Letter 4084: I am directing you to ensure that the goods belonging to Euplos — the inheritances from both his father and his...

To Bishop Maximianus. He orders that the property of Euplus's father and mother be restored to him. Gregory to Maximianus, bishop of Syracuse. Euplus, the bearer of these present letters, records that Eusanius, bishop of the city of Agrigentum, was his father, and he indicates that very many of his mother's possessions remained in that man's keeping. And since he asserts that this man died intestate, he therefore petitions both that his mother's property ought to be restored to him, and that he be permitted to obtain the substance of the aforesaid bishop, his father. Concerning this matter we entrust it to your Fraternity by the tenor of this instruction, that you may diligently take care to learn the facts; and if anything belonging to his mother's possessions can be found in the keeping of the aforesaid Church, then, provided there is nothing that can reasonably stand in the way of the aforesaid Euplus, you are to cause it to be restored to him according to his share. Likewise also, concerning the paternal property which he is recognized to have held before his episcopate, if he did not in any manner transfer those goods into the legal right of his Church, you are to see to it that satisfaction can be made to him to the extent that you know lawfully pertains to his share. For it is shown to be altogether both against reason and against our purpose, if we deny that the things which justly belong to anyone be restored and satisfaction be made. Therefore let your Fraternity make haste to fulfill these things, so that no necessity of returning to us again over this matter be imposed upon the above-written bearer. [The source page here breaks off into an editor's footnote citing church canons and manuscript variants, then resumes with a fragment belonging to a separate letter (Epistola XXXVII), which reads:] ...that all his goods should remain to that Church; this, we believe, he ordained for this reason, lest through them still more should be lost; but now we judge it equitable that the father's fault should not burden the son, but rather that, by the arrangement of your Fraternity, whatever can lawfully pertain to him should follow to him. [The page then continues with yet another separate letter, Epistola XXXVIII to Queen Theodelinda of the Lombards, which does not belong to this letter and is not translated here.]

AD MAXIMIANUM EPISCOPUM. Euplo patris et matris bona reddi jubet. Gregorius Maximiano episcopo Syracusano. Evuplus presentium poriitor Eusanium Agrigentine Civilatis episcopum $uum ſuisse memorat genitorem, matrisque SuZz res apud eum plurimas indicat man- sisse. Quem quoniam intestatum asserit esse defun- ctum, ideo et res malernas $ibi 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 $i 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, $i 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, $i 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, 8ub 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 $upe- riores ordines, nisi aut conversionem vovissent ipsz#, aut certe $e non renupturas, Sed innubas post eorum moriem permansuras data fide cavissent. GussaNnv. 4 Prius legebatur, Honorato marilo est gociata, quod mutavimus cogente unanimi Mss. Vatic., Nom. , Corb., Turon., etc., consensu. Eyisr. XXXVII | Al. 36]. — * Episcopus potest teslari de bonis hareditariis, quzesitis ante episcopatum vel post episcupatum. De bonis vero quzsitis post episcopatum de rebus Ecclesiz, nibhil alienari pelest z <& omnes res ejus Ecclesiz remanerent, hoc ideo eum credimvs precepisse, ne per eas adhuc amplivs de- periret; nunc vero £quum esse pensamus ut filium patris culpa non ingravet, «ed ſraternitatis tuz dispon- Satione quidquid ci legaliter potest competere cox 8equalur. T1g EPISTOLA XXXVIll AD THEODELIND\M REGINAM. Ab imperitis seductam dole!. Sanclarum quatuor 8y- nodo! um, maxrime Chalcedonensis, fidem in Romana Ecclesia iniegram 8ervari profitetur. Horlatur ne exira Conslanlii episcopi communionem maneal. Gregorius Theodelinde * regingz Langobardo- rum. Quorumdam ad nos relatione pervenit ab aliquibus episcopis gloriam vestram u$que ad hoc scandalum contra sanctam Ecclesiam ſuisse perductam, ut seve 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 $Sanclas quatuor $ynodos : 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 Jum ulterius scrupulum dubietatis habeatis; $sed 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 $i 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. | Eutyches damnatus est; quod contra conciliorum historiam pugnat. © In Norm. et Corb., optimo sensu, nata es! s1uspi- cionis occasio, addere, etc. In Valic. A et B, nata es dubietas, fidei ad. ln C et D, nata es! 8uperslitio- nis occasio fidei addere. Iu Reg. desideratur, supersli- tionis. OrD. — —_—————— _— vera ſide persistite, et vitam vestram in petra Eccle- A modo est. Sed ne ii qui vobis ista Scripserunt $can- 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, $i 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.)