Letter 13014: Brothers and sisters of Panormus, I have appointed Barbarus as your episcopal visitor, and I am writing to require...

To the people of Palermo. That they are to obey Barbarus, the bishop appointed as visitor. Gregory to the clergy, the order, and the people residing at Palermo. Learning of the death of your bishop, we have taken care to delegate, in due form, the visitation of the bereaved Church to our brother and fellow-bishop Barbarus. To him we have given it in charge that he suffer nothing pertaining to the promotions of the clergy, to revenue, to ornament, and to the offices of ministry to be usurped by anyone. It is fitting that you obey his constant exhortations, and that, with all clamor set aside, with one [...] choose a priest, one who departs from the venerable canons in no respect, and who may be found worthy of so great a ministry. And when he has been requested, let him come to us to be ordained, with the solemnity of a decree confirmed by the subscriptions of all, and with the visitor's document accompanying him: taking care above all things that you do not presume to elect a layman of whatever life or merit, and know not only that he is by no reasoning to be advanced to the summit of the episcopate, but also that you can by no intercessions deserve to obtain this; and know moreover, beyond doubt, that all those among you who shall be found to have aspired from the lay condition are to be made strangers to office and to communion.

AD PANORMITANOS. Barbaro episcopo visitatori obediant, Gregorius clero , ordini et plebi consistenti Pa- nOrMi. Vestri antistitis obitum eognoscentes, curx nobis ſuit destitutz Ecclesiz visitationem ſratri et co- episcopo nostro Barbaro solemniter delegare. 1 298 Cui dedimus in mandatis ut nihil de provectionibus clericorum , reditu, ornatu ministeriisque , a quo- quam usvrpari patiatur. Cujus vos assSiduis adhor- tationibus convenit obedire, et, remoto strepitu, uno EeisT. XII | Al. 16]. — * In recentioribns Ed. le- gitur episcopo Beneveniano. Pretulimus lectionem vet. Excusorum, quod firmetur auctoritate Rhe- mensis , quatuor Yatic., duorumque Colbert. et al. In uno ex Colbert. , dissimulaio episcopi titulo , _ exslat solum Barbaro Carinis. Carinensis urbs ſuit olim episcopalis apud Brutios, non longe a Regio. Existi- mat aviem Rochus Prrrus, t0no I, pag. 461, intel- ligendum esse de alia hujus nominis urbe in Sicilia haud procul Panormo, ex ruinis fHyccaris oppidi conslructa, quam lamen an ullum olim habuerit an- tistitem, incertum $:bi esse ail. Cur autem $8anctus Gregorius preter morem aut Beneventano aut Cari- nensi episcopo tam longe dissito Ecclesiam Panor- mitanam visitandam commiserit, non video, nisi ſore quia iis in Jocis jam aliis negotiis gerendis de- tinebatur; vel etiam quia illum virum industrium noverat, et qui alias in eo munere preclare se ges- Seral, ut cum ei Ecclesiam Hortorensem visidandam commisit, Epis[. 59 lib. 11, nunc 41 lib. iy, etc. Par- tim ex GUSSANY tere 8acerdotem, qui et a venerandis eanonibus nulla; diserepet ratione, et tanto ministerio dignus valeat reperiri. Qui dum fuerit postulatus, cum $olemaitaie. ' decreti omnium $1bseriptionibus roborati, et visita-- toris pagina prosequente, ad nos veniat ordinandus : provisuri ante omnia ne cujuslibet vitae vel meriti laicam per-onam presumatis eligere , et non Solum. ille ad episcopatus apicem nulla ratione promo- vealur, verum eliam vos nullis inlercessionibus ve- Biain promereri posse Ccognoscile, sed et omnes quos. ex vobis de laica persona aspirasse consliterit , ab officio et a communione alienos faciendos procul dubio noveritis,