alleging that he
had signed a document pledging himself to uphold the Fifth General Council.
Such a document had indeed been signed by the last archbishop, Laurentius, and
had been subscribed by certain nobles, among whom was Gregory himself, at that
time Prefect of Rome. But no such security had been asked from or given by
Constantius. The rumor that was circulated, however, had one serious effect.
For the Catholic Queen of the Lombards, Theudelinda, hearing of it, and being
influenced by the disaffected bishops, withdrew from communion with the
suspected Archbishop. Gregory was greatly distressed at this news, and wrote at
once to allay the royal scruples, professing his own entire adherence to the
Council of Chalcedon, and affirming that the Fifth Council did nothing more
than confirm the doctrine therein set forth. "Whatever was done in the
time of Justinian was done that the faith of the Council of Chalcedon might in
no way be disturbed." He forwarded this letter to Constantius to deliver
to the Queen. But the Archbishop, who knew that such outspoken commendation of
the Fifth Council would only exasperate Theudelinda, suppressed the document
and recommended the Pope to send another in more guarded terms. Gregory,
therefore, wrote again, omitting all reference to the Three Chapters, and
merely stating his complete agreement with all that was done in the first four
Councils.
“As you have learnt the soundness of my faith by my
express statement of it”, he concludes, “you ought to have no further
uneasiness or doubt respecting the Church of St. Peter, the chief of the
Apostles. Continue, then, in the true Faith and establish your life on the rock
of the Church, that is to say, on the confession of St. Peter, the chief of the
Apostles, lest all your tears and all your good deeds be of no avail, if they
be found severed from the true Faith. For as boughs wither which receive no nourishment
from the root, so actions, however good they may appear, are nothing if they
are separated from the foundation of faith. You ought therefore to send a
messenger with all speed to my most reverend brother and fellow-bishop
Constantius, and inform him by letter that you receive the news of his
ordination with all pleasure, and that you in no wise separate yourself from
his communion; that so he and I may sincerely rejoice together over you as a
good and faithful daughter. By this you may know that you and your actions are
pleasing to God, if before they are judged by Him, they are approved by the
judgment of His priests." In spite of this letter, however, it seems that
Theudelinda clung to her opinions; for many years later we find her still refusing
to endorse the condemnation of Theodore, Theodoret, and Ibas. Meanwhile
Constantius continued to be the subject of much calumny and malicious gossip,
and in 596 the Pope wrote to beg him not to distress himself. “The man who is
acquitted by his own conscience is free, however much men may accuse him”.
It seems, however, that, apart from the matter of the
Three Chapters, there were some genuine grounds of complaint against
Constantius. A great number of people, for instance, were offended because he
persisted in mentioning the name of John of Ravenna in the mass. Gregory,
hearing of this, directed the Archbishop to inquire if there was any precedent
for this practice in his church. If not, he urged him to refrain from giving
unnecessary offence, especially as John, for his part, was not accustomed to mention
the name of Constantius at the altar.
In 594 Constantius fell out with Gregory himself. The
occasion was this. There was at Milan a certain soldier named Fortunatus, who,
during the episcopate of the late bishop, had for many years eaten at the table
of the Church, had sat among the nobles, and signed public documents.
Constantius, however, commenced a suit against him with a view to depriving him
of his rank. This appeared to Gregory a most unwarrantable measure, and he
suggested that if it was really necessary that a trial should take place at
all, it had better be held in Rome before himself. Constantius replied with
acrimony that he thought otherwise. To this the Pope rejoined: “Your letter
about Fortunatus has amazed us. Either it was not dictated by you, or, if
yours, we by no means recognize in it our brother, the Lord Constantius. You
ought to have seen, and you ought to see now, that I write on behalf of your
own reputation. For when Fortunatus says that he is wronged by you, and is
unable to find anyone to help and defend him, he brings your good will into
question. Therefore that your reputation may not be tarnished in the opinion of
any one, and that your Church, if it has any just claims in this matter, may
not suffer any loss, you ought to send an instructed person to represent you
here, so that the merits of the case may be thoroughly weighed and a decision
given without entailing odium upon yourself. For if, especially after his
complaints, sentence in your favor is given in your city, it will be believed
that he was worsted, not by force of argument, but solely by the force of your
authority. Such is the love with which we are bound to you, that we shall not
cease exhorting you to do what is desirable in the interest of your own
reputation. For we know that though this exhortation grieves you for a time, it
will hereafter give you pleasure, when the spirit of contention has passed
away”.
Gregory had a real affection for this hot-tempered
prelate, in spite of his faults, and he was sincerely grieved when he heard of
his death at Genoa in the year 600. It chanced that at this time there was
peace between the Lombards and Imperialists, and King Agilulf, availing himself
of the opportunity, made an effort to bring the metropolitan back from Genoa to
Milan, and even put forward a candidate of his own for the vacant see. The
electors, however, disregarding his wishes, proposed to the Pope the name of
the deacon Deusdedit. Gregory approved their choice, and at the same time
urgently warned them to make no concessions to the heretical Lombards. “Do not
be influenced by the letter which you say you have received from Agilulf. We
will never on any account give our assent to a man who is chosen by those who
are not Catholics, and especially by the Lombards; nor, if he is made bishop by
some presumptuous usurpation, will we recognize him as holding that position
and rank. For he is evidently unworthy to be the Vicar of St. Ambrose if he is
elected and ordained by such persons. There is nothing in the matter to
frighten you or to force you to act as Agilulf wishes, for the property from
which the clergy who serve St. Ambrose are supported, is, by the grace of God,
in Sicily and in the other provinces of the Empire ; no part of it is in the
enemy's territory”.
Deusdedit was accordingly consecrated, the Roman
notary Pantaleo being sent to see that everything was done according to
precedent. Before long the new archbishop was made sensible of the quiet
control and supervision which the Pope thought himself justified in exercising
over the metropolitans of Italy. "Our brother and fellow-bishop
Theodore," Gregory wrote, "complains that he is subjected to much
unjust treatment, in spite of the promise made to him by your Holiness. We find
it difficult to believe this, but as we cannot leave the matter uninvestigated,
we have entrusted the consideration of it to our brother and fellow-bishop
Venantius (of Luna), that he may make himself thoroughly acquainted with the
merits of the case, and send us a report. We therefore beg you to send Bishop
Theodore with the Defensor of your Church to our brother Venantius, that when
he has learnt the truth of the matter himself, he may give us full information
by letter." Gregory clearly intended that the final decision should rest with
himself.
CHAPTER V
GREGORY PATRIARCH OF THE WESTTHE CHURCH OF RAVENNA
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