Letter 2092

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Luminosus, abbot Date: ~592 AD Context: Gregory informs Abbot Luminosus that all the burdens which had been imposed on his monastery have been removed, so that divine service may be performed there with full attention. Gregory to Luminosus, abbot. I write to inform you that all the burdens and encumbrances which had been improperly imposed upon your monastery have been removed. The monastery should now be free to pursue its proper purpose — the worship of God and the formation of souls — without the distraction and depletion of resources that these impositions had caused. This is as it should be. A monastery is not a revenue-producing institution to be taxed and burdened for the benefit of outside parties; it is a community dedicated to God, and its resources should be devoted to that dedication. The church has an obligation to protect such communities, not to exploit them. See to it that your monastery now functions as it should. If any new impositions are attempted, bring them immediately to my attention. God's work in your house should proceed without hindrance. Gregory

AD LUMINOSUM ABBATEN. Scribit omnia graramina a monasterio illins ablata, ul ibi divinum opus $umma lranquillitate ac devotione ecclesiarum et monasteriorum evenerit , et. pacifice C peragatur. non potuerit ordinari, apud electos 'abbates et alios Patires limentes Deum, sine vyoluntaria dilatione me- diis sacrosanciis Eyangeliis finiatur. Deſuncio vero abbale cnjusquam copgregationis, non extraneus nisi de eadem congregatione, quem sibi prop ia voluntate concars ſratrum socielas elegerit, et qgi electus ſuerit Sine dolo vel venalitate aliqua , ordinetur. Quod 8i _ aplam inter se personam invenire nequeunt, $0ler- 4er $ibi .de aliis monasteriis similiter eligant ordi- nandum. Neque conslituto abbate GQ&4 quecunque persana qualibet occasione preponalur, nisi ſorie exstaniibus criminibus, quod absit, quz sacri cano- nes punire monstrantur. Pariter autem custodien- dum est ut invito abbate ad ordinanda alia monaste- Gregorius Luminoso abbati monasteriisancti * The» me 0e Arimino. Petitionem tuam congregationisque tuz libenter 8y$Cepimus, 8ecundum slatuta Patrum jurigque ſor- mam tuis precibus accommodantes effectum. Castorio siquidem fratri et coepiscopo nostro, nodtra proe- ceplione (ransmissa ei epistola 8uccess0ribus cjus, et ria aut ordiues sacros vel clericatus officium 1olli D fectis, in GOSH Dei opere estote 80lliciti , et assidue exinde monachi non debeant. Descriptiones quoque rerum aut monaslerii ab episcopis ecclesiaslicas fieri omnino negamus. Sed $i, quando res exigit, abbas Juni, ind. 14. In Colb. vet., data in die... indict. 415. lu Vulgalis : Mense Julio , indict. 15. Quas temporis notas ſalsas suspicamur ; qua rFatione vero , jam alibi dictum. Quia autem hec epistola in 'Tyron. S. Gat. el in Cod. Regio 3800 longe alio modo refertur quam in Vulgalis, eique attexitur charta de privilegiis mo- naSteriorum, urrumque vYelus monumentum edendum curavimus. Lergitur apud Baron. svb nomine consli- luti de exemplione vel excepitione monachorum © Per modum tiluli mayjori charactere. De privilegiis, ec. operam orationi date, ne non videatur magis yobiy « quzsita mentis in oratione securitas, sed male, quod absit, degentibus episcopalis evitata districtio » 3. Prohibitionem firmat ex consnetudine lib. v1, episl. 46; hic vero rationem aperit genuiaam, ne in 8erro- rum Dei recessibns, etc. Ut missz2 in monasterio 3 presbyteris cum episcopi licentia celebrentur conce- dit lubens ; at ne episcopus miss3$ ihi publ:cas facial, cayet $umnmopere , ob causam duplicem in ipso ept- $tolz contextu aperte expressam. Vide lib. mn, epist 63, lib. y, epist. 38, lib. v1, epi-t. 46. Eerisr. XL. — * Jn 1 Telter., sancti Andre@.