Letter 1

BOOK ONE OF THE VARIAE I. GELASIUS TO KING THEODERIC [1] It is clear and manifest to your Greatness that a bishop is constrained by the nature of his ministry to intercede on behalf of any and all persons. Trusting in the piety of your Christian heart, I have deemed it proper to commend to your notice by this letter the respectable Constantius, inasmuch as I am pressed by the reasoning of my priestly office to make supplication on behalf of any person whatsoever. II. GELASIUS TO COUNT TEIA [1] If Eucharistus is secure in his conscience, then either he should not have come here alone in the first place, while his accuser was detained by illness, or else — after his accuser arrived here — he should rather have remained here himself until, with his accuser fully refuted in person, he had proven his innocence to us beyond all doubt. Nevertheless, reserving justice for his case, and though we recognize that he uses his own evasions to avoid a hearing in which he could not possibly deceive us, we have dispatched the defender Anastasius with instructions to the effect that, if Eucharistus is confident he can clear himself, he should hasten to our examination — where, once he has duly freed himself from the objections of his accuser, he may stand before us as a free man; and that if he fails to do so, let him know that he has confessed by his own conscience. [2] Again: your assertion that the words of Faustus accusing Eucharistus should not be heard before me, on the grounds that Faustus formerly praised him — this is all the more reason to believe the man who could learn of his wrongdoing with greater truth from the intimacy of their association. That this is so is shown by the very fact that Eucharistus does not dare to come and confront Faustus — which, if he trusted that his conscience was clear of Faustus's charges, he would have done unbidden. [3] Again: your Nobility states that certain relatives of Faustus have already been convicted there of some matter. All the more boldly, then, should Eucharistus have hastened here to convict Faustus himself, just as he is said to have convicted those kinsmen of fabricating falsehood. For it is not Faustus's relatives who have brought a complaint against Eucharistus before us; it is Faustus himself, present here, who is the accuser. It is therefore no concern of ours if Eucharistus has convicted men who made no mention of him before us and who do not even bother to come and accuse him — his task is to convict Faustus in our examination, since Faustus persists in his accusation. As to why your Nobility thought it appropriate to inflict an injury upon me by supposing that the case ought to be removed from our jurisdiction and transferred to bishops within the province at the wish of Eucharistus and his associates — I cannot understand it, and it cannot possibly be done on any grounds. [4] Again: we admonish your Nobility more and more earnestly to deign to keep clear of ecclesiastical causes and affairs, and to permit the rule of religion to be observed without all this agitation, especially since it is not in doubt that you belong to a different communion, and you ought not to involve your person in any way in matters that do not concern you — lest you compel us, as we have already said, to report all these matters in writing to my lord, your son the King. For since he himself, in his wisdom, wishes in no way to oppose ecclesiastical causes, it is right that whoever lives under his kingdom should imitate what the magnificent King does, and not seem to press against his will. III. GELASIUS TO KING THEODERIC [1] Your Magnificence understands that the necessity of my priestly office constrains me to come before your Clemency — which is known to weigh all things wisely — as an intercessor.

MAGNI AURELII CASSIODORI SENATORIS [EPISTULAE THEODERICIANAE VARIAE.] I. GELASIUS THEODERICO REGI. [1] Apud magnanimitatis tua excursus constare manifestum est pro quibuslibet intervenire pontificem ministerii sui qualitate constringi. Christianae mentis vestrae pietate confisus virum spectabilem Constantium credidi vobis meis litteris intimandun, utpote qui pro quolibet homine supplicare sacerdotalis officii ratione convenior. II. TEIAE COMITI GELASIUS. [1] Si conscientia secura est Eucharisti, aut solus huc ante venire non debuit, cum accusator eius aegritudine teneretur, aut postea quam accusator eius huc venit, hic potius debuit permanere, donec in praesenti accusatore suo manifestissime confutato suam nobis innocentiam manifestissime conprobaret. nos tamen eius causa iustitiam reservantes, quamvis intellegamus tergiversationibus eum suis audientiam declinare, in qua fallere omnino non posset, defensorem Anastasium cum praeceptione direximus, ut, si se confideret posse purgari, ad nostrum properaret examen, ubi convenienter ab accusatoris obiectionibus expeditus liber apud nos posset existere; quod si non fecisset, sciret de conscientia sua se esse confessum. [2] Item. quod dicis non apud me Fausti debere verba proferri accusantis Eucharistum, quia ipse eum ante laudaret, tanto magis huic credendum est, qui scelus eius ex ipsa verius potuit familiaritate cognoscere. quod in tantum verum esse monstratur, ut ad Faustum convincendum nullatenus venire praesumat: quod utique, si conscientiam ab obiectionibus Fausti liberam se habere confideret, etiam nullo mandante facere debuisset. [3] Item. dicit tua nobilitas nescio quos illic parentes Fausti iam fuisse convictos. tanto magis fiducialius huc