Letter 1055: Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon [papal agent managing Church estates in Campania].

TO ANTHEMIUS THE SUBDEACON. That he should suffer neither the poor to be oppressed, nor the son of a free woman to be forced into servitude. Gregory to Anthemius the subdeacon. Not only by frequent instructions, but also, when you were present, I remember to have admonished you rather often, that there, in our stead, you should discharge your office not so much for the advantages of the Church as for the relief of the necessities of the poor, and that you should rather defend them from the oppressions of any person whatsoever. Now Gaudiosus, the bearer of these present letters, has made known to 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 as bondsmen the sons of the aforesaid man for the Church. For when documents had been produced by him, we learned that Sirica, the wife of the present bearer, had once been bestowed by Eia [Aia], of glorious memory, upon a certain woman named Morena, under the title of a donation; [...] and by the same Morena she was set free by letter; and therefore we deem it unbecoming that sons born of a free woman should be dragged back into servitude. Wherefore by present authority we charge your experience that, by these very documents, just as we ourselves have learned, with your mind freed from cares, you attend diligently, so that, if there are no documents on the part of the Church which ought to oppose the documents of this man, you withhold yourself from troubling him without any further reconsideration. For it is harsh that, while others grant manumissions for their own reward, those should be revoked by the Church, whose duty it was to protect them. Therefore again and again we necessarily admonish your experience that there you examine, with all integrity of mind, the disputes which are pending between the poor and the holy Roman Church, and so manage the affairs of the patrimony that you do not depart from the kindness of justice.

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.