Letter 14005: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

TO JOHN, BISHOP OF PANORMUS [Palermo]. That he should diligently investigate the case of Peter against Fantinus the defender [defensor, an ecclesiastical agent], and render judgment. Gregory to John, Bishop of Panormus. Since there are faults in regard to which it is itself a fault to relax punishment, the truth must always be sought, so that inquiry may be made whether guilt condemns the accused, or whether innocence, once brought to light, withdraws him from the penalty. And so it has come to us that Fantinus the defender wished to exercise vengeance upon Peter, the bearer of these presents, on account of the fact that, as is said, at the time when he had been a tenant-manager [conductor], he handed over the widow of a certain deacon to a husband. But since this man asserts that she was not the wife of the deacon, saying that the woman never came to him as a virgin, and furthermore that she did not presume even to change her religious garb after he had been promoted to holy orders, adding also that even before she came to the deacon, and afterward, she lived under a depraved reputation: for these reasons we exhort your fraternity with these words, that, with the fear of God as is fitting, you investigate this case with an altogether searching inquiry; and if it shall thus be established that the woman was in marriage with the deacon, then let the aforesaid bearer be handed over by all means to the said defender and to the rector of the patrimony for punishment, and let those who have been wickedly joined together be separated with a fitting correction. But if she was not in marriage with him, we wish you, by our mandate, to admonish the aforesaid Fantinus that he presume to do nothing to them, and that a false accusation not weigh him down at all before him. But since the aforesaid Peter declares that his own property is being retained among the coloni [tenant-farmers] of the Church, we wish that he may have it without the hindrance of anyone, provided, however, that there is in this manner license for exacting it. For even if he shall be found to be culpable, he ought not to lose his property, but to receive in his own person a worthy punishment. [Editorial apparatus follows in the source, not part of the letter:] Letter V [otherwise 62, indiction 6]. — Concerning the widow of the deacon, see above, Letter 36 of Book IV. Thus it is read in the Vatican, Norman, Colbert, Rheims, Corbie, and old Edition manuscripts; which passage, certainly obscure, we read altered thus in the Vatican Edition: "finally, that she did not change her religious garb after..." In the recent [editions]: "before she came to the diaconate," against the manuscripts. The Vulgate [reading]: "that the woman in question was joined..." In the printed [editions]: "nor did an accusation [weigh] him"; the Corbie and Norman [manuscripts], in place of "false," have "deceitful." The Colbert, Audoenus, and Lyra [manuscripts]: "but since he declares that the remaining [property]... is being brought back..., let him have it." The Rheims [manuscript] agrees, except that in place of "remaining" it has "left behind." The Beccensis and Sagiensis [manuscripts]: "some property." We have retained the Vulgate reading, having rejected, however, the word "only" — "his own property" — which overturned the sense, and [was added] from elsewhere [...]. Letter VI [otherwise 1]. — Caesena, commonly also Cesena, a city of Italy on the river Sapis, between Sarsina and Ravenna, an episcopal see under the archbishop of Ravenna, situated in the Senones and in Flaminia, which is now called the Province of Romandiola, commonly la Romagna, of the ecclesiastical state. Gussanville. OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT [...] either [...], as you shall foresee, correct, or [...]

AD JOANNEM - PANORMITANUM EPISCOPUM. Cauzam Petri cum Fantino deſensore perquirat dili- genter ſacialque judicium. Gregorius Joanni episcopo Panormitano. Quia sunt culpz in quibus culpa est relaxare vin- dictam (Grat., dist. 28, c. 10), quzrenda semper est veritas, ut inquiri debeat utrum accus3tum noxa con- demnet, an a pena innocentia patefacta subducat. Itaque pervenitad nos Fantinum defensorem ultionem exercere in Pelrum Jatorem presentium voluisse, pro eo quod, quantum dicitur, ® relictam cujusdam diaconi, tempore quo conduetor ſuerat, marito tradi- derit. Sed quoniam iste conjugem diaconi asserit non ſuisse, dicens nec yirginem illam ad eum venisse, > denique ut nec religiosam mutare vestem prasu- meret pos!quam ille in ordine sacro promotus est, adjiciens etiam priusquam *© ad diaconem perveniret et poslea praya illam opinione vixisse, ideo ſraterni- lalem twam his hortamur affatibus, ut cum Dei, sic- ut decet, timore, causam hanc subtili omnino in- vesligatione perquirat ; et si ita in conjugio diaconi * mulier ſuisse conslilerit, et suprascriptus lator me- morato defensori et rectori patrimonii ad vindictam modis omnibus tradatur, et cum competenti emen- datione ji qui male sociati sunt disjungantur. Si ve- ro in ejus conjugio non ſuit, memoratum Fantinum ex nostro mandats commonere ie vyolumus, ut eis ſacere nil presumat, * nec falsa illum accusalio apud eum in alique preegravet. ! Quia vero res $uas ante- dictus Petrus apud Eeclesie colonos perhibet retine- ri, volumus ut sine cujusquam impedimento eas ha- beat, I2G4h $i tamen ita est exigendi licenlia. Nam et $i inventus ſuerit esse culpabilis, non res 8uas amittere, sed in 8e debet dignam ultionem suscipere. Ee1sr. V [Al. 62, ind. 6]. — * De relicta diaconi 8upra, epist. 36 lib. rv. Ira legitur in Vatic., Norm., Colbert., Rhem., Corb., et in vet. Edit,, quem locum sane obscurum lic mulatum legimus in Edit. Vatlic., denique nec religiosam mulazse vestem, postquam. . © In recent., privsquam ad diaconatum perveniret, invitis Mss. 4d Vulgali , mulierem de qua agitur junclam ſuisse. * In Excusis, nec illum accusatio. Corb. et Norm., pro falsa, habent fallaz. Colbert., Aud., Lyran., quia vero reliquam..... per- hibet reducere...», cum habeat. Rhemensis consentit, nHisi quod pro reliquam habet reflictam. Becc. et Sag., rem aliquam. Vulgatam lectionem retinuimus, reje- cla lamen voce solum _ res 8Uas, Qu@ -SenSun everlebat, aliundeque a p t. Eeisr.- VI [Al. 1}. — * Czsena, vulgo eliam Ce- sena, urbs ltaliz ad Sapim fluvium, Sarsinam inter et Ravennam, episcopalis sub archiepiscopo Raven- male, Sila in Senonibus et in Flaminia, que nunc Provincia Remandiola dicitur, vulgo la Romagna, Slalus ecclesiastici. GUSSANv. SANCTI GREGORII MACNI pam aut ww, Sicut praevideris, corrige , aut no- A