Letter 14006: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

To Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna. That he should restore Abbot Fortunatus, who was unjustly deposed, and rebuke the bishop because he had, without cause, altered arrangements ordained by his predecessor. Gregory to Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna. Since it is altogether unfitting that anyone should be suspended by mere will from an office he has undertaken, when no fault removes him, it must be carefully arranged that neither should a prior ordination be irrationally destroyed, nor should those things which have followed badly be left without correction. And so Fortunatus, the bearer of these present letters, in the monastery of Saints Lawrence and Zeno, which is established in the fortress of Caesena, asserting that the office of abbot had been entrusted to him by Natalis, the late bishop, now complains that he has been removed from it by his successor Concordius, no fault existing therefrom, and that another has been ordained in his place. Which, also in the presence of certain of our deacons, with the deacon of the aforesaid Concordius, his bishop, present and pleading his case, was shown in part to be so. But since a surer proof can be had in those regions where the matter was transacted, let your Fraternity diligently and carefully strive to investigate this. And if no manifest cause of deposition existed which would remove the aforesaid Fortunatus from the office of abbot, let him hasten to restore him to his own place, and let him not cease to upbraid his bishop with a fitting rebuke, as to why he has contrived to destroy the ordination of his predecessor, provoked by no transgressions. But if the other party should say that the case is otherwise than we have been informed, the truth is to be sought by subtle investigation; and so whatever the canonical order shall require is to be settled, in such a way that no fresh complaint may remain concerning the matter. Given in the month of October, in the seventh indiction.

AD MARINIANUM RAVENNATEM EPISCOPUM. Fortunatum abbalem injusle depozitum reslituat, ef episcopum reprehendat quod a pradecessore ordinala absque causa mulaverit. Gregorius Mariniano episcopo Ravennz. Quia incongruum valde est a suscepto officio ola quemquam voluntate suspendi, quem culpa non re- movet, $0llicite disponendum est ut nec prior ordi- natjo irrationabiliter des(ruatur, nec sine emenda- tione quz male secuta fuerint relinquantur. Fortu- natus itaque, lator przsentium, in monasterio 8an- ctorum Laurentii et Zenonis, quod ® in Czsenati castro est constitutum, a Natali quondam episcopo officium $iÞbi abbatis asserens esse commissum, nune R $2 a Successore ejus Concordio Þ nujla existente culpa exinde remotum, atque aliuin in loco 8uo que- ritur ordinatum. Quod etiam coram quibusdam dia- conis nostris, presente diacono przedicti Concordii episcopi sui causas allegante, ex parte ita esse per- . Claruit, Sed quoniam © certior in partibus illis ubi res acta est potest esse probatio, ſraternitas tua di- ligenter atque sollicite hoc studeat perscrutari. Ft si nulla maniſesta causa depositionis exstitit, quz pre dictum Fortunatum abbatis officio removeret, eum in suum locum reformare ſestinet, atque ejus episco- pum digna reprehensione increpare non desinat, cur decesgo0ris sui, nullis provocatas excessibus, destruere ordinationem molitus sit. Si vero aliter quam edocti SUMUS Causam esse pars altera dixerit, subtili veritas C invesligatione quzrenda est; et ita quidquid canoni- cus ordo poposcerit terminandum, ut nulla ea de re denuo querela remaneat. 4 Data mense Octobri, in- dictione 7. |