About icons

In the letter “On Icons” to St. Gregory the Great (Dvoeslov) addresses Serenus, Bishop of Massilia (Marseilles), expressing concern about his actions related to the destruction of images of saints. The saint explains that icons help ordinary people gain knowledge about shrines and faith, replacing the written word for those who cannot read. He calls on the bishop not only to recognize the harm of his actions, but also to strive to restore relations with the flock that suffered from his careless decisions. Gregory Serenus to Bishop of Massilia (Marseilles) The beginning of your letter showed us your good will, befitting a priest, that our joy about your brotherhood was great. However, its end was so different from its own beginning that it might seem that this message did not belong to one mind, but to different ones. At least the fact that you had doubts about our letter that we sent you made it possible to understand in advance how reckless you are. After all, if you paid close attention to our exhortations full of brotherly love, you would not only not doubt, but also completely understand what you should do with the seriousness worthy of a priest. The fact is that the former Abbot Cyriac, who delivered our letter, was not so undisciplined or uneducated as to dare to do anything differently from what you think, or to entertain suspicions that this person is not who he claims to be. However, by postponing reflection on our sound advice, you have reached the point where you have become guilty not only of your actions, but also of your very questions. After all, news has reached us that you, inflamed with unreasonable zeal, destroyed the images of saints, under the supposed excuse that you should not worship them (adorare) 1 . And indeed, we strongly approve that you forbade them to worship; however, we blame you for destroying them. Tell me, brother, have you ever heard of any priest doing what you did? If nothing else, then at least this should not have kept you from despising your brothers and considering yourself alone to be holy and wise? After all, it is one thing to worship an image, and another thing to learn through the narrative that is depicted what should be worshiped. After all, what the scripture reveals to those who read, the image shows to the simpletons who look at it. In a picture, even the ignorant see what should be followed; with the help of a picture, the illiterate read. Therefore, painting replaces reading (especially for pagans). Since you live among pagans, you especially should have paid attention to this, so as not to cause confusion in primitive minds, inadvertently inflamed with just jealousy. Therefore, it was not necessary to destroy what was installed in the churches not for worship, but for the instruction of ignorant minds. Antiquity permitted the depiction of stories about saints in sacred places for a reason. Therefore, having seasoned jealousy with prudence, you would undoubtedly have achieved what you were striving for, and would not have scattered the gathered flock. More precisely, you would be able to gather what was scattered, so that, according to your merits, you would be adorned with the name of the shepherd, and not burdened with the accusation of ruin. And now, when you carelessly followed your aspirations in this matter, you, as they say, so confused your children that most of them stopped communicating with you. So when will you begin to bring the lost sheep into the fold of the Lord, if you could not keep the ones you had? Therefore, we strongly advise you that you at least now learn to be attentive and curb your haste. Find out whose souls are separated from unity with you, and hasten, with all your might, with all your zeal, try to bring them back to yourself with fatherly tenderness. The fact is that the scattered children of the Church should be gathered and shown by the testimony of Holy Scripture that one cannot worship anything made with hands, since it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only (Luke 4:8). And then you should add that you saw how with the pictures that were created to strengthen the ignorant people, so that people, even without literacy, understood what was happening, considering history itself, it came to worship. This is what made you order that they be destroyed. You should also tell them: if you, for the very instruction for which the pictures were depicted in ancient times, want to have them in the church, I, of course, allow them to be created and stored. Draw their attention to the fact that it was not the mere consideration of any story that was put on public display thanks to the painting that was unpleasant for you, but the worship that was undeservedly performed in relation to these paintings. By softening their disposition with such speeches, call them to agree with you. And if anyone wants to make images, do not prohibit them in any way, but by all means do not allow the images to be worshiped. Let your brotherhood carefully remind them that, from considering the events that are taking place, they intensify their repentance and humbly bow in worship of the one almighty Trinity. We say all this with love for the Holy Church and for your brotherhood. So let my comments not weaken your zeal for what is due, but let your desire for a pious form of government be strengthened. In addition, we learned that your love willingly accepts bad people into fellowship, so that even the presbyter, who once fell and is still said to be desecrated by this crime, she considers a friend. However, at least we do not fully believe this, since by accepting such a person it is impossible to correct his misdeeds; rather, it seems, it is possible to give freedom to others to do so. However, so that by some deception and fraud he does not convince you to accept him into fellowship and treat him well in the future, you should not only drive him as far away from you as possible, but also in any way, with priestly jealousy, stop his deviations. As for others who are remembered as vicious, cut them off from their wickedness with a fatherly admonition and call them back to the right path. But if (let it not be!), you see that sound instructions do not help at all, take care to remove these people from yourself, so that it does not seem that their depravity is not disgusting to you, since you accept them. And not only will they themselves then remain uncorrected, but others will also be corrupted by their acceptance. Consider how abominable it is in the sight of men, and dangerous in the sight of God, if the very man who should punish crimes should, as it seems, feed them. So, beloved brother, pay close attention to all this; try to act in such a way as to correct the wicked with all care, and not cause confusion in the souls of your children by communicating with bad people (Cf. Ioan. Diac. l. III, cc. 30 et 45.). De consecrate. , dist. 3, p. 27 You might be interested in: