Letter 249: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Of Pope Hormisdas to Caesarius of Arles. [Summary] 1. He warmly praises Caesarius for having founded a monastery of maidens, whose privileges Caesarius had asked to be confirmed. 2. He requests that no bishop of Arles claim anything for himself in this monastery beyond pastoral care. 3. Although he would have preferred that the monastery be endowed from sources other than the goods of the Church, he nevertheless confirms the grants made to it. To my most beloved brother Caesarius, Hormisdas. 1. I rejoice in the Lord, most beloved brother, and I rejoice without ceasing, that the zeal of religious reverence so flourishes in you that, by the continuance of an untiring solicitude, you keep watch to ensure that in the Church of God whatever pertains to His worship may be increased also with new advancements, and that henceforth you think nothing sufficient for your office unless you have always added more to it. There is fixed in you, as a faithful and special care, a settled purpose, and on this account that prophet beloved of God, when he said, "I have always hoped in you, O Lord," not believing that this devotion had sufficed for him, added: "And I will add over and above all your praise." True love is not wont to be content with obedient services; and charity reckons it a defect in itself unless the fervor of love boils over. Although God, as the watcher and knower of secrets, may see the faith that clings to the heart, He nevertheless does not wish His dispensation to be hidden, nor His treasure to be concealed without increase: He commands His worshipers to bring their hidden reverence forth into the open, and to sing His praise with resounding exultation. I say this because you have indicated by the letters you sent that, in the church of Arles, over and above the customary vigils of the clergy and the monks, you have also newly established choirs of the maidens of God, asking that, in the aforesaid monastery of maidens lately founded by you, your successors at any time may be permitted to have no power whatsoever: so that the virgins consecrated to God, freed from all disturbance or molestation, may be able with free minds to serve Almighty God continually. 2. It is a foresight worthy of priestly institutions to move hearts to compunction unto the singing of chastity to God, and to offer to the sacred worship, from those mystical seeds, the fruit of virginity. The Apostle declared this to be his own highest wish concerning them in those sacred volumes, saying: "I have espoused you to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ." Wherefore, assenting to the petitions of your fraternity, we confirm and decree by apostolic authority that none of the bishops, including your successors, in the aforesaid monastery dare to claim for himself any power whatsoever, but only, exercising pastoral solicitude for the sake of God, let him strive, with sincere mind together with his clergy, to visit at suitable times, as is fitting, the household of Christ the Lord placed there. Then, finally, it is just that each sex, abiding in the places suited to it, should with equal devotion sing in concert the glory of God, just as each, with steadfast and most complete faith, awaits the hope of redemption. 3. But as for your asking that the sale and donation previously made by your charity to the monastery of those same maidens of God be strengthened by our authority, we hope that the alienation of ecclesiastical estates may not be presumed upon in the future, being forbidden by our decrees: we approve your purpose, and we acknowledge your desire to be so far praiseworthy that we rejoice that the same is also permitted to you. But it was not fitting that there be alienated by sale what reason urged should be granted outright from the substance of the Church to those who are to serve the Church. The fruit of a good work ought to be freely given. The reward of upright zeal is to be awaited rather than demanded, lest through the profit of a sale the recompense of charity be diminished. Nevertheless, concerning the monastery of virgins, we confirm what has been sold or donated by you, and under the same path we set forth by the present decrees the alienation of ecclesiastical estates. Convey this through all the priests belonging to the diocese of your charity, under your direction; for it is just that what is salutarily ordained should be generally