Letter 10001: The management of the church's patrimony in Sicily requires constant attention, and I am writing to give you...

TO ROMANUS, DEFENDER [defensor, a papal legal agent] IN SICILY. [Summary] He orders that the property taken away, both by Lucillus, formerly bishop, and by Peter his son, be restored to the Church of Melita [Malta]. To Trajan, now bishop, he thus grants monks for his comfort, in such a way that he reserves this very thing to the judgment of the diocesan bishop. The things that this same Trajan acquired while he was abbot he declares to be not his, but the monastery's. He permits him to take away certain other things. Gregory to Romanus, Defender of Sicily. It profits nothing to avenge the faults of priests, and to punish crimes by imposing deposition, if for those who are deposed when their offense is proven, the loss of honor becomes a comfort, and their fall begins to be a gain to them. BOOK X. Otherwise BOOK VIII. Letter First. [Editorial apparatus: In the more recent edition, "Servant of the servants of God," which we have not observed in our manuscripts. In one of the Colbertine manuscripts it reads "to Chromatius the Defender." In the old Colbertine and in the Vatican manuscripts there is prefixed, "In the month of October." Patrologia LXXVII.] And so you have complained to us, our brother and fellow-bishop Trajan, that Lucillus, formerly bishop of the island of Melita [Malta], terrified by the wickedness of his own disgraceful deed, not only carried off the property of the Church, of which he proved to be not the ruler but rather the enemy, but also retains many things belonging to that same Church from the past, inasmuch as he bore to expend nothing upon its building or its upkeep and roofing, but with a sacrilegious mind strove to apply the whole to his own profit. And because it is exceedingly grave and against God that his deposition should not be a penalty to him, but an advantage, let your Experience [a title of address] strictly admonish him to restore without delay whatever he carried off, or retains in his possession from the past. And if, with the wickedness inborn in him, he should perhaps be willing to deny it - since it is said that he can easily be convicted - sitting together with our most reverend brother and fellow-bishop John of Syracuse, search out the truth of this matter by subtle inquiry, so that, when proof has been obtained, whatever it shall have become clear that he carried off or suppressed, openly confounded by shame, he may restore what he shamelessly took away in secret. As for Peter, the son of the aforesaid Lucillus, let it likewise be the concern of your zeal to admonish him, that - since he too is reported to have taken many things from the aforesaid Church - he restore them upon honorable consideration; otherwise he too is to be presented to your judgment, so that, a subtle inquiry going before, the cause of both may be brought to a single conclusion. Moreover, the aforesaid Trajan our brother has petitioned us that four or five monks ought to be given to him from his monastery, which is situated in the city of Syracuse. This we have by no means judged should be denied for his comfort, because, when setting out to an unknown place, if he should not have his own people by whose consolation he might be sustained, the mind afflicted with sadness raises itself less to those things which are of use, and begins to sink before it labors. In which matter, lest we should seem to diminish the prerogative of the privileges of the aforesaid most reverend brother and fellow-bishop our John, you shall know this to have been so granted to him, that nevertheless it remain reserved in all things to the judgment of our brother and fellow-bishop John. Since therefore the aforesaid brother of ours has added to his petition that he have license to take away the boys [pueros, slave-boys] whom he purchased with his own money, and his own and his father's books, or other property which he has in the same monastery, reason has not allowed us to deny him this. But lest we should seem to grant his requests indiscriminately, know that this observance is to be held - that is, that whatever he purchased after he was removed from the office of abbot, or acquired by whatever title, he shall have free faculty to take away. But also this, which he carried off and took with him from that monastery in which he was converted - which it is manifest his father built in the province of Valeria upon a possession of his own right, departing under the pressure of enemy attack - it is to be restored to it [the monastery] without any doubt, because whatever has once been joined to the ownership of a monastery escapes the right of any other acquisition. But if he acquired anything while he was still discharging the office of abbot there, let him know it to be not his own, but that monastery's. And therefore we no longer permit it in any way whatsoever to be taken away by right from that same monastery. The legacy, therefore, which the foundress [conditrix] of the aforesaid monastery established that our aforesaid brother should receive from that same monastery each year through her last will - [...] - let him receive, your Experience giving aid and justice being done, without any delay being made. TO FORTUNATUS, BISHOP OF NAPLES. [Summary] That he consecrate the church for the monks, without public masses, a baptistery, and a cardinal presbyter. Gregory to Fortunatus, Bishop of Naples. We do not think it is unknown to your Fraternity that Romanus, a man of most illustrious memory, by the disposition of his last will, appointed that a church, which is situated in your city, be built in a house of his own right. And because, by God's mercy, the will of the deceased is known to have been fulfilled, let your Holiness go there without reluctance; and if it is established that no body has been buried there, let it strive to consecrate that place solemnly in honor of the saints Hermes, Sebastian, and Cyriacus, and also Pancratius, with the due veneration, without public masses; so that in the same place a baptistery may never be built, nor may you appoint a cardinal presbyter there. But as often as the monks living there shall wish masses to be celebrated there, [it may by no means be presumed otherwise]. LETTER VI. TO FANTINUS THE DEFENDER. [Summary] That he gather together the slaves of Romanus, and send the fruits of their labor to the monastery built by Romanus himself. Gregory to Fantinus the Defender. The slaves belonging by right to Romanus, a man of respectable [spectabilis] memory, who appointed that a monastery be established in his house which is situated at Naples, are reported to be dwelling in Sicily. And because that monastery is known to have been established according to his will, God being the author, let your Experience hasten with all zeal to assist the bearers of these present letters, who have been directed thither to gather together those very slaves, and, when they have been collected, lead them, you giving aid, to the possessions where they ought to labor. And whatever shall accrue from their labor - what is needed for their own subsistence being reserved - let the remainder be transmitted to the aforesaid monastery by the care of your Experience each year, the Lord helping. [Editorial apparatus: That is, for seeking out fugitive slaves, and again compelling and gathering them together. End of Epistles, Book X, Indiction III, Letter VI.]

