Letter 1114

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Peter, subdeacon Date: ~591 AD Context: Gregory instructs Peter to provide annual food support to the pastor (bishop) Pastor, who is infirm and partially blind. Gregory to Peter, subdeacon. Pastor, who has served as bishop, is now infirm and has lost the use of his eyes [or has significantly impaired vision]. He cannot support himself. This is a matter of basic charity: a man who has given his life in service to the church is not to be left destitute in old age and illness. You are to provide him with an annual allotment of food sufficient for his needs. Make this a regular provision, not subject to interruption or reduction without my direct instruction. An infirm and blind old man cannot advocate for himself; it falls to us to do that advocacy through action. Keep me informed of his condition. Gregory

AD PETRUM SUBDIACONUM. Ut Pastori octlis infirmo annuum pres(et alimentum. Gregorius * Petro subdiacono. Si proximorum necessilatibus babita compassions benigna mente concurrimus, nostris procul dubio petitionibus Dominum clementem reperimus. Pa- lorem $iquidem, qui nimia visus imbecillitate labo- rat, habentem conjugem, Jduoque mancipia, qui et cum Jonatha quondam gloriosa ſuerat, plurimis co- gnovimus necessilatibus subjacere. Propterea expe- rientiam tuain per presentis pracepli paginam ad-. monemus, uti pro sustentalione ejus annuvs tritici ord. $sancti Benedicti inseruit. Doctorum virurum- sententiz libenter subscribimus, nec placet card. Ba- ronii conjeciura, uras Palmatianas sen vinum Palma- tianum intelligentis. Precipua dona quibus amicos reges senalus Romanus exco!ebat, loga: pictz el tu- niczx polmatze fuerunt, tesle Livio, lib. x et xxx. De tunica palmata plura apud Ferrarium, de Re yestia- ria, lib. 14, cap. 8. In missa ab Iliyrico edita lit mentio veslis sacre, que Palmatica appellatur, ut observat Hugo Men:rdus ad Ib. Sacram., nota 94U. ; boy LXVHl (At. 61). — © In Norm., Colbert., Corb., Germ. et pl., legitur simpliciter Petro. At in & Vatic. additur subd. Consentit Codex Aud. Prius legebatur in Excusis Anthemio subd, 4 In solo Turon. S. Gatiani hoclegitur et in Colberti- no, in quo tamen ad epist. seq. pertinere videtur. Eersr. LX VL (Al. 66). — © Sic reslituimus ex Mss. Vatic., Norm., etc., cum prius legeretur, Dia- conum ; sed et servum Det Crescentium. procul a Yulturno fluvio, nunc adhuc episcopalis £ub archiep. Capuano. In Mss. varie scribitur. In Valic. B, Venafane. In C, Benaſane. In D, Benaſrane. Norm., Corb. et vet. Ed. sequuntur Vaticauum C. dare non differas, quz postmodum possint Luis ra- tionibus imputari. Ita. ergo ſac ut et tu bene mini- $trans mercedis commodum percipias, et noslra ad effectum precepta perducas. 4 Mense Augusto. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l.n, c. 55.) EPISTOLA LXVIN AD ANTHEMIOM SUBDIACONUM. Sacrum 8upellectilem Venaſrane Ecclesie, quam cls- rici Judeo rendiderant, reslitui curet, ac reos ad penilentiam compellat. Gregorius Anthemio subdiacono Fuscus archiater, ardore fidei provocatus, preces eſfudit, dicens Opilionem Jdiaconum *® servum Dei, et Cre>centium, clericos, » Venaſrane BY Ecclesiz, oblitos timorem ſuturi judicii, © ministeria anteſate Ecclesie Hebrzo cuidam, quod dici neſas est, ven- didisse : id est, in argento calices dvos, 4 coronas cum delphinis duas, et de aliis coronis *© lilios, f pal- lia majora $ex, et minora septem. Et ideo mox ut presentem jussionem experientia tua 8usceperit , memoratos ecclesiasticos ad 8e faciat indifferenter occurrere; et requisita veritate, $i ita, ut $uggestunm est, eonsliterit, memoratum flebreum, qui, oblitus vigorem legum, praeumpsit 5 sacra cimelia compa- rare, per judicem provinciz faciat conveniri, et sing aliqua mora antefala ministeria reddere compellatur, ut ex eis 8pe fatz Ecclesiz nihil possit imminui.Suprt 8Criptos autem diaconum vel clerieos, qui tantum nefas commigerunt, in pevitentia ® religare non differas, ut tale tantumquedelictumsuis laerymis possint diluere. Contra clericorum illorum scelus placet hc verba Optati intorquere : Hoc 1tamen immane ſacinus a vobig geminatum ext, dun ſregistis calic's Christi sanquinis poriatores..... avari, dum venditis; sacrilegi, dum in- considerate vendidislis..... Emerunt ſorsilan in usus $u0s 8ordide mulieres; emerunt pagani, ſacturi vasa in uibus incender:nt idolis 8uis. Oplat., lib. vi de Schis. onat., cap. 2. Vide etiam cap. 5. 4 Corona esl candelabrum in modum- coronz ac circuli variis lucernis instructum. Delphini sunt ejus modi candelabrorum non ornamenta modo, $ed et fulcra. Anastas., in Silvestro': Coronas quatuor dedit- Conslaniinus cum delphinis viginti ex auro puriszimo; el infra : Coronam auream ante corpus beati Petri cum delphinis quinque, (dem iu Sergio : Cantharos et coronas qua ante sacrum allare et cor:ſessionem beati Peri apoxtoli ex antiquo pendebant deponi fecit. D fpsas columnas lilios poni ſecit. Iu Vatic. Clegitur lilia. Greg. Turon., lib. vii Hist. Fraunc., cap. 28 : Cumque Jam altarium cum oblalionibus pallio serico coopertum esset. EL lib. 1 de Mirac. sanct Marti., cap, 13 : &t awt ex velo janue, aut palliolis que pendent de parietibus. Per pallia possunt etiam intelligi vestes 8acerdotales el Sacr:t, quz etiam in nonavleriis erant pretiosr. Theodorus Sludita, in $uo Lestamento, art. {9 : No# uleris veslimento elaborato et pretivss, preterquam 8& cerdotali. _ E Corrupte in Excus., sacra civiliter. De cimeliis jam dictum in epist. 20.