Letter 5004: Gregory to Constantius, Bishop of Mediolanum (Milan). If licence to be restored to their rank be granted to the lapsed, the force of ecclesiastical discipline is undoubtedly broken, while in the hope of restoration each person fears not to give way to his evil inclinations. Your Fraternity, for instance, has consulted us as to whether Amandinus,...

Gregory to Constantius, Bishop of Milan. If we allow clergy who have fallen from grace to be restored to their positions, we effectively destroy the force of church discipline — because anyone tempted to misconduct will simply count on being reinstated afterward. Your Brotherhood has asked me, for example, whether Amandinus, a former priest and abbot who was deposed by your predecessor for serious misconduct, should be returned to his rank. The answer is no. I rule that this absolutely cannot be done. However, if his way of life now warrants it, you may — since he has been completely stripped of his sacred office — assign him a place in a monastery ahead of other monks, as you see fit. Above all, make sure that no one's pleading persuades you to restore fallen clergy to their sacred orders. Otherwise, the punishment will look like a temporary measure rather than a definitive judgment. As for Vitalianus, the former priest about whom you write that he should be kept under strict watch — I will have him sent to Sicily, where, cut off from any hope of leaving, he may at last devote himself to genuine repentance. Likewise, I have ordered that Jobinus of Portus Veneris, once a deacon and abbot, be removed from his office, and I have written that another should be ordained in his place. Similarly, the three subdeacons your Brotherhood reported as having fallen are to be permanently removed from their offices, with nothing beyond lay communion permitted to them. I have also required the former priest Saturninus to give a formal guarantee that he will never again presume to exercise the ministry of his sacred order. He is to remain, stripped of his office, on the same island where he has been, though I permit him to retain the care and oversight of that place.

Book V, Letter 4 To Constantius, Bishop. Gregory to Constantius, Bishop of Mediolanum (Milan). If licence to be restored to their rank be granted to the lapsed, the force of ecclesiastical discipline is undoubtedly broken, while in the hope of restoration each person fears not to give way to his evil inclinations. Your Fraternity, for instance, has consulted us as to whether Amandinus, ex-presbyter and ex-abbot, who was deposed by your predecessor for fault requiring it, should be called back to his rank; which thing is not allowable; and we decree that it cannot on any account be done. Yet, if it should be the case that his manner of life deserves it, seeing that he has been deprived altogether of his sacred office, assign him a place in a monastery, as you may see fit, before other monks. Above all things, then, take care that no one's supplication persuade you in any way to restore the lapsed to their sacred orders, lest such punishment should be supposed not to be definitely ordained for them, but only a temporary expedient. As to Vitalianus the ex-presbyter, about whom you write that he should be strictly guarded, we will cause him to be sent into Sicily, that, being deprived of all hope of departure thence, he may then at least constrain himself to penitential bewailing. Jobinus also, of Portus Veneris, once deacon and abbot, we have decreed to be deprived of his office, and written that another should be ordained in his place. In like manner also we decree that the three subdeacons, whom your Fraternity has notified to us as having lapsed, shall ever cease from and stand deprived of their office, and that nothing beyond lay communion be allowed them. Further, we have adjudged the ex-presbyter Saturninus to give security that he will not ever presume to approach the ministry of his sacred order. And we desire him to remain, with deprivation of his sacred order, in the same island in which he was, permitting him to have and exercise care and solicitude with respect to monasteries; for we believe that, his lapse having made him more wary, he will now the more carefully keep guard over those who are committed to him. Further, concerning John, notary of your church, the charity wherewith we love you and have long loved you warns us to write, lest you should order anything with regard to him while you are still provoked by his fault. Guarding, then, against this, enquire fully by all means in your power into the possessions of your church; by which means neither may you offend God, nor may he be able to find a ground for accusing you before men. For we write, not as defending John or commending him personally without reason, but lest your soul should be in any way burdened with sin under the incitement of anger. Whence it is needful, as we have before said, that you should by no means neglect to enquire, in the fear of God, with a full investigation into the possessions of your church. Furthermore, the epistle of your most dear Fraternity has caused us to wonder much with respect to the person of Fortunatus. But either that letter was not dictated by you, or certainly, if it is yours, we by no means recognize in it our brother the lord Constantius. For you ought to have paid, and still ought to pay, attention to the fact that it is in behalf of your reputation that we write. For, when he asserts that he suffers wrong among you, and has been unable to procure the guardian's (defensoris) aid, what else does he intimate but ill-will on your part? Wherefore, that neither this affair may dim your reputation in some quarters nor damage possibly ensue in any way with good cause to your church, you ought to send hither a person instructed by you, that the nature of the case may be examined, and the matter terminated, without ill-will on your part. And for this reason especially, that if, after his complaint, sentence should be pronounced among yourselves in your favour, he will be believed to have been defeated, not reasonably, but by power alone. But we, out of the charity wherewith we are bound to you, desist not from admonishing you to do what will be for your good repute, knowing that, though this exhortation saddens you for the time, it will afterwards cause you joy, when the animosity of contention has passed away. In the month of September, Indiction 13. (In Vatic. The month of December, Indict. 13.)

