Letter 4026: Gregory to Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari). We have ascertained from the report of our fellow bishop Felix and the abbot Cyriacus that in the island of Sardinia priests are oppressed by lay judges, and that your ministers despise your Fraternity; and that, so far as appears, while you aim only at simplicity, discipline is neglected. Wher...

Gregory to Januarius, Bishop of Cagliari. We have learned from the report of our fellow bishop Felix and the abbot Cyriacus that in the island of Sardinia, priests are being harassed by secular judges and that your own staff openly disregards your authority. From what we can see, while you content yourself with mere simplicity, discipline has collapsed. I therefore urge you: put aside all excuses and take charge of governing the Church committed to your care. Maintain discipline among the clergy and do not fear anyone's criticism. I am told you ordered your archdeacon to stop living with women, and that to this day he has defied your prohibition. Unless he obeys your command, it is our will that he be stripped of his sacred office. There is another deeply troubling matter: your Fraternity's negligence has allowed the peasants belonging to the Church to remain in unbelief to this day. What is the use of my urging you to bring outsiders to God when you neglect to convert your own people? You must be vigilant in every way for their conversion. I give you fair warning: should I discover a single pagan peasant belonging to any bishop in Sardinia, I will deal severely with that bishop. Moreover, if any peasant proves so stubborn and obstinate as to refuse to come to the Lord God, he must be burdened with such heavy payments that the very pain of the exaction drives him toward the right path. We have also learned that some men in sacred orders who committed offenses are being reinstated to ministry either during or after their penance. This we have absolutely forbidden, and the most sacred canons prohibit it as well. Anyone who, after receiving sacred orders, lapses into sins of the flesh must forfeit his office permanently.

Book IV, Letter 26 To Januarius, Bishop. Gregory to Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari). We have ascertained from the report of our fellow bishop Felix and the abbot Cyriacus that in the island of Sardinia priests are oppressed by lay judges, and that your ministers despise your Fraternity; and that, so far as appears, while you aim only at simplicity, discipline is neglected. Wherefore I exhort you that, putting aside all excuses, thou take pains to rule the Church of which you have received the charge, to keep up discipline among the clergy, and fear no one's words. But, as I hear, you have forbidden your Archdeacon to live with women, and up to this time art set at naught with regard to this your prohibition. Unless he obey your command, our will is that he be deprived of his sacred order. There is another thing also which is much to be deplored; namely, that the negligence of your Fraternity has allowed the peasants (rusticos) belonging to holy Church to remain up to the present time in infidelity. And what is the use of my admonishing you to bring such as do not belong to you to God, if you neglect to recover your own from infidelity? Hence you must needs be in all ways vigilant for their conversion. For, should I succeed in finding a pagan peasant belonging to any bishop whatever in the island of Sardinia, I will visit it severely on that bishop. But now, if any peasant should be found so perfidious and obstinate as to refuse to come to the Lord God, he must be weighted with so great a burden of payment as to be compelled by the very pain of the exaction to hasten to the right way. It has also come to our knowledge that some in sacred orders who have lapsed, either after doing penance or before, are recalled to the office of their ministry; which is a thing that we have altogether forbidden and the most sacred canons also declare against it. Whoever, then, after having received any sacred order, shall have lapsed into sin of the flesh, let him so forfeit his sacred order as not to approach any more the ministry of the altar. But, lest those who have been ordained should ever perish, previous care should be taken as to what kind of people are ordained, so that it be first seen to whether they have been continent in life for many years, and whether they have had a care for reading and a love of almsgiving. It should be enquired also whether a man has perchance been twice married. It should also be seen to that he be not illiterate, or under liability to the state, so as to be compelled after assuming a sacred order to return to public employment. All these things therefore let your Fraternity diligently enquire into, that, every one having been ordained after diligent examination, none may be easily liable to be deposed after ordination. These things which we have written to your Fraternity do you make known to all the bishops under you, since I myself have been unwilling to write to them, lest I might seem to lessen your dignity. It has also come to our ears that some have been offended by our having forbidden presbyters to touch with chrism those who are to be baptized. And we indeed acted according to the ancient use of our Church: but, if any are in fact hereby distressed, we allow that, where there is a lack of bishops, presbyters may touch with chrism, even on their foreheads, those who are to be baptized.

