Letter 1054: A monastery dedicated to the holy proto-martyr Stephen is to be consecrated, and it is right that such a dedication...

To John, Bishop of Sorrento. That in the monastery of Saint Stephen he should solemnly enshrine the relics of Saint Agatha. Gregory to John, Bishop of Sorrento. [...] so that a faithful devotion may obtain a speedy effect. And since Savinus, abbot of the monastery of Saint Stephen on the island of Capri, has suggested to us that he has long ago been granted to have with him the relics of the holy martyr Agatha, and wishes those holy relics [sanctuaria] to be placed in his own monastery, therefore we order you to go to the aforesaid monastery, and, if it is established that no body is buried in that same place, you shall solemnly install the aforesaid holy relics there, so that he may obtain the effect of his devotion. LETTER LV. To Anthemius, Subdeacon. That he should allow neither the poor to be oppressed, nor the son of a free woman to be forced into servitude. Gregory to Anthemius, Subdeacon. We remember that we have admonished you not only by frequent instructions, but also often in person while you were present, that there, in our stead, you should perform your office not so much for the benefit of the Church's interests as for the relief of the necessities of the poor, and that you should defend them rather from anyone's oppressions. Now then, the bearer of these present letters, Gaudiosus, has informed us that violence is being done to him by the agents of the holy Roman Church, over which by God's authority we preside, asserting that they wish to claim his sons for that aforesaid Church. For when documents had been produced by him, we recognized that Sirica, the wife of the bearer of these present letters, had formerly been bestowed by the Church, of glorious memory, upon a certain woman Morena by title of donation, and had been manumitted by that same Morena through a letter; and therefore we consider it unbecoming that the sons born of his offspring from a free woman should be dragged back into servitude. For this reason we instruct your experience by the present authority that, with a mind freed from cares, you attend diligently to these very documents, just as we ourselves have learned them, so that, if there are no documents on the part of the Church by which they ought to oppose the documents of this man, you suspend the Church from troubling him without any further reconsideration. For it is hard that, if others grant their freedoms in exchange for their reward, they should be recalled by the Church which ought to have protected them. Therefore again and again we necessarily admonish your experience that there, in the disputes which arise between the poor and the holy Roman Church, you examine with all integrity of mind, and so carry out the interests of the patrimony, that you do not depart from the kindness of justice.

AD JOANNEM EPISCOPUM SURRENTINUM. Ut in sancti Slephani monasterio s«ncle Agathe re- liquias 8Jlemniter collucet. Gregorius Joanni episcopo Surreuling. 4 Dubito 3n non vox illa irrepseril, siquidem ista conversalio res C>t p'eva periculi et Su>piciosissima, Vide concilium Nicanum, can. 5; Gregorium Ma- gnum, Dialog. lib. rv, cap. 20, dz pre>bytero Ur- Sino, ldevque quod ait lib, vi, epist. 3), nrores non relinquant, interpretor, curam carum nou deserant, vim eis adwi:.isirent. In Agath., can. 16 : Nox ordinentur conjugati, nisi sequesiralo mansionis cubi- culo. Turonense u, can. 12, de episcops conjugen bhabente, ait: Propter Deun zelotem tant longe absnt mansionis propinquitate dirisl, nt, Clu. EL can. 29 cinsdemn concilii cavetur ne preshyleri cum $0is con- jugibus maneant; 8ed Segregatim Solitary in cella ja« eant, orent, dormiant. Quia null clericorum, juxla Sententiam canonum, Cum conjuge Suga mancre permitiitur, elec. Negotium tamen lecit conciligm Carthaginense 1m, can. 17, quem crivei Subtilivres expendent. luterea indico Gregor: Turonen-1s Hr- Styria lib, 1, cap. 38, et eju>dem de Gloria con'ess., Cap. 36 et 78. Gr>saxv., Sacerdotes, diaconus vt Subd, post conjugium ordinatos cum uxoribus $11$ couversari velant quidem Gallie concilia hve ips0 Sex S{xcenlo Co:gregata. Agath., can. 16: Twon, 11, can. 12, 19, Avurelian. iv, can. IT; Lngdun. mn, cap. 1- Vide Greg. Turon., lib. 1 Hist., cap. 5). Et de Gloria covless., cap. 78. Nondum tamen in ftatta 1d prokibiinm tur>se, modo wrpts abesst SUspicto, Mui sauctus . Gregorins, tum bir, tum epst. IY lib. 1x, et lib, iy diralog., cop. 2. fHuc conuctudmi patrocinabatur can. Apostol. 