Letter 182 To Gregory
prelude 2: st gregory nazianzen
Letter 182 To Gregory21 This letter was written in 383. When Gregory retired from Constantinople to Arianzus in 381, he agreed to temporarily administer his father's former church of Nazianzus until the episcopal vacancy was filled. His fellow bishops would have preferred to maintain this situation as the status quo, but, pressed by Gregory's importunities, they finally chose his cousin Eulalius.
Gossip-mongers however, were spreading false rumours that the election had been against his wishes, with the intention of ousting him from the administration of that church. Gregory wrote the following letter to Gregory of Nyssa making plain his own dispositions in the affair, and asking him to exercise for his and Eulalius' sake his role as a pacifier of ecclesiastical dissensions.
To Gregory22 1. Alas for me that my sojourning is prolonged (Ps 119.5), and, what is worse, that there are war and dissensions among us and that we have not protected the peace that we received from the holy fathers.
2. This I am sure that you yourself will re-establish, by the power of the Spirit who sustains you and your activities.
3. But let no one, I beg, spread lying rumours about us and our lords the bishops, as though they had proclaimed another bishop in our place against our will. 4. But being in great need, owing to my dying health, and fearing the exigencies of a neglected church, I asked this favour of them, which was not opposed to the canons and was a relief to me, that they might give a pastor to the church.
He has been granted to your prayers, a man worthy of your piety, whom I now place in your hands: I mean the most reverend Eulalius, a bishop very dear to God, in whose arms may I breathe my last.
5. But if someone thinks that it is not right while a bishop is still alive to ordain another, let him know that he will not win his case against us in this. For it is well known to all that we were assigned, not to Nazianzus, but to Sasima, although for a short time, out of reverence for our father23 and for those who begged us, we as an outsider24 undertook the presidency.
21 Mss.: YM, LA, PR, P, LF, BJ, ed.: Gallay II, 71–72, tr.: NPNF 2nd ser. 7, 461.
22 Grhgor¤ƒ BJ, Grhgor¤ƒ §piskÒpƒ NÊshw (to Gregory bishop of Nyssa) P, Grhgor¤ƒ
§piskÒpƒ (to Gregory the bishop), t" aÈt" (to the same—i.e. Gregory of Nyssa)
YM, LA, PR.
23 Gregory Senior, bishop of Nazianzus, who died in 374.
24 Not a 'stranger' to Nazianzus, but as a bishop ordained for another diocese.