Letter 13048: The monks of the island of Capri have allowed their discipline to deteriorate to a state that is an embarrassment to...

When the character of faults provokes the canonical severity against itself, we ought not to put off those things which must be corrected, lest by overlooking them we seem to lend strength to those depraved deeds which it is fitting that we prune away with the sickle of discipline. Since therefore it has come to us that the monks of the monastery which is situated on the island of Capraria, which lies near the island likewise of Majorica [Majorca], so conduct themselves perversely and have surrendered their life to various crimes, that they show themselves rather to be soldiers not of almighty God but of the ancient enemy, which we say with groaning, let your Experience [the addressee], being admonished by the present authority, take care to go to the aforesaid monastery and to inquire by subtle investigation into the life and conduct of those dwelling there, and so, whatever things you find worthy of pruning away, as the canonical order requires, to correct with fitting punishment, and to take care to instruct them in those things which they ought to observe, so that the manner of your correction may avail both to lead these men back to the way of right conduct and in no way to accuse you before us as blameworthy.

Ubi canonicam districtionem culparum contra se qualitas excitat, postponere ^ quae corrigenda sunt non debemus, ne dissimulatione vires dare*" pravis actibus, quos falcc^ nos disciplinae resecare convenit, videamur. Quia igitur peryenit ad nos monachos monasterii, quod in Capria^ insula, quae iuxta Maiorica® item' insula, est positum^S ita perverse^ agere ac vitam suam diversis facinoribus summisisse, ut non omnipotenti Deo, sed .antiquo se hosti, quod cum gemitu dicimus, ostendant potius militare, experientia tua praesenti auctoritate commonita ad^ praedictum monasterium accedere *>) monasteria R2; mon^l. °) conseusus re Rl. add. se q*J,q3. «) ei Rl. ') corr. in lanuario Rl; lanuari R2. 8) omni gS. privata Q*1.2, sed corr. in probata q*2; pravata q3. ^) ita ec2(2.;j dixerit q*3 et ex iusserit corr, q*2; iusserit, mprascr, vel dixerit q3: iuRRerit R1.q1.q*1. XIII, 48. ») preponere Rl, »>) daret Ql,Q*l, sed corr, q1, ^) ex falces corr, Rl, Capri XIII, 48, De lohanne eiusque Uinere cf. ep. praeced. 1) De Isla Cabrera cufitwr: cf. Gania, Kvrchengeffchichte von Spamen II, /, 188, II, 2, 33 s., qui recte cotUendit, e.v hac ep. effici non posse Imh imulas tunc ad Hiapaniam pertinuisse, qutppe qnae ttmparilms Vandalarnm a Vandtdis et Vmulalis derictis a Sardinia prorincia penderent. et vitam moresque illic conversantium suptili studeat^ investigatione perquirere et ita, quaeque resecatione digna reppererit, sicut canonicus ordo desiderat^, congrua ultione corrigere atque eos, quae™ observare debeant, studeat° informare**, quatenus emenda- tionisP tuae modus et istos ad viam rectae conversationis reducere et te apud nos nullo modo valeat accusare culpabilem.