obeyed. May God keep you safe, most dear brother! Marcellus, bishop, I have read again and consented. John, I have consented and subscribed. Severus, I have consented and subscribed. Cyprian, I have read again and consented. Contumeliosus, bishop, I have read again and consented. Montanus, bishop, I have read again and consented. Peter, in the name of Christ I have read again and consented. APPENDIX OF LETTERS Letters to Hormisdas the deacon. [The following editorial notes accompany the text. At the salutation: The name "Paulinus" is wrongly prefixed here; I judge this error to have arisen from the copyist's inexperience, for, since he had seen the monogram of Christ not rarely set before pontifical documents, he supposed that, in place of the Greek letter, "Paulinus" had been written in abbreviation. (Mabillon, book 2 of the Annals of the Benedictines, no. 90.) Labbe offers another interpretation, Councils of Gaul I, 879. On "a faithful and special care": Perhaps it should read "fixed by a special care, and on that account having a settled purpose, beloved of God, the prophet who..." On the dating: We learn from book 2, chapters 35 and 36 of his Life that Caesarius died in the 73rd year of his age and the 40th of his pontificate, full years having elapsed since the founding of the monastery of maidens; Mabillon, however, in his notes on the said Life (Acts of the Benedictines, vol. 1, p. 677), holds that the holy prelate's death is to be assigned to the year 542. From which it follows that the monastery of maidens was founded by him in the year 512. If, then, this privilege be referred to about the year 515, in which we have a letter of Hormisdas to Caesarius given in the month of September, in which the same pope recalls that he had already written to him, the truth of the statement will stand, by which the monastery is here proclaimed to have been newly established and newly founded; although these terms admit of somewhat wider bounds among the ancients. On "by your charity": It seems it must altogether be read thus, not as hitherto "to your charity." Hence also below it has "by you" (not "to you") sold or donated. Caesarius took pains to excuse this sale, and to ratify the conferral bestowed on the monastery, in his testament, where he also forbids that anything of those things conferred by him on the maidens be taken away, because, he says, by God's favor we do not sell the goods of the Church by direct right to any secular persons without discretion and justice, except only that which is less useful and unfruitful to the Church; and he wills that what we bestow on holy souls and on those serving God, with the consent or subscription of the holy brethren, remain theirs by perpetual right. See the Council of Agde, canons 7 and 45.]

Horniisdae papae ad Caesarinni Arelateuseni. 1. Caesarinm impcnse laudat ob ercctum puellarum monasierium , cujus privUegia I» 1: confinnori pctierat. '1. P'etnt, ne qnis episcopus Arelatcnsis quicquam sibi vindicet in ftoc monaste' rium praeler soUiciludinem pastoralem. 3. Etsi magis probasset monasterium aliunde quam ex bonis ecc/esiae dotari, concessiones tamen eidem factas confirmat. Dilectissi mo^) fratri Caesario Hormisda. 1. Exsulto iii Domino, dilectissime frater, et indesinenter ex- sulto, ita a2)ud te religiosae studium vigere reverentiae, ut iudefessae sollicitudinis coutinuatione pervigiles, quatenus in Eeelesia Dei quicquid ad cultum ejus pertinet, novis quoque profectibus augea- tur, et de cetero non aliquid satis officio putes, nisi semper ad- junxeris. Est tibi fideli cura specialis^) infixus propositus, et un<lc YQ il*" amabilis Deo propheta, quum diceret: Effo semper in te speravi, Do- mine, devotionem hanc sibi non credens sufiecisse, subjunxit: El adjiciam super omnem iaudem fuam. Amor verus non est solitus esse contentus obsequiis; et defectum sui caritas putat, nisi fervor dile- etionis exaestuet. Videat licet inhaerentem praecordiis fidem ut secre- torum specuhitor et cognitor Deus, non t^men dispensationem suam 10 27 P^^i^^r occuli aut thesaurum suum citra incrementum celari : jubet cultores suos arcanam reverentiam in aperto producere, et laudem suam personanti exsultatione cantare. Haec ideo, quia in Arelat^nsi ecclesia super clericorum et monachorum excubias consuetas puella- rum quoque Dei noviter^) choros instituisse te directis litteris indi- casti , j)oscens, ut in praefato puellarum monasterio a te nuper con- dit^ nuUam potestatem successores quandoque tui habere penitu?; 150 I'eri)eram liic pniemittitur Paulinus: quod mendum cx impcritia loctoris ortmn «^xistimo, quia quum Christi monogramma pontificiis diploinatibus nOD raro praeponi solituni vidiaset, pro littera graeca A Paulinum compcndio siTi- ptum opinatus est. (Mahillonius lib. '2 anual. Bened. n. 