Letter 7043: Gregory to Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna. It has for some time reached us from the report of many that the monasteries constituted in the district of Ravenna are everywhere aggrieved by the domination of your clergy; so that — grievous to be said — under the pretext of government they take possession of them as if they were their own. Condoling ...
Pope Gregory the Great→Marinianus|c. 596 AD|Pope Gregory the Great|Human translated
Gregory to Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna.
For some time now, reports have been reaching me from many sources that the monasteries in the district of Ravenna are being systematically burdened by the domination of your clergy. It grieves me to say it, but under the pretext of oversight, clerics are treating these monasteries as their own property.
Out of deep concern for these communities, I wrote to your predecessor directing him to correct this abuse. He died before he could act, and I then wrote to your Fraternity about the same matter. Since nothing has been done so far, I am writing to you a second time.
I urge you: set aside all delays and excuses. Relieve these monasteries of this burden. From now on, no cleric or person in holy orders should have access to a monastery except to pray, or if invited to celebrate Mass. And to prevent monasteries from being burdened through the promotion of monks -- if any abbot or monk takes on a clerical office or sacred order, he must no longer exercise authority in his former monastery. Otherwise, that promotion becomes a back door for imposing exactly the burdens I am forbidding.
Do not delay after this second warning. If I learn that you have been negligent -- which I trust will not be the case -- I will be compelled to take other measures to secure the peace of these monasteries. Let it be known: I will not allow the servants of God to be subjected to this kind of interference any longer.
Book VII, Letter 43
To Marinianus, Bishop.
Gregory to Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna.
It has for some time reached us from the report of many that the monasteries constituted in the district of Ravenna are everywhere aggrieved by the domination of your clergy; so that — grievous to be said — under the pretext of government they take possession of them as if they were their own. Condoling in no small degree with these monasteries, we sent letters to your predecessor bidding him correct this evil. But, seeing that he was soon overtaken by the close of life, we remember having written in like manner to your Fraternity, lest this burden on the monasteries should continue. And because, as we have discovered, there has been loitering so far in the correction of this thing, we have thought fit to address you a second time by this letter. We exhort you, then, that, putting aside all delay and all excuses, you so study to relieve these monasteries from this kind of grievance that clerics, or such as are in sacred orders, may henceforth have no leave of access to them on any other ground except only for the purpose of praying, or if perchance they should be invited for solemnizing the sacred mysteries of mass. But, lest haply the monasteries should sustain a burden through the promotion of any monk or abbot, you must take care that, if any of the abbots or monks of any monastery should accede to any clerical office or sacred order, he shall have, as we have said, no power there any longer, lest under cover of this occasion the monasteries should be compelled to sustain the burdens which we prohibit. Let not your Holiness, then, after this second admonition, delay correcting all this with vigilant care, lest, if we should after this perceive you to be negligent (as we do not believe will be the case), we be compelled to provide otherwise for the quiet of the monasteries. For be it known to you that we will no longer suffer the congregations of the servants of God to be subjected to such requirements. Lest, however, any excuse should be put forward with regard to the monks, let your Fraternity without fail send hither such person as you may see to be serviceable, and we will depute monks to go with him to you, to provide for whom you must place them in monasteries, if indeed there are among you places such as may afford them a maintenance.
◆
Gregory to Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna.
For some time now, reports have been reaching me from many sources that the monasteries in the district of Ravenna are being systematically burdened by the domination of your clergy. It grieves me to say it, but under the pretext of oversight, clerics are treating these monasteries as their own property.
Out of deep concern for these communities, I wrote to your predecessor directing him to correct this abuse. He died before he could act, and I then wrote to your Fraternity about the same matter. Since nothing has been done so far, I am writing to you a second time.
I urge you: set aside all delays and excuses. Relieve these monasteries of this burden. From now on, no cleric or person in holy orders should have access to a monastery except to pray, or if invited to celebrate Mass. And to prevent monasteries from being burdened through the promotion of monks -- if any abbot or monk takes on a clerical office or sacred order, he must no longer exercise authority in his former monastery. Otherwise, that promotion becomes a back door for imposing exactly the burdens I am forbidding.
Do not delay after this second warning. If I learn that you have been negligent -- which I trust will not be the case -- I will be compelled to take other measures to secure the peace of these monasteries. Let it be known: I will not allow the servants of God to be subjected to this kind of interference any longer.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)