CONSTANTIUM EPISCOPUM. Id de lapsis decernit quod antecedenti epistola. Con- s!antio 8cribit ut Joannem puniens iram caveat. Ut ejusdem Constantii ſame consulatur. Finiendam Rome causam Fortunati. Gregorius Conslantio episcopo Medin.anens. Si lapsis ad suum ordinem revertendi licentia con- cedatur, vigor canonicze procul dubio frangitur disci- pline, dum per reversionis spem prav:e actiouis de- ideria quisque concipere non ſormidat (Grat. dist. 50, c. 1). Fraternitas siquidem veslra nos consiluit, ji 73Q Amandinus expresbytero et abbate, qui a zU0 est decessore culpa exigente depositus, in eo quo ſueral ordine constitutus debeat revocari. Quod qui- Jem nec licet, nec fieri posse aliqua ratione decerni- mus. Ejus tamen si conversatio forle merueril, Sacro per omnia sicuti est privatus officio, in monaster:0 eum ante alios, ul pr:cvideritis, monachos ordinate. [l/ud igitur prae omnibus £tudelte, ut laps0s in Sacrum ordinem nullius vobis supplicatio aliquo modo revo- care Suadeat, ne hujusmodi non stitula, sed tempo- raliter dilata credatur eis esse vindicta. Vitalianum vero * expresbyterum, de quo sscribilis at districte deheat custodiri, in Siciliam dirigi facie- mus ut, .spe discedendi sublata, in penitentiz se sal- lem tunc lamenta constringat. Jobinum quoque de portu Veneris quondam diaconum et abbatem suo Jecrevimus privandum officio, atque ut aller in ejus loco debeat ordinari Scripsimus. Similiter etiam ct tres subdiaconos quos fraternitas veslra lapsos inno- lui et su0 Semper vacare ac decernimus privatos of- licio, quibus nihil al;ud quam inter laicos sacra esl prebenda communio. Saturninum vero expresbyte- run ne ad sacri ordinis ministerium praesumat un- quam accedere, deputavimus Þ facere cautionem. Kumque in eadem qua ſuerat insula cum sacri ordinis privatione volumus permanere, permittentes ei curam et Sollicitudinem de monasteriis habere vel gerere, quem el ex s10 [apsu cautiorem factum cum credimus commiss0s sihi jam nunc sollicitius custodire. De Joanne autem Ecclesiz vesir# notario charitas nos qua Vos diligimus olimque dileximus ut scribe- remus admonuit, ne dum ejus culpa provocal, ali= quid quod ad peccatum pertinet fieri mandaretis. Joc erg» caventes, Ecclesize veslrz res subliliter A dendo, vel contra rationem commendando ejus per- SOnam, Sed ne veslra magis anima, Stimulante ſurorc, in aliquo gravaretur, scripsimus. Unde necesse est ul, Sicut przefati sumus, Ecclesiz veslrz res 8ybtili inves- ligatione cum Dei tiwore perquirere minime negligalis» Praelerez mulium nos de Fortunati pergona cha- risSim@ ſraternitalis veslrz mirari ſecit epistola. Sed aut a vobis minjine scripta jpsa 4 dictala sunt, aut certe s{ yesIra 8unl, nos in cis ſratrem postrum dom- num Constantium nequaquam agnoscimus. Debuistis clenim et aqhuc debetis atlendere quja pro vestra est opinione quod scribimus. Nam dum JS1 illic se pradictus Fortunatus violentiam sustjnere nec de- ſensoris * auxvilium invenire potuisse commemoral, quid aliud nisi vestram aUlingit ipvidiam ? Ergo ut B uec opinionem vestram h@c res apud quosdam offu- Scet, nec Ecclesize veslire possit fieri in aliquo, si bova causa ESL, det imentum, justructaw huc debelis maudare personain, ut cause qualitas irutinala sine vestia possit invidia lerminari. Quonjiam praeseriim post ejus querelam, si iIlic pro yeslris partibus fuerit dicta sententia, non rationabiliter, «ed sola poteslale credetur superatus. Nos vero pro charilate qua vobis astringimur, qua pro opinione vestra Sunt, ut facere debeatis non desistimus admonere. Scientes quia elsi Vos ad Lleinpus adborlalio ista contristat, posiea lamen deposita contentionis intentione lxlificat. f Mense Septembri, igdictione 13,