'JO.) Aliam intcrpre Utioneni praebet Labatus conc. Gall. I, 879. ') Forte ct spcciali infi.vus ac propositus exindc amahilis l)eo propketa^ qui ij>tiiiit (iircrct. 'i ('aesariuui ex ipsius vitae libro '2 u. l\ii et ;JG vitii fuuctum esse disciniu» auno actatis suae 7;i pontificatus sui auno 40, a constitutione monastcrii pod laruni la])sis annis plenariis M). Mabillonius autein noti» in vitam pracdictam act. Hened. iom I p. r)77 sancti praesubs obitum ainio 542 illigandnm ccndct. Ex «pio setjuitur, ut nionasterium puellarum anno oTi conditum ab illo fuerit, Si ita«iu(' ad aiinuia 515, quo Horniisdae ad Caesarium habemus epistolam meiisc Septenibri datani, in qua idcni papa jani ad euni scripsigse sc mcmorat, illud j»rivib'}^nuin releratur, stal>it veritiis dicti, quo monasterium mwiter instiititMM tif nufirr nnnlitnm nuiir praedicatur. (Juamquam haec vocabula au|;fu&tiorc8 bitio- rec>vo (eruiinos saejjo apud autiquos patiuntur. permittantnr : quatenus sacratae Deo virgines ab omni inquietudine vel molestia absolutae, omnipotenti Deo liberis nieutibus valeant jugiter famulari. 2. Digna providentia sacerdotalibus institutis, ad pudicitiam decantandam Deo corda compungere, et sacro cultui de illis semini- bus mysticis fructum virginitatis offerre. Hoc esse sumnmm votum suiun in illis voluminibus sacris declaravit apostolus dicens: JDespon- - ^'^^- savi vos uni viro virginem castam exhibere Christo. Quamobrem peti- tionibus fraternitatis tuae annuentes, apostolica auctoritate firma- mus atque decernimus, ut nullus episcoporum, successorum quoque tuorum y in antedicto monasterio audeat sibi potestatem aliquam peni- tus vindicare, nisi tantum pro Dei intuitu pastoralem*) sollicitudi- iiem gerens, familiam Ohristi Domini ibidem positam congruis qui- busque ten^poribus, juxta quod condecet, sincero animo cum suis clericis studeat visitare. Tum denique aequum est, ut parili devo- tione uterque sexus locis sibi congruis consistens, Dei gloriam con- cinat, sicut stabili atijue plenissima fide uterque spem redemptionis exspectat. 3. Quod autem venditionem a'') dilectione tua donationemque iii monasterio earumdem puellarum Dei ante factam nostra postulas auctoritfite roborari, spenins, ut ecclesiasticorum alienatio praedio- rum non praesumatur in posterum, nostris interdicta decretis*'): probamus propositum tuum, et desiderium in tantum fatemur esse laudabile, ut gaudeamus vobis quoque eadeni nim licere. Sed non oporiiuit distrahi, quod ecclesiae servituris de ecclesiae substantia ratio suadebat prorsus emptione concedi. Boni operis fructum decet esse gratuitum. ExsiJectanda est recti studii merces potius quam* petenda, ne per utilitatem venditionis imminuatur remuneratio cari- tatis. Cimfirmamus tamen circa monasterium virginum a vobis vel '^) Ita legendimi oranino videtur, non ut hactenus ad dih ctionem tuam. llinc et infra habetur a vobis (non ad vos) venditum vel dotiatnm. Venditionem hanc excnsare, et mouasterio impensam collationem ratam fac<'re studuit Caesarius in suo t^stamento, ubi et quidquam eorum, quae puellis a so collatu sunt, auferri prohibet, qnia, inquit, Deo propilio non sine discretione et justitiu qnibus- rumqne saecularibns Jnre directo res ecclesiae vendimus, nisi hoc quod ecclesiae minus ntile et infructuosum est; et vult, ut quod animabus sanctis et Dco servientibns cum sanciorum fratrum cousensu vel snbscriptione tribnimus, perpetuo illis jure per- maneat. Vide concilium Agathense can. 7 et 45. veiiditum vel douatum , et sub eadem via alieuationem ecelesiastico- rum praediorum decretis praesentibus exhibemus '). Quod per sacer- dotes oinnes ad caritatis vestrae dioecesim pertineutes sub vestra dispositione perferte'^); aequum est enim^ ut quae salubriter ordi- nantur, generaliter obediaut. Deus te incolumem custodiat^ frater carissime ! ^) Marcellus episcopus relegi et consensi. Johauues consensi et subscripsi. Severus consensi et subscripsi. Oyprianus relegi et consensi. (^ontumeliosus episcopus relegi et consensi. Montanus episcopus relegi et con- sensi. Petrus in Christi nomine relegi et couseusi. APPENDIX') EPISTOLARUM Episiolae ad Hormisdani diacouam.