Letter 9216: Brother, the monastery near Arles whose privileges were established by the piety of the late King Childebert must be...

Since the desire of a pious will and the intention of praiseworthy devotion ought always to be assisted by priestly endeavors, the diligence of solicitude must be applied, so that those things which have been ordained for the peace of a religious community neither negligence may avail to disregard nor any presumption to disturb. But just as it was fitting that this which reason demanded should be usefully defined, so what has been determined ought not to be violated. Therefore Childebert of glorious memory, king of the Franks, kindled with love of the catholic religion, establishing within the walls of the city of Arles a monastery of men, as we have found in writing, for the sake of his own reward granted certain things there for the support of those dwelling in it. And lest his will should ever be brought to nothing, and those things which had been arranged for the quiet of the monks be thrown into confusion, both for the things which he conferred upon the rights of that same monastery, he sought by his letters that they be confirmed by apostolic authority, adding this also to his petition: that to the same monastery certain privileges likewise be granted, both in the disposition of its goods and in the appointment of its abbot, knowing indeed that such reverence is shown by the faithful to the apostolic see, that things which had been arranged by its decree should thereafter be shaken by the trouble of no unlawful usurpation. Whence what both the royal will and a matter greatly desired demanded to be accomplished, by our predecessor Vigilius, bishop of the Roman see, writings were transmitted to your predecessor Aurelius, in which all the things that the zeal of an embracing will required were freely confirmed by the favor of apostolic authority, since the matter requested could suffer no difficulty. But that your Fraternity may know what was decreed at that time, we have provided that the writings of our aforesaid predecessor be joined to these letters. Having run through these in reading, we exhort you to preserve all things inviolate, as is fitting, with priestly zeal, and to permit nothing of the forbidden things, nothing of the unlawful things, to be imposed there, nor to allow them to be torn away by any usurpation. For although those things which have once been sanctioned by the authority of the apostolic see need nothing of confirmation, nevertheless out of abundance we again strengthen by our authority in all respects all the things which for the peace of this matter were established by our predecessor. Let your Fraternity therefore so conduct itself in guarding these things, that it both excludes every occasion of disquiet and persuades others to work these same things, while it shows itself, as is fitting, solicitous and devoted in guarding the most pious will of the deceased.

Cum piae desiderium voluntatis et laudandae devotionis intentio sacerdotalibus sit semper studiis adinvanda, cura eat sollicitudinis adhibenda, ut ea quae~ pro quiete religiosae'* conversionis° fuerint^ ordinata nec diBsimulatio neglegere uec quaedam valeat praesumptio perturbare. Sed sicut hoc quod ratio exigebat utiliter* oportuit I delmiri, ita quod definitum est' non debet violari. Igitur gloriosae memoriae Childebertus" Francorum rexi catholicae religionis amore sucoensus intra muros Arelatensis'' civitatis monaateriam viromm, ut scripto repperimus, pro sua mercede constituena quaedam ibidem pro habitantium' suBtentatione concessit. Cuiua ne voluntas umquam duceretur in irritum et ea quae pro quiete monachonim disposita fuerant torbaretttur, quaeque Gontulit in iure eiusdem monasterii, epistolis suis apostolica petiit^ auctoritate firmari hoc quoque suae petitioni subiungens, ut eidem moDasterio' tam in dispositione rerum, quam in ordinatione abbatis quaedam pariter privilegia largirentur ', sciens quippe eam apostolicae ■" sedi° reverentiam a iidelibus exhiberi, ut quae eius fulBsent decreto dispoBita'*, nullius deinceps inlicitae osurpationis moleatia quaterenturi'. Unde quis flffectum*< et' regia voluntas et res valde desiderata poscebat, a praedecessore* nostro Bl; homines C. <) id«o om. C'J. ^) malum ^'3.3. *) in om. Bl. >) in omnipoteoti corr. Ca. «) dno C. JJ, 215 om. ^*J. — /n (t(u/a: Vergilio Cl.2 tt in arg. C2; Virgillo eel. — Arelatim Al; AreUte f'2.3; ArlalenBi CI (ita et tn htdiee); Arlatenaia C2; ArtBtenB. C3; Areletensi C2 in arg. et C3 tn ifidUt. C* 1. ») eo qufl CI; ea ij ez eu que cott. C2; eo qui C3. ^) add. cjue flj. f *2. 3. ") con- verutionis C3. <l) fuerBnt n* 2. 3. >) utiliUi eodd. n., ted eorr. Bl. *) om. eal C 1. S) Hilde- liertua C'I; HildibeituB C2 {led in argumrtUo: Hildeb.) C3i Cellibertus B 1. (*2.3. t>) Aralateiuie C, Hd eorr. C2. ') dabitaatiiun C3. ^) petil g* 2. '] ut ideni nioiiaeterium C3. b) Bpoetolioa C. ") ifi Mde eorr. C3; eedia e*3.S, ted corr. p*2. ") diapMito ex dUpositiu eorr. C3; dispolio 01. IX, 216. De Veryilio ef. ep. I, 46 n. — /mtwm hwtH* epistutae eoneordat eum Diumi f. 95. Cf. Loening 1. 1. U p. 391 «. ef ep. VU, 12. XIII, 7. i) ChHddiertus I mortm» etta.S tn OaB. Chritl. I, 639 conlmdit de tnonaeterio Apoatolorum kic agi. 2} Cf. ep. V, 47 n ,GoogIe 204 QBBQOBa I. BE0I8TB1 Vigilio* Romanae sedis antiatite* ad" praedecesBorom veBtnim Anrelium* scripta transmissa sunt, nbi omnia quae amplectendae * vo]untatis atudium deposcebat apostolicae «uctoritatiB libenter* adnisu grmata' sunt, quia difficultatem' pati non potuit huiusmodi res petita. Sed ut Iratemitas vestra, quae fiierint tempore illo decreta, cognoscat, antedicti* praedecesBoris nostri scripta his praevidimuB scriptis adiun^*. Quibns* lectione percursis'' hortamur, ut omnia sacerdotah, sicut decet, studio inviolata conBerves nihil- que illic de vetitiB', nihil permittas^ de inlicitis inrogari* neo ea quadam patiaris usur- patione convelli. Nam licet ea quae semel apostolicae sedis anctoritate sancita sunt* nihil egeant' firmitatis, ex abundantia" tamen'' cunct^, quae pro huius rei quiete a prae- decessore nostro statuta aunt, nostra iterum ' auctoritate in omnibus roboramua. Frater- nitas ei^o vestra ita se in cuBtodiendis eis exhibeat, quatenus et omnem inquietudinis occasionem excludat et aliis^ haee' operari suadeat", dum se in cuatodienda defuncti piissima voluntate eoUicitam, ut decet, exbibuerit et deTotam".