Letter 6041: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

TO BISHOP RUFINUS. That a presbyter is to be ordained in the church of Massa Nicoterana [Nicotera], who, in place of the bishop who has been condemned to penance, may baptize and celebrate Mass. Gregory to Rufinus, bishop of Vibo [Vibona]. From the inhabitants of Massa Nicoterana, whose bishop has for certain faults been condemned to penance, we have learned by report that there is no presbyter there who can celebrate the sacred solemnities of the Masses, to such a degree that they declare even their own children to have remained without baptism. And because for this reason they have earnestly requested that a presbyter ought to be ordained for them in that same church, to which your Fraternity devotes the labor of visitation, we therefore by these present writings exhort you that you ought to seek out from the clergy of that same church one whose life and character can be suited to this office, and that you should hasten, with the Lord's help, to consecrate him there as presbyter. For it is exceedingly hard that, until the case of their bishop is examined in detail, that church should not have a presbyter who is able to celebrate the sacred work there. In the month of July, in the fourteenth indiction.

AD RUFINUM EPISCOPUM. In Ecclesia Mazse Nicoterane presbyterum ordinan- dum, qui episcopi in penitentiam depulati vice baptizet ac celebret Migsas. Gregorius Ruſino episcopo *® Vivonensi. Ex habitatoribus Þ Mass:z -Nicoteranze, quorum episcopus pro quibusdam culpis in penitentiam g24 depulatus est, relatione comperimus nullum illic esse presbyterum qui $acra possit missarum $olemnia ce- lebrare, in tautum ut etiam filios su0s sine baptismate asserant remansisse. Et quia hac pro causa magnopere petiverunt $ibi in eadem Ecclesia cui fraternitas vestra operam visitationis impendit debere presby- terum ordinari, ea propler scriplis vos prasentibus adhortamur, ut de clero ejusdem Ecclesiz requirere debeatis, cujus vita et mores ad hoc possint officium convenire, et eum illic presbyterum ſeslinetis, auxi- liante Domino, consecrare. Nam valde durum est ut quousque causa episcopi eorum subtiliter requiratur, non habeat Eecclesia illa presbyterum, qui sacrum il- lic opus valeat celebrare. © Mense Julio, indictione 14.