Letter 4036: We have found from the report of many that a custom has of old obtained among you, for subdeacons to be allowed to have intercourse with their wives. That any one should any more presume to do this was prohibited by the servant of God, the deacon of our see, under the authority of our predecessor , in this way; that those who at that time had be...

Gregory to Leo, Bishop of Catania. We have learned from many reports that it has long been the custom among you for subdeacons to be permitted relations with their wives. My predecessor's representative, the servant of God who serves as deacon of our See, prohibited anyone from continuing this practice. Those who were at that time married were given a choice: either abstain from relations with their wives, or under no circumstances presume to exercise their ministry. According to the reports, a subdeacon named Speciosus suspended himself from his administrative duties for this reason. Until his death he held the title of notary but ceased performing the ministry a subdeacon should exercise. After his death, we learned that Your Brotherhood relegated his widow, Honorata, to a monastery for having taken a second husband. But if, as reported, her first husband had suspended himself from ministry, it should not count against this woman that she remarried -- especially if she had not originally married the subdeacon with the intention of living in continence. If you find the facts to be as we have been told, you should release the woman from the monastery entirely, so that she may return to her husband without any fear. For the future, let Your Brotherhood be extremely careful: when anyone is promoted to the subdiaconate, examine with the utmost diligence whether, if they have wives, they understand that they will have no permission for marital relations. And you must still strictly require them to observe all things according to the practice of the Apostolic See.

Book IV, Letter 36 To Leo, Bishop. Gregory to Leo, Bishop of Catania. We have found from the report of many that a custom has of old obtained among you, for subdeacons to be allowed to have intercourse with their wives. That any one should any more presume to do this was prohibited by the servant of God, the deacon of our see, under the authority of our predecessor , in this way; that those who at that time had been coupled to wives should choose one of two things, that is, either to abstain from their wives, or on no account whatever presume to exercise their ministry. And, according to report, Speciosus, then a subdeacon, did for this reason suspend himself from the office of administration, and up to the time of his death bore indeed the office of a notary, but ceased from the ministry which a subdeacon should have exercised. After his death we have learned that his widow, Honorata, has been relegated to a monastery by your Fraternity for having associated herself with a husband. And so if, as is said, her husband suspended himself from ministration, it ought not to be to the prejudice of the aforesaid woman that she has contracted a second marriage, especially if she had not been joined to the subdeacon with the intention of abstaining from the pleasures of the flesh. If, then, you find the truth to be as we have been informed, it is right for you to release altogether the aforesaid woman from the monastery, that she may be at liberty to return without any fear to her husband. But for the future let your Fraternity be exceedingly careful, in the case of any who may be promoted to this office, to look to this with the utmost diligence, that, if they have wives, they shall enjoy no licence to have intercourse with them: but you must still strictly order them to observe all things after the pattern of the Apostolic See.

