Letter 14: Having learned, dear brothers, that my actions have been reported to you in a somewhat garbled and untruthful...

Having learned, dear brothers, that my actions have been reported to you in a somewhat garbled and untruthful manner, I thought it necessary to write and give you a full account of what I have done, what I am doing, and how I am maintaining both discipline and diligence. When the first explosion of violence came and the crowd repeatedly demanded me by name, I withdrew. I did this not out of concern for my own safety but for the public peace. My continued presence, given the intensity of feeling against me, would only have provoked the mob further. But though absent in body, I have not been absent in spirit, in action, or in counsel. I have not failed to do everything in my power, to the extent my abilities allow, to support and guide my brothers according to the Lord's commands. What I've done is documented in thirteen letters, sent at various times, which I'm now forwarding to you. In those letters, you will find counsel for the clergy, encouragement for the confessors, rebuke where it was necessary, exhortation to the whole community to seek God's mercy. I have withheld nothing that, in the fear of God and with the help of the Lord, my limited abilities could provide. I outline for you the principles I've followed: To the lapsed who are sick and at risk of death, and who hold a certificate from the martyrs: they may confess, receive the laying on of hands for repentance, and go to the Lord with the peace the martyrs requested. To the rest of the lapsed: they must wait. When the persecution ends, when the bishop has returned, when the community can assemble — then every case will be examined individually, with the full weight of the Gospel and the counsel of the entire Church. To the clergy: maintain order. Do not act beyond your authority. Do not grant what is not yours to give. I give this account so that you may judge for yourselves whether I have held the balance rightly between mercy and discipline, between pastoral compassion and the demands of the Gospel. I ask for your prayers, and I look forward to the day when I can return to my flock in person.

Epistle 14