Gregory to Cyprian the deacon. Your Beloved knows that this custom was once held, that our brothers and fellow-bishops from Sicily should assemble at Rome once every three years; but we, consulting for their labour, appointed that they should present themselves here once in five years. And since it is now a long time that they have hardly assembled here, we wish you to exhort them that they ought to celebrate the Nativity of Saint Peter here with us, God bringing them. But lest perhaps some suspicion might arise in the praetor, if he should learn that they were admonished to come here, understanding our will, take care to bring this about through yourself in such a way, that they too, as we said before, may come here at the appointed day, and no suspicion concerning them may arise in the praetor.
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LiparitanumveroetRegitanumepiscopos, uthucveniantparitercommonebis. CircaLibertinumverovirummagnificumestosollicitus, utnullusillumdolusdecipiat, quiaaliquanobisdeRavennatiurbescriptasunt, ipsamqueadleepistolammisimus, utexeaqualiterteergaeumdebeasexhiberepossisaddiscere. Consolareautemeum, utsenonaffligat, quiacredimusquodnosexcellentissimusfiliusnosterexarchusnoncontristet. Namdepersonaipsiusscriberenondistulimus. SedquiainPadoidemexarchusoccupatusest, minimescriptaejussuscepimus. (Cr. Joan. Diac. l. III, n. 24.)
You shall likewise admonish the bishops of Lipari and of Reggio that they come hither together. But concerning Libertinus, that magnificent man, be solicitous, that no deceit may deceive him, since certain things have been written to us about the city of Ravenna; and we have sent you that very letter, so that from it you may be able to learn how you ought to conduct yourself toward him. Console him, moreover, that he not afflict himself, for we believe that our most excellent son the exarch will not grieve us. For concerning his person we have not delayed to write. But since the same exarch is occupied at the Po, we have by no means received his writings. (Cf. John the Deacon, book iii, no. 24.)