AD ROMANUM IN SICILIA DEFENSOREM. Ablatas, tum a Lucillo quondam episcopo , tum a Pe- tro illius filio, res Melitensis Ecclesi& jubel reslitui. Trajano jam episcopo monachos in solatium ita con- cedit ,, ut idipsum reserve! dicecesant episcopi arbi- trio, Que idem Trajanus, dum erat abbas, acquisivit, D non ejus, sed monaslerit esse declarat. Alia quedam ut tollat permillil, Gregorius * Romano deſensori Siciliz. Nihil proficit sacerdotum culpas ulcisci, Þ et com- missa dejectione crimina vindicare, $i eis qui convin- cente facinore deponuntur, amissio honoris Solatium, el casus $ui coeperint esse compendium. LIBER X. Al. LIBER VIIL. EpisT. PRIMA. — * In recent. ed. $ervus 8ervorum Dei, quod in nostris Mss. non observavimus. In uno ex Colbertinis legiilur Chromatio deſensori. In vet. Colbert. et in Vaticanis pr.emiltitur, Mense Octobri, PaTROL. LXNXVIL. Questus itaque nobis es ſrater et coepiscopus nos- ter Trajanus © Lucillum, quondam insulz Melitensis episcopun, flagitii $ui iniquitate perterritum, non solum res Ecclesie, cujus non rector sed inimicus potius exslitil, abstulisse, verumetiam plurima enm ejusdem Ecclesiz compelentia de prateritis reti- nere, quippe qui in fabricam, vel sarta tecta ipsius nihil pertulit expendere, sed mente $acrilega suis to- tum $tuduit compendiis applicare. Et quia grave ni- mis ac contra Deum est ut $ua illi dejectio non sit pena, 8ed commodam, experientia tua eum districte commoneat ut quidquid abslulit, vel apud se de pre- indict. 5. 3b SANCTI GREGORI\ MAGNI teritis retinet sine mora reslituat. Qui $i indita sibj A trum Capitulana conditrix supradicti monaste1 ii sin- nequitia negare ſortasse voluerit, quia facile dicitur posse convinci, una cum reverendissimo fratre et c0- episcopo nostro Joanne Syracusano residens sublili inquisitione hyjus rei yerilate'in rimare, quatenus probatione habita, quidquid eum lulisse yel suppres- 8isse claruerit, palam verecundia conſusus. restituat quod inverecunde clam abstulit. Petrum autem pre- dicti Lucilli filium similiter tui studii sit admonere, ut quia et ipse supradictz Ecclesiz tulisse plurima perhibetur, honesta ea consideratione restiluat ; alio- quin vestro LO&4Q et ipse est judicio prxsentandus, ut przxcedente $ubtili inquisitione, utrorumque causa valeat uno ſine concludi. Preterea peliit a nobis suprascriptus Trajanus fra- ter noster ut de monasterio 810, quod in civitate Sy» racusana $ilum est, ei qualuor vel quinque dari mo- nachi debuissent. Quod pro ejus solatio nequaquam #$ilimavimus denegandum, quia ad locum proficis- cens incognitum, si proprios quorum consolatione ulatur non habcat, mens affecta tristitia minus se ad ea-quez utilitalis sunt erigit, et ante incipit Succum- bere quam laboret. In qua re ne suprascripti reve- rendissimi fratris et coepiscopi nostri Joannis privile- giorum yideremur przrogalivam minuere, ita hoc illi noveris es$e COncessum, ut tamen fratris et coepiscopi nostri Joannis Sit arbitrio per omnia reservatum. Quia ergo pelitioni suz pradictus [rater noster adje- cit ut © pueros quos de propria pecunia comparavit, ac $u0s patrisque $ui Codices, aut res alias, quas in eodem monasterio habet, ei sit tolleadi licentia, ra- tio nos hoc negare non pertulit. Sed ne postLulata vi- deamur indiscrete concedere, hanc tenendam obser- -vantiam $cito, id est ut quidquid postquam ab abbatis remotus est officio comparavit, vel quolibet titulo ac- quisivit, libera illi tollendi ſacultas $it. Sed et hoc quod de monasterio