教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 324 章

Gregory to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse. The bearer of these presents, the deacon Felix, although he by no means lapsed into the dogma of the heretics, nor departed from the catholic faith, yet, enticed by depraved suspicions against the synod of Constantinople, had withdrawn into the separation of the Istrians. When he had come to Rome, having received from us, with the Lord's help, an account, he corrected his error, having received communion of the Lord's Body. Since therefore, as has been said, he did not fall into heresy, but strayed from the sacred mysteries of the universal Church as it were out of zeal for a right intention, having regard for his weakness and needs, and above all providing for his sustenance out of piety, we have determined that he be enrolled as a cardinal-cleric in your Church of Syracuse;

whether that he may discharge the office of the diaconate, or certainly that he may obtain only the emoluments of that same office for the maintenance of his poverty — this we wish to depend upon the judgment of your Fraternity. And we exhort that your Fraternity hasten to fulfill this. Commending also his person, that you suffer him to be subject to no vexations or hardships, lest you be found either to have neglected the tenor of our commendation, or to have shown less to the poor than your order demands — since we also have caused something yearly to be given to him from our Church, so that we might be able to be partakers of that same work which we exhort you to perform. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book III, ch. 20.)