5 : Episcopns, rel pres- byter, ved diaronus uxrorem Suaum non Cjictut religions _ prelextn. "I in _mnullo alio Cod. legimns quam in Turon. S, Gol. ter. LH (AL. 1), — + Siponem, yulgo Stporto, urbs ohm Apuiy, episeepalts, tf Ora maritima :d Ladies ments Gorgani, ed exciSa;; cut SUCCES>), Maniredoaia, quiz Sipoutum novum dict potesl. UL>axv. sum, ut lidelis devotio celerem $orliatur effectum, Et quoniam Savinus abbas monasterii gapei Ste- Phani * insul;e Capris Suggessit nobis $eÞ sanctze Azgathe Mariyris reliquias jam olim apud se habere concessas, ct in monasterio $10 vyult ipsa Sanctuaria collocari, ide» ad pr:edictum monasterium te jube- mus accedere, et, © si ibidem nullum corpus conslat humatum, 4 predicta sanctuaria. 8olemniter colloca- bis, ut devotionis $u:e potiatur effectu. EPISTOLA LY. AD ANTHENIUN SUBDIACONUM. Ut neque pauperes opprimi, neque libere mulieris fi- lium ad zerritutem cogi patiathr. Gregorius Anthemio subdiacono, Nou solum fre uentibus praeceptionibus, sed etiarn presentem te sxpius Monuisse me meminj, ut illic ' vice nostra, non tantum pro utilitatibus ecclesiasti- cis, quantum pro $Sublevandis paupernm necessitati- bus fungereris, et eos magis a cuj»slibet oppress:0- nibus vindicares. Prasentium ergo lator Gaud:osus inSinuavit nobis ab actorjbus sancte Romanz, cui Deo auctore presidemus, Ecclesiz 8ibi violentiam irrogari, asserens quod {iliqs suos viri predicts Ec- clesie velint vindicare. Oblatis etenim' ab eo docu- mentis, agnovimus Siricam uxorem presentium . porlitoris, ab Ecia quondam glorios:® memorize, D Morenz cuidam ſeminz titulo donationis ſuisse lar- EeisT. LIV (Al. 52). — ® Capreze sive Caprea, vulyo Capri, insula Campaniz adzacens. Guss..In uno Vatic., Norm., Coib.' et pler., legitur, Cabris. In Turon., Calabris. Carth-:ginensis, quo4 ad calcem Actorum Mart. a nos(ro Th, Ruinart est editum, © Ibidem, hoc est in ipsomet loco ubi relquiz col- locari debent ; non _autem exigirur v1 in hoe mona- Slerio nulla hominum cadavera condita .essent. Qui cum fieri poluisset ut nulla hie jacerent corpora, cum alium ad sep-liendos fratres svos locum muna- chi non | aberent, lmo ipsis in eccle-jis £e1 oraloris, qua Sine _rehquiarum $Sacris pignoribus non - Cone- crabantur, nll velabat quorninns fidelium moriuo- rum corpora humarentar, ut conslat ex Ib. rv Dial., cap. 50, 21, 52 1 55. Cur vero caulionem hanc >an- eliS>}mus poutiſex adhibuerit, querit Gussanv, Du- plex occurrit ratio. Prim? bumala c:rpors loco 1mo- Yeri non Sinchint leges : Pergit audacia ad busla de- ſunclorum , el zaggeres Ccons-cratos, inquit Jutian, Augusl., lib. v Cog. Theod. Ft Jusbnian,, de Sep. Vivilat. Cum ot lap dem hinc moreie, et terram $olli- c:lare, et ce>pitem roller”, proxinum 8@crilegio majores Semp-r habuerint. Vide Spoid., de cemeteriis Sacris, lib. 1, parie 1, cap. 9, Secundo neque etiam cum profuns osSibus alque impiorum rel.quiis miscenda eraut Martyrum >a:ctuatia, ave quibus 8b allari 1S0 Conditis ecclesia vel vialutium nun Cousecra- batur. _ 4 Saucluaria' Sunt reliquize, ut jntellig:tur tum eL hoc luco, wn ex mulls aliis epist. Vide lib. uy episl. 32, et alibi passiw. $17 gitany, et ab*eadem Morena per epistolam * manumig- A 8am ; el ideo indecens esse credimus ut SAS proge- nilj ex libera muliere fi.ii ad servitiam retrakantur. Propterea experientiz luet praesenti auctoritate pracipimnus ut bis ipsis documentis, sicut et nos di- dicimus, exuto a curis animo, diligenter intendat, quatenus $i documenta nulla sunt ab Ecclesiz parte qua documenlis hujus hominis debeaut obviare, ab ejus £e moleslia Sine al:qua retraclatione Suspendat. Durum evim es ut si alii pro mercede $ua liberta- les tribuuyt, ab Ecclesia quam tueri bas oporluerat revocentur. Iterum ergo alque ilterum experientiam tuam neces$ario Submonemus, ut illic 5s que inter pauperes et Romanam Ecclesjam $anclam quzstio- nes vertunlur, omni mentis integrilale .disculiat, Sicque palrimoniales ulilitates peragat, ” ut a beni- gnitale jusSliliz non recedat.