Eucharistus properare debuerat, ut et Faustum sic ut proximos de mendacii concinnatione, quod dictum est saepe, convinceret. neque enim parentes Fausti contra Eucharistum apud nos querimoniam commoverunt, sed eum hic Faustus positus accusat. non ergo ad nos pertinet, si illos convicit, qui eius apud nos non fecerant mentionem aut nunc etiam ad accusandum Eucharistum venire dissimulant, nisi Faustum, qui in eius accusatione persistit, in nostra examinatione convincat. quid autem visum fuerit nobilitati tuae, ut mihi iniuriam faceretis, ignoro, dum putatis, quia de nostro iudicio causa deberet auferri, et ad episcopos intra provinciam positos pro Eucharisti et sociorum voluntate transferri: quod non poterit ulla omnino ratione fieri. [4] Item. nobilitatem tuam magis ac magis commonemus, ut se ab ecclesiasticis causis et rebus abstinere dignetur et permittas omni exagitatione cessante religionis regulam custodiri, praecipue cum te alterius communionis non dubium sit, nec personam tuam debeas rebus ad te non pertinentibus qualibet intentione miscere, ne nos conpellas, ut supra diximus, ad domnum filium meum regem haec omnia missa relatione referre, quia, cum ipse pro sua sapientia causis ecclesiasticis in nullo velit esse contrarius, iustum est, ut quicumque sub illius regno vivit, quod facit rex magnificus imitetur, ne videatur supra illius tendere voluntatem. III. [GELASIUS] THEODERICO REGI. [1] Magnificentia vestra perpendit sacerdotalis me officii necessitate constringi, ut apud clementiam vestram, quam constat omnia librare sapienter, intercessor accedam. IIII. GELASIUS HERELEUVAE REGINAE. [1] Qui pro victu pauperum domino filio meo excellentissimo regi cum meis litteris supplicaret, Petrum ecclesiae defensorem dirigere properavi. quo veniente sublimitatem quoque tuam salutare non destiti, plurimum deprecans, ut pro vestrae salutis et prosperitatis augmentis egentium causas iuvare dignemini. data V. k. Mar. V. GELASIUS ERELEUVAE. [1] Felicem et Petrum Nolanae ecclesiae clericos surripere potuisse sensibus vestrae sublimitatis admiror, ut contra divinas humanasque leges ecclesiastica privilegia respuentes suppresso nomine clericali ad iudicia publica convolarent, quando imperialibus constitutis inter huiusmodi personas quicquid sedes apostolica censuisset, decretum fuerit oportere servari, non solum domno filio meo, magnifico regi illudentes, veluti laici contra proprium praecepta regia deposcerent sacerdotem, sed etiam adhibitis barbaris sub nomine domus vestrae in eiusdem praesulis sui perniciem necemque saevierint, cum iustis ex causis ante convicti, quod ecclesiasticam pecuniam reddere cogerentur, magna sit eis sui humanitate pontificis quantitas relaxata. quia ergo pervidet vestra sublimitas etiam in apostolicae sedis contumeliam eos fuisse progressos, officio meae salutationis accepto precamur, ut privilegia beati apostoli Petri, quae divinis humanisque legibus concessit antiquitas, nulla patiamini subreptione convelli. VI. GELASIUS THEODERICO REGI. [1] Certum est magnificentiam vestram leges Romanorum principum, quas in negotiis hominum custodiendas esse praecepit, multo magis circa reverentiam beati Petri apostoli pro suae felicitatis augmento velle servari. VII. GELASIUS PAPA GERONTIO ET IOHANNI EPISCOPIS. [1] Frater et coepiscopus noster Serenus tantis est contumeliis appetitus, ut non sine nostra fuerit lacessitus iniuria, quia ad comitatum domini filii nostri regis pro immanitate facti venire compulsus est. hunc ergo omnibus decet a nobis solacii adiuvari, quia cunctis crescit, quicquid in tali causa probatur impensum. VIII. GELASIUS QUINIGESIO ET CONSTANTINO EPISCOPIS. [1] Felix et Petrus ecclesiae Nolanae clerici contumaciter et contra constitutum rebelles ad comitatum filii mei regis putaverunt esse properandum dicentes sibi vim fuisse generatam tacito clericatus officio; et auctoritate promerita contra civilitatem redemptis sibi barbaris supra scriptum episcopum suum gravibus iniuriis et dispendiis affecerunt. proinde necessarium fuit, ut ad eundem dominum filium meum supra dictus frater noster Serenus episcopus convolaret ostensaque fraude secundum beatitudinem temporum suorum vir praecellentissimus filius meus Theodoricus rex ad nostrum contumaces clericos remisit examen. VIIII. PRAECEPTUM REGIS THEODERICI. [1] Domitori orbis, praesuli et reparatori libertatis senatui urbis Romae Flavius Theodericus rex. Pervenit ad nos, patres conscripti, de ecclesiae missa utilitate suggestio et nostrae mansuetudinis grata sacri coetus vestri ordinatio corda pulsavit. et licet post venerabilem synodum ad huiusmodi decreta vestri sufficiat ordinatio sola iudicii, tamen pro vestra huiusmodi praesentibus oraculis dedimus consultatione responsum, ut nulli fas sit ecclesiae cuiuslibet antistiti sub qualibet alienatione de proprietate contractus. usumfructum plane suum cui salva voluerint aequitate praestabunt. neque enim frustrari [debet] sola pontificis voluntate vel cleri peregrinis debita omnibus vel statui ecclesiae res delata. quid enim tam profanum est quam ut in hac largientis parte violetur arbitrium, dum quod ad ecclesiam quisque voluit pertinere, privatae sibi vindicent pro usufructu rei personae contractum. ergo si quis scelestis ausibus interdicta praesumpserit et ultra usumfructum rem tenere cupit episcopo vel clero largiente, alienata res protinus cum fructibus a venerando praesule vindicentur. et cetera. Data V idus Martias Ravenna Venantio v. c. consule. Cassiodorus Christian Latin The Latin Library The Classics Page