Letter 11024: Gregory to John, military tribune at Siponto.

TO JOHN, TRIBUNE OF SIPONTUM. He urges him to decide, together with Bishop Vitalianus, concerning the free status of the bearer of this letter. Gregory to John, tribune of Sipontum. The bearer of the present letter has frequently complained to us about the condition of his status, that violence is being done to him by our notary Bonifacius. We have provided that the examination of this matter be referred to the notice of our brother and fellow bishop Vindicianus [the bishop of the place]. He has declared that he has examined the merits of the case; but because he says that he by no means rises to the point of pronouncing judgment, we exhort your magnificence that, for the sake of an eternal reward, you sit together with the aforesaid bishop, and, scrutinizing the merits of the matter more clearly, whatever shall seem right to you, with justice persuading, you determine in writing; and if his free status has been more certainly established to you, let him thereafter be provoked by no disturbances of anyone whatsoever concerning the settled merits of the matter, but, declared in that liberty which shall have seemed right to you, let him remain secure in it. EPISTLE XXV. TO JANUARIUS, BISHOP OF CAGLIARI. He praises that he was unwilling that a monastery of men be built adjoining the monastery of the handmaids of God in the house. He orders that the monks be established either in the very place of the departing nuns, or in some abandoned monastery, and commends the latter to Januarius. Gregory to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari. The solicitude of your fraternity, pleasing to us in the struggle for souls, you have shown as was fitting. For it has been announced to us that you forbade a monastery to be built in the house once belonging to Epiphanius, lector of your church, according to his own wish, in order that there might not arise from it any deception of souls, on account of the fact that the house itself adjoined the monastery of the handmaids of God. And we have greatly praised this, because you took precaution against the snares of the ancient enemy with fitting foresight, as was proper. But because it has been reported to us that Pompeiana, a religious woman, wishes to remove the handmaids of God from the same monastery, and to recall them to the monasteries from which they had been taken, and there to establish a congregation of monks, it is necessary that, if this should be carried out, the disposition of the deceased be preserved in all respects. [Editorial apparatus follows here in the source, not part of the letter: discussion of corrupt manuscript readings of the word for an institution destined for feeding the poor (ptochium/protochium), found only in the Vatican A, Victorinus, and Rhemig. codices; and a note on the Barbarians, with reference to letter 23 of Book IV, that Procopius in his Vandal War relates the Vandals were driven from Numidia in the province of Africa.] But if this should not be done, lest the will of the testator seem to be wholly frustrated, we wish that, because the monastery of Urbanus, formerly abbot, situated outside the city of Cagliari, is said to be so abandoned that not even one [...] monk remains there, [...]. And let your fraternity dispose of all these things together with Vitalis the defensor, and let it strive to order them so usefully that, just as from the praiseworthy prohibition, so also from the good construction, it may be able to obtain a reward. Although it may be superfluous that the monastery itself be commended to your fraternity, nevertheless we exhort you out of abundance that you keep it commended, with justice preserved, as it befits you.

AD JOANNEM TRIBUNUM SIPONTINUM. Horlatur ut cum Vitaliano episcopo de epistole hujus latoris libertale decernat. Gregorius Joanni iribuno Sipontino. Lator przxsentium de $latug Sui conditione nobis sepius conquestus est a Boyifacio nostro notario | 1107 sibi vio!entiam irrogari. Cyjus rei cognitionem in ſratris et coepisc- pi nostri vindjank notitiam pre- vidimus *. perſerendam. Cujus causz meritum $e examinasse professus ext. Sed quia ad proſerendum judicium $e assurgere nullalenus dicit, bortamur ma- gnitudinem vestram ut pro causa mercedis xterne cum predicto- resideatis episcopo, et, rei meritum evidentius perscrutantes, quidquid vobis suadente justitia visum ſuerit, scripto decernile; et si de ejus vobis ceriius libertate constiterit, nullis deinceps quorumlibet inquietudinibus ad rei decise meritum provocetur, sed in ea qua vobis visum ſuerit liberlate declaratus Secure permaneat. * EPISTULA XXV. AD JANUARIUM CARALITANUM EPISCOPUM. Laudat quod virorum monasterium in dom» ancillarum Dei monaslerio coherente construi noluerilt. Mona- chos lumen aut in ips0 monialium discedentium loco, aut in deslituto quodam monasterio conslitui jubet , ipsumque Januario commend.t. Gregorius Januariv episcopo Caralitano. Gratam nobis ſraternitatis vestre 8vllicitudinem Eersr. XXII[AL 18]. —* Corrupie in quibusdam Mss. Cod. etantiquis Editis prothochii, pr» ptochodo- ci, rectius in aliis Manuscripis prockii. Nempe 77 ytia domus alendis pauperibas destinala, alias rnrwu- 807 «ov. Gus-anv. In Valic. A legitur protockii, pro parochi@; quam vocem kic habet Victor. Infra autem habet in minis/erio ptochi: ; nec facile est ve- ram lectionem certo staluere, propter Mss. Codicum penu: iam. 1» $olo quippe Valic. A, in Victorino et in Rhemig. epistvlam hanc reperimus. » De Barvaricns jam ad ep. 23 lib. Iv. Hilos a Van- dalis e Numidia Alrice proviucia pulsos narrat Pro- copius de Bello Vaudal., lib. nu. Vandali, inquit in tamine animarum, ut oportebat, exlubuit. Nuntiotum 8iquidem nobis est qu«d in domo quondam Ep pha- nii, lectoris Ecclesiz vesir:x, ide-rco 8ecundum vo- luntatem ipsijus monasterium conslrui vetu'stis, ne pro eo quod ® domug ipsa ancillarum Dei monasterio cohxrebat, deceptio exinde contingeret anmurum, Et valde laudavimus, quia antiqui hboslis insidias pro- visione congrua, ut decuit, praecavistis. Sed quia perlatum ad nos est Pompeianam religiosam ſeminan velle de codem mon-sterio ancillias Dei toliere, et per $va Þ unde tultz ſuerant monasteria revocare, atque illic congregationem constituere mon2chorum, nece-$e esl ut si impletum hoc facrit, deſuncti dispo- Sitio modis omnibus conservetur (Grat. 15, q. 2, c. 4). B Si vero ſactum hoc non fuerit, ne testatoris voluntas in tolum videatur es>e frusirata, volumus ut quia monasterium Urbani quondam abbatis, positum ſuis extra Civitatem Caralitanam, ita dicitur destitutum, vt ne unus quidem illic 1 LOS monachus remaneret, C Et bec quidem omnia fraternitas vestra una cum Vi- tali deſensore disponat, et ita ea ntiliter s(udeat or- dinare, ut sicut de lJaudabili prohibitione, ita quoque de bona habere possit constructione mercedetn, Ipsum vero monaslrrium licet ſraternitati vestr:e sit super- vacuun commendari, hortamur lamen ex abundanti ut id salva justitia, Sicut vos decet, habeatis con mendatum.