What appears clearly from the letter is the opposition of Gelasius to the possibility of a lay man (even if he was a monk of proven reputation) advancing immediately to the presbyterate. However, the solution proposed by Gelasius is not easy to understand: we do not know who should ordain Rufinus after his subdeaconate (the manuscripts have two versions: "fac", which indicates Bonus, and "faciemus", which indicates Gelasius); the meaning of "mediana hebdomada" is also unclear, especially because we do not know where exactly Bonus was bishop. It sounds hardly possible that Rufinus would have been made a subdeacon on Saturday in the region of Sabinum, and a presbyter on the following Wednesday in Rome.