Letter 1.79 to the clergy and nobility of Corsica (August 591)
Gregory to the clergy and nobility of Corsica two equal letter
Although you yourselves are not upset that a church of God has been without a pontiff for a very long time now, yet the care of the office we have accepted compels us to think about its governing and, even more so, the affection which binds us to your Beloved. We know that the well-being of your souls depends also on the [proper] rule of this church. For if the flock lacks a shepherd's care, it easily falls into the snares of the one lying in wait. On that matter, since the church of (Aleria) Saona has long been destitute of the help of the priest, we have thought it necessary (that our brother and fellow-bishop Martin be appointed principal priest [sacerdos cardinalis]) to charge for brother and fellow-bishop Leo with the task of visitation. We also grant him the license to ordain presbyters and deacons in the church itself and in its parishes, and we permit him to use its resources, as long as he is there, as if he were its proper bishop. Therefore, we urge your Beloved with the present writing to receive the aforementioned visitor with your full devotion. Show him the obedience in the matters that arise for him to resolve, as is proper for sons of the Church, so that, supported by your devotion, he will be able to tackle all the matters which, as you know, affect the well-being of the abovementioned church.
(trans. Martyn 2004: 191, altered by J. Szafranowski)