illo in quo conversus est, quod in provincia * Valeria in possessione juris 8ui patrem ejus maniſeslum est construxisse, pellente hostilitate decedens abstulit, secumque detulit, sine aliqua du- bietate ei reddendum est, quia alterius acquisitionis jus effugit quod semel monasterii ſuerit dominio $0- ciatum. Si quid autem dum adhuc illic abbatis fun- geretur officio acquisivit, non suum, $sed monaslerii ipsius essc cognoscat. Et ideo f de jure illud ejusdem monasterii auſerri ulterius quolibet modo non pati- mur. Legatum jgitur quod antedictum fratrem nos= © Proyincia ltaliz a via Valeria sic appellata, que riam, Campaniam, Picenum, Suburbicarium Latium- que sila eral. Isthzc provincia varios intra se popu- los, Sabinos neimpe, Marsos, Aquos, etc., continebat, in eaque erant episcopalus circiter undecim. Gus- SANV. EersT. [1 [Al. 3]. — © Reperitur in Victorino, $ed abest ab Anglic., Norm., Carb., Rhem. , Colb. et Va- LiC., $i unicum duntaxat excipias, Scilicet Cod. A, in gulis annis de codem monasterio LQ&4Z per uliinim voluntatem suam habere consliluit , experientia tua $olatiante, juslilia faciente, sine aliqua facial Vilatione percipere. | AD FORTUNATUM NEAPOLIT. EPISCOPUM. Ecclesiam pro monachis, absque migsis publicis, baptis- terio et presbytero cardinali consecret. | Gregorius Fortunato episcopo Neapolis. Fraternilati vestrz esse non pulamus incognitum quia Romanus clarissime memoriz vir, per ullime5uz. voluntalis arbitrium, in domo juris sui ecclesiam , quz in ciyilate yeslra sita est, edilicari deputavit. Et B quia, Deo miseraite, deſuncii noscitur yoluntas im- pleta , sanctilas yestra illic ingravanter accedat ; el si nullum ibidem corpus constal humatum, locum ipsum in ionorem $sanctorum Hermelis, Þ Sebasliani, atque Cyriaci, necnon et Pancralii solemniter $tudeal abs- que missis publicis cum yeneratione debila couSecrare; ita ut in eodem loco baptislerium nunquam conslrua- tur, nec presbyterum conslituas cardinalem. Sed quo- ties missas ibi degentes illic monachi fieri voluerint, latenus prasumatur. EPISTOLA WI. AD FANTINUM DEFENSOREM. Colligat Romani mancipia, atque illorum laboris C ſructus ad constructum a Romano ipso monasterium millal. Gregorius Fantino deſensori, Mancipia juris Romani, * spectabilis memorize viri, qui in domo sua que Neapoli sita est monaslerium ordinari constituit , habitare in Sicilia perhibentur. Et quia monasterium jipsum juxta voluntatem ejus, Deo auctore, noscitur ordinatum , experieniia tua presentium portitoribus, qui Þ ad recolligenda man- cipia ipsa illuc directi sunt, omni studio s80latiarj ſestinet, et recollectis eis, possessiones jllis ubi labo- rare debeant, te solatiante, conducat. Et quidquid corum labore accesserit, reservato unde ipsi possint $ubsislere, reliquum ad prexdictum monasterium ex- perientie tu;e cura annis singulis, auxiliante Domino, D transmittatur. © quo sequens eliam epistola legitur, quam Supralau- dati Mss. non exhibent. Eeisr. II [Al. 4].—* Non erat vagns honoris litulus quem cuilibet ad arbitrium conferre olim liceret. Spectabi;ulatis honorem militi@ gudore delersis jusla de- pulavit antiquitas, inquit Cassiodorus, lib. 1 Variar., epist. 28. I'rivilegia buic dignitati annexa infra prose- quitur in eadem episl. et lib. vt, ce. 57, exh b-t for- mulam $spectabilitatis 8eu yerborum ſormam qua hic bonor concedebatur. » Id esl, ad requireados fugitivos servos, et denud cogenidos ac congregandos, 4169 EPISTOLARUM LIB. X. — INDICT. IM. — EPIST. VI.