Letter 6012: Since our Redeemer, the Maker of every creature, vouchsafed to assume human flesh for this end, that, the chain of slavery wherewith we were held being broken by the grace of His Divinity, He might restore us to pristine liberty, it is a salutary deed if men whom nature originally produced free, and whom the law of nations has subjected to the y...

Gregory to Montana and Thomas. Since our Redeemer, the Creator of all, saw fit to take on human flesh precisely so that -- by the grace of His divinity breaking the chains of slavery that bound us -- He might restore us to our original freedom, it is a wholesome thing when people whom nature brought into the world free, but whom the law of nations has subjected to the yoke of slavery, are restored through the gift of manumission to the liberty in which they were born. Accordingly, moved by compassion and by the merits of your case, I hereby declare you, Montana and Thomas, servants of the holy Roman Church over which I serve by God's help, to be free from this day forward. I make you Roman citizens and release to you all your personal property. Furthermore, since you, Montana, declare that you have set your heart on the monastic life, I today give and grant you two unciae from the estate that the priest Gaudiosus is known to have left you by his last will -- on the condition that all of it goes entirely to the benefit of the monastery of Saint Laurence, where the abbess Constantina presides and where, by God's mercy, you are about to make your profession. However, if it should come to light that you have concealed any portion of the property left by Gaudiosus, the whole must be transferred to the possession of our Church. To you, Thomas, whom I wish to further honor by enrolling among the notaries: I likewise give and grant you today, by this writ of manumission, the five unciae that the priest Gaudiosus left you as inheritance by his last will, together with the dowry he had given your mother -- with this condition attached: that if you die without legitimate children born in lawful marriage, everything I have granted you shall revert to the ownership of the holy Roman Church.

Book VI, Letter 12 To Montana and Thomas. Gregory to Montana, etc. Since our Redeemer, the Maker of every creature, vouchsafed to assume human flesh for this end, that, the chain of slavery wherewith we were held being broken by the grace of His Divinity, He might restore us to pristine liberty, it is a salutary deed if men whom nature originally produced free, and whom the law of nations has subjected to the yoke of slavery, be restored by the benefit of manumission to the liberty in which they were born. And so, moved by loving-kindness and by consideration of this case, we make you, Montana and Thomas, servants of the holy Roman Church which with the help of God we serve, free from this day, and Roman citizens, and we release to you all your private property. And, inasmuch as you, Montana, declare that you have applied your mind to monastic profession, we therefore this day give and grant to you two unciæ, which the presbyter Gaudiosus by the disposition of his last will is known to have left to you in the way of institution , provided that all go in all respects to the advantage of the monastery of Saint Laurence, over which the abbess Constantina presides, and in which by the mercy of God you are about to make profession. But, if it should appear that you have in any way concealed any part of the property left by the above-written Gaudiosus, the whole of this must undoubtedly be transferred to the possession of our Church. Moreover to you, Thomas above-written, whom for enhancement of your freedom we desire also to serve among the notaries, we in like manner this day give and grant by this writ of manumission the five unciæ which the aforesaid presbyter Gaudiosus by his last will left to you under the title of inheritance, together with the dowry which he had bestowed upon your mother; to wit with this annexed law and condition, that, in case of your dying without legitimate children, that is children born in lawful wedlock, all that we have granted you shall revert without any diminution to the possession of the holy Roman Church. But, if you should have children both in wedlock, as we have said, and recognized by the law, and should leave them surviving you, then we appoint you to remain master of this same property without any condition, and give you full power to make a will with respect to it. These things, then, which we have appointed and granted by this charter of manumission, know that we and our successors will observe without any demur. For the rule of justice and reason suggests that one who desires his own orders to be observed by his successors should undoubtedly keep to the will and ordinances of his predecessor. This writ of manumission we have dictated to the notary Paterius to be put in writing, and for the fullest security have subscribed it with our own hand, together with three chief presbyters and three deacons, and have delivered it to you. Done in the city of Rome. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360206012.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.