Letter 9077: The late Bishop Importunus of Atella has died, and two things need attention.

TO ANTHEMIUS THE SUBDEACON. [Summary:] Let him examine the testament of Importunus, bishop of the city of Atella. Let him see to it that a suitable bishop is chosen as quickly as possible, both for Atella and for Cumae. Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon of Campania. It has reached us by the report of certain persons that Importunus, bishop of the city of Atella, when he was departing from this light [i.e. dying], by a testament he had drawn up [...] appointed his daughter-in-law his heir to eight twelfths of his whole substance, and his own Church to the remaining four. We exhort, therefore, your Experience that by careful inquiry you may learn the matter; and whatever shall prove to belong to that Church, in no way suffer it to be retained by any person whatsoever, except only that which it shall be established he possessed as his own before the rank of the episcopate. But whatever you shall come to know either belonged to that Church before, or that the aforesaid bishop acquired while in the rank of the episcopate, [...] let it be preserved in the lordship of that same Church, so that no one may presume to usurp anything therefrom on any occasion whatever [...] let no one presume; and may you not, which God forbid, incur danger to your own rank. We wish you also with all urgency to admonish the clergy and people of that same Church, that without any delay they choose for themselves a priest [bishop] to be set over them, who may be able to manage the clergy and people and the property of that Church with careful and regular observance. Likewise also admonish more urgently the clergy and people of that Church, or of the others which have been united to it, that they too, all delay and postponement set aside, ought to choose for themselves a suitable priest, lest for long, and especially at such a time, they be left destitute of the governance of their own pastor. EPISTLE LXXVII. TO EULOGIUS, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA. [Summary:] The business of the man commended by him having been concluded sooner [than expected]. He complains that he [Eulogius] writes back nothing concerning the arrogance of the bishop of Constantinople. Why he did not send the timbers [...]. Gregory to Eulogius, patriarch of Alexandria. I received the most sweet writings of your Holiness, the bearer of the present letter delivering them, which spoke to me about his case being concluded sooner. But as soon as he came, he recognized in what manner the possession which he was seeking was held by our Church, and quickly rendered an account to himself. Those matters, moreover, which he had with others he settled without uproar. But concerning the matter about which I ought above all to have written to me, your Holiness wrote nothing, in which you judged me also to be slow; and lest perhaps it might break out into the scandal of division, I was unwilling to be the author of that same division. For I chose that those things which are to follow should proceed through others. But in the time following, by God's authority [I am] approved, since in a cause in which I desire to please God I do not fear men. About which I have already taken care to write to you, also when you were coming into the city of Constantinople. The timbers, indeed, just as your Beatitude had written, I had prepared larger ones; but the small ship sent here was such that, unless they were cut down, it could not carry them. These I was unwilling to cut down, but I have reserved to your judgment what ought to be done about them. If, however, they are not necessary to you, we will here adapt them for other uses. But I ask that [...]

AD ANTHEMIUM SUBDIACONUM. Importum, Attellane civilatis episcopi, teslamentum discutiat. Tum Attelle, tum Cumis aptum episco- pum quantocius eligi procuret. Gregorius Anthemio ® Campaniz subdiacono. Quorumdam ad nos relatione perveuit quod impor - tunus, Attellanz civitatis episcopys, dum de hac luce migraret, condito testamento YY(Q Þ in octs uaciis totius 8ubslantie 8u2 nurum suam hexredem instituerit, et Ecclesjiam 8uam in residuis quatuor. Hortamur ergo» experientiam tuam ut sollicita inqui- sitione discatias; et quidquid Ecclesiz ipsius es8e palverit, a qualibet persona detineri nullatenus pa- tiaris, nisi hoc solum quod eum ante episcopatus or- dinem proprium habuisse consliterit. Quidquid vero vel ante Ecclesiz ipsius esse cognoveris, vel in epi- Scopatns ordine predictum episcopum acqu1s1s8e, presumant, et tu periculum ordinis tui, quod absit, Din ejusdem Ecclesiz conservetur dominio , ne Incurras. Eeisr, LXXVY [Al. 25]. — * Misenum urbs olum Episcopalis Campaniz, cujus Roma metropolis. In plurimis Mss. et Editlis legitur Messenat., et in Ep. Seq. Messone, pro Miseni; neque tamen hic agitur ds Messanensi Ecclesia; ea enim de qua hoc loco $cribitur vacabat, episcopo demurtuo, Donus vero Messanensis episcopus non ante indict. 4 obiit. Vide quisquam exinde aliquid usurpare qualibet occasions epist. 46, indict. 4. aic@. Eeisr. LXXVI [Al. 26]. — ® Quinque Valtic., ex- pelite sacerdotem. Eerisr, LXXVII [AL. 53]. — ®* Abest Campanie a Norm. Est in Coll. vet. et aliis ron pavucis. Qui ad iutegram bureditat in advocabantur, hzredes ex asse dicebantur; qui e Iribus . par:jbus duas conse-quebantur, heredes erant in octs wnciis ; -=_ unam -tantum part-m e tribus, in quatuor unciis. imirum as in duodecim uncias dividebatur. Semis Significat dimidiam assis partem, [ praesumat. Clerum vero plebemque ejusdem Eccesiz A cum omni te volumus instantiz commonere, quate- nus preficiendam sibi sine ditatione aliqua eligantc sacerdotem qui clerum plebemqie vel res Eccle-ia ip$vs cavtd regutarique valeat obgservatione dispo- nere. Pariler etiam clerum plebemque jpsius Ecce- .oize vet altiarnm quz ei aonitz snnt insfantius com- moneto, quatenus et ipsi, omni mora dilationeque postposita, aptum sibi eligere debeant 8acerdotern, ve Jiu, et tali pracertim tempore, pastoris proprii sint regimine © des(ituti. EPISTOLA LXXYII. AD EULOGIUM PATRIARCUAM ALEXANDRINUM. Commendati ab ipso hominis finite citius negotia. Queritur quod de Constantinopolitani episcopi arro- gantia nihil rescribat. Ligna cur non miserit lon- Gregorius Eulogio patriarchz Alexandrino. Seripta dulcissime vestr: sanctitatis latore prae- gentivm deſerente suscepi, quiz wihi de ejus causa citius terminanda locuta sunt. Sed mox ut venit, qualiter possessi0 quam quzrebat ®* ab Ecclesia no- Sira tenebatur agnovil, sibique ipsi citius rationem reddidit. Ea autem que cum aliis habuit sine stre- pit decidit, | De causa vero de qua mibi omnino scribendum ſuerat, nibil vesira sanclitas scripsit, in qua me et tardum esse judicavit; quz ne forlasse in scandalo divisionis erumperet, ejusdem divisionis nolui au- etor- existere: Elegi enim wi ea » que 8ecutura sunt, per alios exirent. Sed subsequenti tempore Deo au- etore probabilis, quia in causa © in qua Deo placere cupio homines non formido. 4 De qua vobis jam eliam in Constantinopolilanam urbem venientibus scribere curayi. Ligoa vero, sicut bealitudo vesira scripserat, ma- jora parayeram ; $ed ita parva navis buc transmissa et, ul, nisi rescissa es8ent, ferre non possetl. Que rescindi nolui, sed vestro judicio quid de his fieri debeat * regervavi. Si autem non sunt necessaria vo- bis, hic ea in aliis usibus aptabimus. Peto autem ut SANCTI CREGORM MAGNI