Gregorius Januario episcopo Caralitano. Fratris et coepiscopi nostri Felicis, et Cyriaci ab» C batis relatione cognovimus (Grat. 11, g. 1, c. 40) quod in JQO4 insula Sardinia sacerdotes a laicis ju- dicibus opprimantaur, et ſraternitatem tuam ministri Sui despiciaut; damque solum simplicitati a vobis sstudetur, quantum videtur , disCiplina- negligitur. Unde hortor ut, omni excusatione postposita, eccle- Siam quam Suscepisli auctore Deo regas, * discipli- nam clericis lenere, nullius verba metwere studeas. Archidiaconum vero tuum (Grat. dis. 84, c. 29), ut audio, cum mulieribus habitare prohibuisti, et nuncusque in ea probibitione despiceris. Qui ' nisi jussioni tuz parygerit, eum sacro ordine volumus esse privatum. Accidit autem aliud valde lugendum, quia ips0s EeisT. XXIV [A/. 21]. — * Procopius pulsos ex I lii epistolam, cap. 17 : Quod antem vobis videtur in- Africa a Vandalis barbaros memoral. Hos putat Hol- Stenius esse Sardiaiz populos, ex vetert inscriptione Prznestina quam reſert in annot. in Cluyerium, pag. 28. Gussaxv. De illis iam epist. 22, supra, et infra, EPISTOLA XXVIL AD JANUARIUM EPISCOPUM. A renodochis rationes exigat; ii sint nol@ probitatis atque industrie clerici, ui Epiphanium presbyterum scriptis epist6lis accusarit, si in probatione deficiat, communione privelur. Paulus clericus in maleſiciis deprehensus delur in penitentiam. Gratis ordinen- tur, vel connubio jungantur clerici ; gratis velentur virgines. Ad laicorum patrocinia clerici non conſu- giant. Gregorius Januario episcopo Caralitano. Oportebat quidem ſraternitatem tuam ita de rebus piis esse s0llicitam, ut nibil ad explendas eas. nostris admonitionibus penitus indigeret; tamen quia quz- dam ad nos pervenerunt quz JOG sunt corrigenda capitula, nihil est incongruum si nostre quoque Yo- bis pagina auctoritalis accedat. Quamobrem significamus pervenisse ad nos con- Suetudinem fſuisse ut * xenodochia quz sunt in Cara- litanis parlibus conslitula, apud episcopum civilatis veterem EcclesioO Romance, imo Ecclesiarum ſere om- nium Occidentaliom, non a presbyteris adhibitam unquam, Sed a <o0lis episcopis : nec alia lege Sardis presbyteris illam administrandi jus collatum, nisi ubi deessent episcopi. At quzenam alia potest excogitari pr:eler 8+-cramentalem chrismationem? Unciio enim vel in pectore vel in verlice b»ptizandorum ex chri- smate ad pre>byteros pertlinebat in qualibet Ecclesia, adeoque in Romana, modo baptizandi licentiam ab episcop0 con<ecuti essent. At, inquies, agit sanctus Gregorius de infantibus baptizandis, qui cum bapti- ssmi experies adhuc essent, ad confirmationem reci- piendam nondum erant idonei. Agit sanctus Doctor de infantibus qui baptizabantur, eodemque fere tem- pore consignabantur, pro illorum lemporum more. EPISTOLARUM LIB. IV. — INDICT. XI. — EPIST., XX VII. A singulis' quibusque temporibus suas subliliter rationes exponerent, ejus videlicet tuitione alque soſlicitudine gubernanda. Quod quia tua hactenus fertur charitas neglexisse, hortamur ut, sicut dictum est , tibi #1n- gulis quibusque temporibus rationes suas xenodochi, qui in eis sunt conslituti vel ſuerunt, subliliter po- nant. Atque Þ tales in eis qui prasint ordinentur, qui vita, moribus, alque industria inveniantur egse dignissimi, religiosi duntaxat, quos yexandi judices non habeant poteslalem, ne si tales personz ſuerint, quas in Suum possint evocare judicium, vastandarum rerum debilium qui illic rejacent prebeatur occasio ; de quibus rebus summam te curam gerere volumvus, ut nulli sine tua dentur notitia, ne usque ad dire- plionem earum ex ſralernitatis tuz perveniatur iu- B Curia. Przterea nosti latorem prasentium Epipbanium presbylerum quorumdam * Sardorum liltteris crimi- moveretl, si isfam pontificalis auctorilas licentiam non dediszet. Unde conslat a pontificilus quodammodo fieri quod in tania rerum necessilale ut a presbyteris eſfici possit superior ordo conslituitl. Eeist. XX VII | AL. 24]. — * Rerum piarum admini- strationem episcoperum cure committi, non recens es instiiutum. Codice de episc. et clericis, leg. Omnes, et leg. Omnia privilegia, leg. 46, Sancimus. Nec nog de 8acros. eceles., ley. Illud. Vide exira, de religiosis domibus, c. 5 et 4, et in Clement. Quia contigit, eod. tit.; cone. Trid., sess. 22, c. 9. In Chalced., c. 8, leges Gal'izz conspirant, usus coalirmat. Sanctus Au- guslinus tract. 97, in Evang. Joan. Xenodockia, in- quit, et monasleria sunt appellata novis nominibus, res tamen ips@ et ante 8ug nomina erant , et religionis ve- Certe ubi legitur epist. 9 : Sed presbyteri baptizandos C ritate firmantur, etc. Imperator apostata sCcribens ungant in pectore, ut episcopi postmodum ungere de- beant in ſronte, scilicet infantes, quos Supra dixit baptizandos, eadem ratione quis arguet : Ergo epi- Scopi nondum baplizatos, sed tantum baplizandos consignabant et confirmabant. Itaque de catechume- nis ante immersionem chrismate in ſronte langendis Gregorium inlelligat nemo, quippe baptizandos, an- lequam immergerentur, simplici quidem oJeo. inun- etos legimus, al nunquam chrismate, de quo Beda in Cantic. cant. cap. 1, 15. Deinde, ut jam observavi- mus, Gregoriumde illa ſrontis chrismatione loqui quz episcopis reservabatur, nec nisi super bapiizatos fiebat, evincit concessionis ejus hc restriciio : ubi episcopi desunt. Etenim , ut declarat Innocentius [,