Gregorius Leoni episcopo Catanensi. Multorum relations comperimus * hanc apud yos olim co:snetudinem tenuisse, Þ ut subdiaconi suis licite miscerentur conjugibus (Gra!. dis!. 32, can. 2; et caus. 27, quest. 2, c. 20). Quod ne denuo quisquam presumeret, a servo Dei sedis nostre diacono, ex ancloritale nostri decess0ris, cst isto modo prohibj- tum, ut eodemn tempore hi qui jam uxoribus ſuerant copul tj. unum ex duvbus eligerent, id esf, aut a suis uxo9ribus abslinerent, aut cerle nulla ratione mini- strare presumerent. Et quantum dicitur, Speciosus tune Subdiaconus pro hac re ab administrationis sE Suspendit officio, et usque in obitus sui lempus nola- rii quidem gessit officium, et a ministerio, quod sub- diaconum oportuerat exhibere, ers8avit. Post cujus obitum, quia © relicta ejus * Honorala marito est SOciala, a tua eam ſralernilate TJIJ in monasterio cognovimus esse depulatam. Ideoque si, ut fertur, bus gquas palimur in hac civitate, que intelligenda dicit de laliz cladibus. At, in hac civilate, corrupia est lechio, ut jam MONUIMUS. EPISTOLA XXXVIl. AD MAXIMIANUM EPISCOPUM. Euplo patris et matris bona reddi jubet. Gregorius Maximiano episcopo Syracusano. Evuplus presentium poriitor Eusanium Agrigentine Civilatis episcopum suum ſuisse memorat genitorem, matrisque SuZz res apud eum plurimas indicat man- sisse. Quem quoniam intestatum asserit esse defun- ctum, ideo et res malernas sibi petit debere reslitui , et ante dicti episcopi patris 8ui se permitti substan- tiam adipisci. Qua de re ſraternitali tua hujus pre- cepli serie deputamus, quatenus diligenter curet ad- discere; et si quid apud predictam Ecclesiam de re- bus matris ipsius inveniri potuerit, si quidem nihil est quod ante dicto Euplo rationabiliter possit ob- sislere, ei 82cundum suam ſaciat portionem reslitui. * Proinde et de rebus paternis quas ante episcopatum dignoscitur habuisse, si eas in jus Ecclesiz suz quo- libet modo non transtulit, ei, quantum. portioui ejus legaliter scit competere, ut satislieri possit immineat. Nam omnino et contra rationem et contra nosirum probatur esse propocitum, si cui ea qu juste com=- Peiun. reului ac satisfieri denegemus. Ila ergo hc fraternilas tua implere ſeslinet, ut suprascripto por- litori ad nos denuo ex hac re nulla remeandi neces- Sitas imponatur. Nam quod beatz recordationis docent plures canones, quorum aliqui referuntur di- slinclione 28, c. 10, 41, 42, ex sancto Gregorio, lib. x1, epistola 62, _ nunec lib. x11, epist. 51; ex Aurelian. concil., can, J5; ex collectione Martini Bracarensis, c. 29. Addesis Aulissiodorense concil., canone 22 : Non licet relict@® presbyteri, nec relicte diaconi, nec snbdiaconi pos! ejus mortem maritum accipere. In de- crelis Gregorii Il, c. 1 et 2, idem prohibetur. In cun- cilio Romano 1, sub eodem anno Christi 721, in Toletano 1, eadem reperio verba, can. 18, quz in can. 29 collectionis Martini Bracarensis. Causam jstius prohibilonis repelo a consensu sive voto earum mulierum ; nec enim mariti promwovebantur ad supe- riores ordines, nisi aut conversionem vovissent ipsz#, aut certe se non renupturas, Sed innubas post eorum moriem permansuras data fide cavissent. GussaNnv. 4 Prius legebatur, Honorato marilo est gociata, quod mutavimus cogente unanimi Mss. Vatic., Nom. , Corb., Turon., etc., consensu. Eyisr. XXXVII | Al. 36]. — * Episcopus potest teslari de bonis hareditariis, quzesitis ante episcopatum vel post episcupatum. De bonis vero quzsitis post episcopatum de rebus Ecclesiz, nibhil alienari pelest z <et omnes res ejus Ecclesiz remanerent, hoc ideo eum credimvs precepisse, ne per eas adhuc amplivs de- periret; nunc vero £quum esse pensamus ut filium patris culpa non ingravet, «ed ſraternitatis tuz dispon- Satione quidquid ci legaliter potest competere cox 8equalur. T1g EPISTOLA XXXVIll AD THEODELIND\M REGINAM. Ab imperitis seductam dole!. Sanclarum quatuor 8y- nodo! um, maxrime Chalcedonensis, fidem in Romana Ecclesia iniegram 8ervari profitetur. Horlatur ne exira Conslanlii episcopi communionem maneal. Gregorius Theodelinde * regingz Langobardo- rum. Quorumdam ad nos relatione pervenit ab aliquibus episcopis gloriam vestram usque ad hoc scandalum contra sanctam Ecclesiam ſuisse perductam, ut seve a _catholice unanimitatis communione suspenderet. Quod, quantum vos pure diligimus, tanto de vobis ſortius dolemus, quia vos imperilis stultisque bomi- nibus creditis, qui non solum ea quz loquuntur ne- sciunt, sed vix ea quz audierunt percipere possunt. Qui dum neque legunt, neque legentibus credunt, in 1pso errore manent, quem sibi ipsi de nobis finxe- runt. Nos enim veneramur sSanclas quatuor synodos : Nicznam, in qua Arius; Constantinopolitanam , in qua Macedonius; Ephesinam primam, in > qua Nestorius ; Chalcedonensem, in qua Eutyches atque Dioscorus damnatus est; profitentes quia quisquis aliter Sapit quam hx quatuor synodi, a fide veritatis alienus es. Damnamus autem quoscunque damnant, et quoscunque absolvunt absoJvimus, sub anathematis interpositione ferientes eum qui earumdem quatuor synodorum, maxime autem Chalcedonensis, de qua quibusdam imperitis hominibus © nala est dubietas et Superslitionis. occasio, fidei addere vel adimere prz- Sumit. Cum itaque integritatem nostram ex aperta mea d traditione seu professione cognoscitis, dignum est ut de Ecclesia beati Petri apostolorum principis nul- Jum ulterius scrupulum dubietatis habeatis; ssed in testamento vel inter vivos. Gregorins, lib. x1, epist, 38: Nulli dubium es! quia sicut sacerdotibus res in epi- 8copatu acquisitas nulla est alienandi licentia, ita de his D quas ante habucrint, quidquid judicare voluerint , non velantur. Sed si episcopus liberos habuerit , de rebus ante episc-patum quzSiltis non potest Lestari in fa- vorem Ecclesiz, nisi salva legitima lberorum por- tione, ex hac epistola. | Erisr. XXXViHI | Al. 33]. — * He epistola ſere couvenit cum epist. 4, quam non ſuisse data ap- paret ex epistola 57, nunc 59. Gussanv. EPISTOLARUM LIB. IV. — INDICT. XI. — EPIST. XXXIX, _— 713 vera ſide persistite, et vitam vestram in petra Eccle- A modo est. Sed ne ii qui vobis ista Scripserunt scan- 8i, hoc est in conſessione beali Petri apostolorum principis 80lidate, ne tot vesire lacryme tantaque | bona opera pereant, © si a fide vera inveniantur aliena. Sicut emm rami sine virtute radicis arefiunt, ita opera quantumlibet bona videantur, nulla sunt, si a Solidilate- lidei disjunguntur. Decet ergo gloriam veslram ad reverendissimum ſratrem et coepiscopum acs\rum Constantium, cujus et fides et vita olim mihi bene est approbala , sub omni celeritale trans- millere, eique direclis epistolis indicare. ordinatio- nem ejus. quam benigne sUusCipilis; et quia ab ejus Ecelesizz communione in nullo geparamini, ut vere, sicut de bona ac (ideli filia, communi exsultatione gratulemur. In hoc autem vos ac vestra J19 opera Deo placere cognoscile, si priusquam ejus examen reniat sacerdolum illius judicio comprobentur, (Vide Sup. ep. 4.)