Letter 13008: Gregory to Senator, presbyter and abbot of a hospital (or -house, xenodochii). When the hearts of Catholic Kings, etc. [See the epistle following (Epistle 9), with which this agrees throughout, as does also Epistle X.

Gregory to Senator, Priest and Abbot of a hospice. [This letter follows the same form as Gregory's privilege letters to the monastery and hospice at Autun, founded at the request of Queen Brunichild and King Theoderic.] When the hearts of Catholic kings are so inflamed by divine grace that they demand of their own accord what papal exhortation should have urged them to do, such requests should be granted with cheerful and joyful mind -- all the more since these are the very things we ought to have required of them, had they been unwilling. We also decree, in accordance with the wishes of the founders: no one who is ordained abbot or priest of this hospice and monastery may seek the office of bishop through any kind of secret scheming -- unless he is first removed from the abbacy and another is installed in his place. Otherwise, by diverting the hospice's resources to improper expenditure, he would cause devastating want to the poor, to strangers, and to all who depend on its resources for their livelihood. Furthermore, no bishop may remove any monk from this place for promotion to holy orders or for any other reason without the abbot's consent -- lest this kind of interference drain the very community that should be built up by gaining men, not destroyed by losing them.

Book XIII, Letter 8 To Senator, Abbot. Gregory to Senator, presbyter and abbot of a hospital (or -house, xenodochii). When the hearts of Catholic Kings, etc. [See the epistle following (Epistle 9), with which this agrees throughout, as does also Epistle X. to Lupo, except for the different designations of the persons addressed and places referred to, and the addition in epistles VIII. and IX., after the words or absolve her (him) as innocent, of the following paragraph.] By a similar definition, according to the desire of the founders, we decree that none of those who may in future have been ordained as abbot or presbyter to the same -house and monastery shall dare by any secret scheming whatever to take the office of the Episcopate, unless he has been first deprived of the office of abbot, and another has been substituted in his place; lest, by consuming the property of the -house or monastery in unfair expenditure, he should cause most serious pressure of want to the poor and strangers, or to others who live from its resources. Moreover, we forbid that the bishop have licence, without the consent of the abbot and presbyter, to remove from the same place any monk for promotion to an ecclesiastical order, or for any cause whatever, lest usurpation in this regard should be carried to such an extent that places which have to be built up by the acquisition of men be destroyed by their removal. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360213008.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.