Letter 9024: Our son Theodosius, abbot of the Monastery founded by the late Patrician Liberius in Campania, is known to have intimated to us that the late illustrious lady Rustica about one and twenty years ago, in the will that she made, appointed in the first place Felix, her husband, to be her heir, and delegated to him the foundation of a Monastery in Si...

Gregory to Romanus, Defensor [church legal officer]. Our son Theodosius, abbot of the monastery founded by the late Patrician Liberius in Campania, has reported the following: about twenty-one years ago, the late illustrious Lady Rustica made a will naming her husband Felix as her heir and charging him with founding a monastery in Sicily. She stipulated that if Felix failed to pay all the legacies she had bequeathed to her freedmen, or to establish the monastery as she directed, within one year -- then the holy Roman Church would have an undisputed claim to her share of the estate at Cumae. The Church would then take responsibility for paying those legacies and building the monastery. The bequeathed property has apparently not been fully transferred to the monastery, and some portion is still being held by her heirs. Here is what I need you to do: investigate this case thoroughly. First, determine whether the conditions of the will give our Church a valid legal claim, and if so, act on behalf of the poor as the case requires. Then press for the proper establishment of that monastic community and the recovery of the bequeathed property. The pious intentions of the deceased must be fulfilled in both respects, and those who have unjustly withheld her property need to learn from the consequences the cost of their wrongful retention. Pursue this with energy, and with the Lord's help bring it to resolution. Also, as far as justice allows, support this monastery in every way possible.

Book IX, Letter 24 To Romanus, Guardian (Defensorem). Gregory to Romanus, etc. Our son Theodosius, abbot of the Monastery founded by the late Patrician Liberius in Campania, is known to have intimated to us that the late illustrious lady Rustica about one and twenty years ago, in the will that she made, appointed in the first place Felix, her husband, to be her heir, and delegated to him the foundation of a Monastery in Sicily; but on this condition — that if he should not within the space of one year pay all the legacies bequeathed to her freedmen, or establish the aforesaid Monastery as she desired, then the holy Roman Church should have undisputed claim to the portion which she was understood to have in the farm of Cumas, and that it should lend aid for paying the above legacies, and for the construction of the said monastery. Hence, seeing that, as is said, the bequeathed property has not so far been made over in full to this same monastery, and some part of the possession is up to this time detained by her heirs, let your Experience thoroughly enquire into and examine the case. And in the first place indeed, if under the conditions of the will any heirship comes in wherein our Church may have a plea, we desire you to investigate and clearly ascertain it, and act for the advantage of the poor, as the order of the business may require; and then to be instantly solicitous for the due establishment of that cell, and the recovery of the bequeathed property, to the end that the pious desire of the testatrix may be fulfilled in both respects, and the unjust detainers of the property may learn from just loss the guilt of their undue retention. With all vivacity, then, we desire you both to enquire into this case and, with the help of the Lord, to bring it to an issue, that the pious devotion of the ordainer may at length take effect. But we desire you also, as far as justice allows, to succour this monastery in all ways, that lay persons who ought to have rendered the succour of their assistance may not, as is asserted, have power of doing hurt in the name of the founder.