Gregory to Secundinus, bishop of Tauromenium. Both the reasoning of the laws and nature itself, through equity, admonishes that whoever either refuses an inheritance or abstains from succeeding his parents ought not to bear the burdens of the inheritance. Since therefore Sincerus, the bearer of the present letter, has made it known that his father-in-law Hilarus died wholly destitute, and that his own wife, the daughter of that man, in no way meddled with any part of his substance, and yet complains that she is being pressed by his creditors to pay her father's debt, therefore let your Fraternity diligently inquire. And if the things he says stand upon the truth, let your Fraternity be zealous to extend sacerdotal protection to them, and not permit them to be harassed contrary to the order of reason, or to sustain any loss.
For it is very hard that one should unjustly sustain a loss from that whence he has felt no advantage. But if the aforesaid bearer, together with his wife, should be willing to come here, since he says that he cannot subsist there, let them enjoy your consolations for God's sake; nor let the adversity of anyone there retain them merely at his own will, or be unreasonably troublesome to them; but let them have free liberty to go wherever they will, so that they may at least find the means of living elsewhere, by God's bounty. In the month of June, in the fourteenth indiction.