Letter 5.4 to Bishop Victor of Palermo (September 594)
Gregorius to Victor, bishop of Palermo
No reasoning would have allowed that the bearer of this letter, Gregorius, abbot and presbyter of the monastery of Saint Theodore, should be in charge of it after the almost complete lapse by that community. For one who has led so many disciples to Hell through his negligence should never be put in charge of those who remained. But because he was humbled here [in Rome] by the long penance, it is necessary for your Fraternity to receive him in the aforesaid monastery and appoint him to his place, but in such a way that Urbicus, in charge (praepositus) of my own monastery, ought to provide someone from the servants of God to become his superior (praepositus), so that what it is neglected by the lack of care by that man, may be preserved through the concern of this appointee.
Gregory then turns to other matters.
(trans. Martyn 2004: 325, altered by J. Szafranowski)