Letter 10080

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Secundinus [a bishop or official] Date: ~600 AD Context: Gregory instructs Secundinus about a bishop named Dulcinius who has given six ounces of his substance to the church of Locri. Gregory to Secundinus. The case before you involves the bishop Dulcinius and property that belongs — or is claimed to belong — to the churches of Locri and Reggio. Six ounces of the bishop's substance have been assigned to each, and the question is whether this assignment is valid and final. Examine the matter carefully. If the assignment was made properly and in accordance with the applicable law and canonical rules, confirm it. If there are problems with how it was made, identify them specifically and bring them to me. Property cases involving bishops and churches require particular care — not because bishops are above the law, but because mistakes in these cases tend to be persistent and hard to undo. Gregory

AD SECUNDINUM — $i revera Dulcinus episcopus substaniie $UM $eX un- cias Ecclesie Locrensi el 8ex monasterio sancti Chri- slophori reliquerit, nullam jam diclo monasterio mo- lestiam irrogari paliatur. | Gregorius Secundino episcopo Taurominitano. Scripta ſraternitatis vestraz $uscepimus, in quibus indicastis reverendissimum fratrem nosirum Mar- cianum, Locrensis civilatis episcopum, aliter nobis de causa Ecclesiz: contra monasterium $Sancti Chri- $tophori, quod in vestra dicecesi est conslitutum, intimasse, non gquidem fallendi voluntate, sed quia Eeisr. XXXII. — © Vatic. D et Rhem., quo eum vehementius slimulatum, elc. Lege caus. 25, quzst. 2, cap. 5 el 4, caus. 10, ex Toletano 1, et cap. 5, 4, 5, extra de divortiis. Haque ea de qua hic agitur male secesserat, male habitum religiosum induerat, male inconsulto episcopv, Cul caus® cognitio ſuerat demanda!a, ad maritum redie- rat. Nec tlamen diffiteor episcopum penam lan gra- rem temere inflixisse. GUSSANVY. EersT. XX XIll. — * Vide supra, epist. 8 lib. 1v. Stolam exhibent, habet intrinsecus redderetur. Evrisr. XXXILY. — * In Excusis, Euloqgio, reluctan- ltibus omnibus quos consuluimus Mss. scilicet quin- que Vatic., quatuor Colhert., seplem Norm., Tu- ron., Rhem., Reg. ter instructus. Et quoniam scribitis Dulcinum de- ces8orem ipsius nihil de rebus Ecclesiz suz ſuisse testatum, ed de propriis ac magis quz in predicto monasterio fidelium oblatione collata $unt * elogium condidisse, alque $ex uncias Ecclesiz et 8ex eidem monaslerio jure hereditario reliquisse, necesse est ut $i ita etiam non ex opinione, $ed absolute in ve- rilate esse recolitis, nullam predicto monasterio $i- natis molestiam irrogari, przcipue dum eamdem causam jam tlemporibus reverende memorize. Maxi- miani episcopi vos atque ſratrem et coepiscopum nosirum Ruſfinum ex ejus deputatione ac cessione audisse ac decidisse testemini, adeo ut inter parties ea quz inveniri poterant partirentur, et quod Eccle- B 8iz ſuit Þ intrinsecus redderetur. Volumus ergo ut pars utraque conticeat, etea quz a ſfraternitate tua una cum prxdicto Ruſffino quondam episcopo slatuta s1mt inconvulsa consistant, quatenus nec pars Ec- clesize denuo injuste quzestionem inferre, nec mona= SLerium irrationabiliter videatur post vestram maxime delinitiouem controversiam $uslinere.