Letter 40: Gelasius expresses indignation at the audacious conduct of Asellus, who held the office of archdeacon.

Of Pope Gelasius, to Bishop Julianus [Johannes]. [Summary: He removes from his office the archdeacon Asellus, who, after the bishop had been killed, had taken care to have himself chosen without consulting the apostolic see.] Gelasius to Bishop Johannes. We have presumed to take action against the impious audacity of Asellus, who was discharging the office of the archdiaconate. For although, when by a harsh misfortune the pontiff had been mortally wounded, Asellus ought before the rest to have guarded the church, and to have seen that nothing was carried off from the episcopal house, he both permitted that very man [the bishop] to be slain in the present tumult, although he ought to have been preserved for confession [to testify], as to whether the bishop had carried out this act by his own will or had been driven on by the impulse of someone, and although he [Asellus] is first said to have been the trustee of the slain bishop, the property of the church should have been inquired into. But who would not plainly understand that it was chiefly for this reason that the man was the more quickly done away with, so that he might neither betray his accomplices, and so that the church's resources, being unknown, might more easily lie open to plunderings? For also a written deed of the bishop is reported to have been found cut, and the good man Asellus, worthy of his rank-which was never before attempted-first compelled the decree concerning himself to be celebrated, the ministers of the church having been forced, before any report concerning the death was sent, according to the path of antiquity, to the notice of the apostolic see. But how intolerable an evil this is, what Christian could doubt? So that, whereas even when a pontiff dies by the common lot it is customary that before all things his passing be announced, a suitable visitation be appointed, and so a substitute priest be deliberated upon; this one man has come forward who, when the prelate of religion had been killed, soon thought about his own honor rather than took pains to report what had been done. And although it lies hidden from outside what is being done there, nevertheless the precipitate seizing of affected power does not strip from suspicion the conscience of one who in such a way schemes after the place of the deceased. Meanwhile, lest anyone ever dare to usurp this, which before him no one has dared, let him by our authority be removed from the office which he was holding, until what we should decree in perpetuity concerning such an ordination be more fully reconsidered. If indeed he is convicted of having made away with anything of ecclesiastical right, let him by all means be compelled to restore it.

Oelasii papae ad Jolianuem episeopum. i42 Asellum archidiaconum, gni interfecto cpiscopo inconsuUa sedc apo*itolica sc eligcndum curavcrat, ah officio suo suhmovet. Gelasius Johanni episcopo. Nos ausus impii commovere Aselli, qui archidiaconatus funge- batur officio. Nam quum duro casu lethaliter sauciato pontiiice prae ceteris ecclesiam custodire debuerit, ac ne quid de episcopali domo subduceretur-, et eum') ipsum in tumultu praesenti pennisit occidi, matavit d' Juliwt V. H. (i. O. vir honorahilis) iu rc Juviana ; Z qua sc Julius in re JuUana (al. Jnviviana, Q Viviana); unde non diibitavimiis nofitram lection<'m re- srtituere. — Mox c"* omitt. ohtator. «) Ita X*; alii omittunt inscriptionom. ') Ita Q' Q*. X* Trt/getiuSy Z c'" Frigentius. An<?nstino discii^ulus quondam fuit TrigetiuJi nuncupatas, ex quo liquet, hoc nomen apud Latinos usitatum esse. Mox X* hujuM petitorii, ubi ^.lii vcro petitoria. ') Z \iiod SextHianum vocatur, moxque Martini coufessoris pro sna defensione \ vteqaimur Q* Q* X*. ') Scil. pontificis occisorem et creditarinni. KPISTOLAK ROMAN. PONTIF. I. 29 450 S. (iELASlI PAPAE quum (jf^) ad fatendum sorvari debuisset, utrum haec sua volun^^. peregerit aut cujusquam j)raeeipitatus impulsu, et priiis ab eo, ((^ idem creditarius praesulis fuisse dicitur interempti, ecclesiastica ^ quiri aubstantia. (^uis autcm non evidenter intelligat, propter b^ praecipue di(tum citius fuisse sublatum, quatenus nec complic^ proderet, et ignorata facultas ecclesiae facilius direptionibus sub- jaceret? Nam et libellaris incisus episcopi perhibetur inventus, el vir bonus Asellus ac suo gradu dignus, quod nunquam ante tenta- tum est, prius in se decretum adactis ecclesiae ministris compulit celebrari, quam de excessu secundum tramitem vetustatis ad sedis apostolicae notitiam relatio mitteretur. Quam sit autem intolerabile malum, ipiis C-hristianus iujdubitet? ut quum soleat etiam commnm sorte defuncto pontifice transitus ejus ante omnia 'nuntiari^ compe- tens deputari visitatio, atqiie ita de subrogando sacerdote tractari; hic unus exstiterit, qui interfecto religionis anlistite de suo mox honore cogitaverit, quam studuerit deferre quod gestum est. Ubi tametsi latet extrinsecus quid agatur, tamen affectatae potestatis abruptum conscientitun suspicione non exuit defuncti locum taliter') ambientis. Interim ne (|uis hoc unquam audeat usurpare^ quod ante istum nullus est ausus, ab officio, quod gerebat, nostra sit aucbNri- tate submotus, donec quid in perpetuum de tali ordinaii ceuseamns plenius rctractetur. Si qua sane juris ecclesiastici sustolisse con- vincitur, modis omnibus n^formare cogatur.