St. Gregory the Great: dumb dogs that cannot bark

St. Gregory the Great: dumb dogs that cannot bark.

E Régula pastoráli sancti Gregórii Magni papæ

Sit rector discrétus in siléntio, útilis in verbo, ne aut tacénda próferat aut proferénda reticéscat. Nam sicut incáuta locútio in errórem pértrahit, ita indiscrétum siléntium hos qui erudíri póterant, in erróre derelínquit. Sæpe namque rectóres impróvidi humánam amíttere grátiam formidántes, loqui líbere recta pertiméscunt; et iuxta Veritátis vocem, nequáquam iam gregis custódiæ pastórum stúdio, sed mercenariórum vice desérviunt, quia veniénte lupo fúgiunt, dum se sub siléntio abscóndunt. Hinc namque eos per Prophétam Dóminus íncrepat, dicens: Canes muti non valéntes latráre.

The Pastoral Guide, by Pope St Gregory the Great

A spiritual guide should be silent when discretion requires and speak when words are of service. Otherwise, he may say what he should not or be silent when he should speak. Indiscreet speech may lead men into error and an imprudent silence may leave in error those who could have been taught. Pastors who lack foresight hesitate to say openly what is right because they fear losing the favor of men. As the voice of truth tells us, such leaders are not zealous pastors who protect their flocks, rather they are like mercenaries who flee by taking refuge in silence when the wolf appears. The Lord reproaches them through the prophet: They are dumb dogs that cannot bark (Isaiah 56.10: His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber) .

St. Gregory the Great wrote in his Exposition on the Canticle of Canticles: “[H]oly preachers are at times referred to as dogs because their assiduous preaching, like troublesome barking, forces the adversaries to abandon the flock of sheep.” St. Augustine of Hippo also wrote famously: “Good watch dogs keep guard and give tongue for the house and master, for the flock and shepherd.” There is a story about St. Bernard's mother dreaming that she was carrying in her womb a barking dog, which is to be traced to this passage of St. Gregory. The mother of St. Dominic also had a dream about a barking dog in her womb.