Letter 1012: Agapitus, abbot of the monastery of St. George, informs us that he endures many grievances from your Holiness; and not only in things that might be of service to the monastery in time of need, but that you even prohibit the celebration of masses in the said monastery, and also interdict burial of the dead there. Now, if this is so, we exhort you...
Book I, Letter 12
To John, Bishop of Orvieto [a town in central Italy].
Gregory to John.
Agapitus, abbot of the monastery of Saint George, informs us that he suffers many grievances at your hands. You have not only withheld things the monastery needs in times of hardship, but you have even prohibited the celebration of Mass there and banned the burial of the dead.
If this is true, we urge you to stop this cruelty. Allow the dead to be buried and Mass to be celebrated there without further obstruction, so that the venerable Agapitus is not forced to bring new complaints to us about these matters.
Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
Gregorius Joanni episcopo *® de urbe veteri.
Agapitus, abbas monasterii sancti Georgii, insinua-
vit nobis plurima se a vestra sanctitate Þ gravamina
Suslinere, et non solum in his quz n»cessilatis FYY
tempore aliquod monasterio possint ſerre subsidium ;
verum eliam quod in eodem monaslerio missas pro-
hibeatis celebrari, sepeliri etiam ibidem mortuos
interdicatis. Quod si ita est, a tali vos hortamur in-
C bumanitate suspendi; et sepeliri ibidem mortuos,
vel celebrari missas, nulla ulterius habita contradi-
mns.- post pontiſicem equitat, ex ordine Romano. Ho-
die major domus appellatur. De vicedominis vide in
Decret., dist. 89, cp. Diaconum, et cap. Quia. In
Decretal., lib. v, tit. 3, de Simoma, cap. Consulere.
Nam qui pro ejusmod!: ofticiis pecunias dabant, si-
moniz rei censebantur. Vide et Capitular., lib. ni,
cap. 26, et lib. v, cap. 120. Aliquando distingue-
bantur ab economis; hi enim ad clerum, ili ad epi-
scopum perlinebant. Gussaxv. Consule Glossarium
Cangii. Vicedomini apud Gothos meannit Cassiodo-
rus, lib. v Variar., epist. 44. _
Eeisr. XII. — © Orrieto, urbs Etrurie permunita,
eli-mnum episcopalis.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from New Advent / NPNF.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360201012.htm
Related Letters
Our son the glorious exconsul Leontius has made a serious complaint to us of our brother and fellow bishop Leo; and his complaint has altogether disturbed us, since a bishop ought not to have acted so precipitately and lightly. This case we have committed, to be thoroughly enquired into, to our Guardian (defensoris) Romanus when he comes to you....
Gregory to John, Bishop of Constantinople. If the virtue of charity consists in the love of one's neighbour, and we are commanded to love our neighbours as ourselves, how is it that your Blessedness does not love me even as yourself? For I know with what ardour, with what anxiety, you wished to fly from the burden of the episcopate; and yet you ...
I have received your Fraternity's letter, wherein you inform me that the most eloquent Martin has come from the African province and communicated something to you privately. And indeed your Fraternity, as often as you find occasion, ceases not to show your love towards the blessed apostle Peter. Wherefore we give thanks to Almighty God, that whe...
The care of our pastoral office warns us to appoint for bereaved churches bishops of their own, who may govern the Lord's flock with pastoral solicitude. Accordingly we have held it necessary to appoint you, John, bishop of the civitas Lissitana (Lissus, hodie, Alessio?), which has been captured by the enemy, to be cardinal in the Church of Squ...
I find that your Fraternity is greatly distressed on account of being forbidden by the censure of reason to wear the pallium in litanies. But through the most excellent Patrician, and through the most eminent Prefect, and through other noble men of your city, you have urgently requested to have this allowed you. Now we, having made careful enqui...