Letter 23: Anselmi Luc, Coli, can,, VI, 39 1 p.

Pelagius [the Pope] to the clergy of the church of Catina [Catania, in Sicily]. Such matters indeed we already some time ago set down in writing and dispatched to our brother and fellow bishop Eucarpus concerning the visitation of the church of Catina, so that in them you might have been able to recognize our judgment. Nevertheless, since we have learned, by your report as well, that certain men there are stirring up dissensions not from a sound intention but out of depraved zeal -- men who, knowing that they cannot be brought to the episcopate by their age, nor by connection, nor by the merits of their life, wish to disturb the church only to this end, that the future bishop may grant them immunity in respect of those things which have been seized from the church itself, and that the ambition for the episcopate may become a guarantee of plunder. Of this also we have judged that you should be admonished: that you make haste, with God's favor, to convey to us the decree drawn up concerning Helpidius the deacon and subscribed by all whom your report designated, together with the letter of the aforesaid visitor and together with the same deacon. [And after a few words.] When our son here present, the magnificent man Leo the praetor, had come, he reported to us about the particular matters that were set in motion there, and how the votes of nearly the whole city were in agreement upon Elpidius the deacon. Wherefore, since we cannot doubt at all the testimony of the man we have mentioned, for that reason, as has been said, cause Helpidius the deacon to hasten to us, and do not wait any longer for our admonition to have to be sent to him. Him, however, we specifically admonish through your charity, by this present command, that he promise to give nothing to anyone, nor that he will give it; but neither let him dare to make or to promise any guarantee to anyone concerning past ecclesiastical matters, nor, as though already made bishop, let him fail to reclaim those things which have been plundered, but rather allow them freely to remain in the possession of those by whom they were plundered. Let him know that, if he has done or shall do any such thing, the promise itself is by no means permitted by us to be valid, and that, together with the penalty of our judgment which we have rendered concerning him, he will not be able to earn the order of pastoral consecration. Given on the fourth day before the Nones of February.

Anselmi Luc, Coli, can,, VI, 39 1 p. 287, PELAGIUS [PAPA] CLERO CATINENSI[S] [ECCLESIAE]. Talia quidem iam dudum ad fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Eucarpum de uisitatipne Catinensis ecclesiae scripta direximus, ut in eis indicium nostrum potuissetis agnoscere. Uerumtamen, quia quosdam ibi non sana intentione sed prauis studiis dissensio¬ nes suscitare uestra etiam relatione cognouimus, qui scientes ad episcopatum nec aetate, nec coniunctione, nec uitae meritis posse perduci, ad hoc tantummodo inquietare ecclesiam uolunt, ut sibi, de his quae ex ipsa praesumpta sunt, immunitatem futurus pro- Codd,: B fol, 25-25\- (4-6); C, fol. 16-16^: (1-3; 6), C* fol, C, fol. 13 C iol ^ fol, 182: (4-6); Ej fol. (4-6), £* fol. fol, 68, £4 fol. ^34^’ H fol. 66 : (4-6); O [Thaner, p. 287]: (1-3; 6); 0,^ fol. 57^-57^^; p, fol 314^- (l-Q. 6^* P, fol, 30-31\ P, fol, 21^^'-^; S, fol, 37-: (1-3; 6), S, fol. 47\ ^ ^ ^lagius Ci, gelasius O 5 Oje, om. B papa] om. B C E H clerico S, catinensij nn C 0 0„ P S, cathinensis C, ecdesiae] om. BD,EH 2 (t)aha rt parv. pro init, litt.) P, ad] et C fratrum P. coepiscopo P, eocapum C uisitationis P,. cathinensis C, 4 eius iudido P, P, S uerumpta- men P, 5 cosdam C, sana] insana Pj intentione] ratione 0, dissensio-] ex dis¬ sentio- C,. dissentio- P, diseensio- P, 6 -nes] e* -nem 0 , qui] quod C, 7 ned] ne S, 9 praesumpta] C 0 Oi,: praemissa P. promissa S inmunitate C. C, C. (>) in unitatem P 3 ♦i-/# Tit. clero Catinensi: Catinae sive Catanae, hodiernae Catania, in Sici¬ lia. Cf. F. Eanzoni, 0 . c., p. 624-629; R. van DorBN, Catane, DGHE., t. XI, c. 1492-1495; M. SCADUTO, Catania, mEnc. CathoL, t. III, c. 1080-1085. 1. iam dudum ad ... Eucarpum: Cf. ep. 18 quae, uti scripsi ibidem vel uno mense ante has litteras scribi debuit. Cf. p. 53. BPISTUBA 23,1-5 mittat episcopus, .et fiat rapinae securitas episcopatus ambitio. Hoc etiam uos duximus commonendos, ut decretum iii Helpidium 3 diaconum factum et subscriptum ab omnibus quos uestra relatio designauit, ad nos cum praedicti uisitatoris epistula et cum eodem diacono maturetis Deo propitiante perducere. [Et post pauca]. 4 Cum hic filius noster, uir magnificus Leo praetor, uenisset, retulit nobis de singulis quae illic mota sunt, et quomodo uota prope totius ciuitatis in Elpidio diacono concordarent. Unde, quia nos 5 de memorati uiri testimonio dubitare non possumus omnino, uestra] nostra 0^ 14 diachono Ci C 3 C 4 et post pauca] otn. B E H 15 dum Dg praetor] precator 17 elpidioj elpedio £ 4 , helpidio (recte fortassis; cf. 1.11 et 19) H 3. Helpidium diaconum: Ad illum, iam Catinensem episcopum, fuit missa ep. 72, p. 183. Cf. praeterea epp. 33,1 et 42,1, quibus discimus, eum, tertium post diem quo Romam pervenit, consecratum fuisse, et illi commen¬ dasse Pdagium institutionem abbatis in monasterio Catinensi S. loannis (p. 89 et 116-117). 4. uir magnificus Leo praetor: Cf. epp. 33,4; 72,1, et 78 (p. 193) quae ad eum missa fuit. Quoad munia praetoris Sidhae cf. E. Caspar, 0 . c., p. 409-410; E. Stbin, Histoive..., p. 424; 801. Cum sit munus Mterius dignitatis ei titulus spectabilis congruebat, sed mediante s. vi titulus iste fere fuit substitutus epitheto magnifici, sioMt nostra epistula comprobatur. Adiectivum nomen magnifici, ex quo apparuit ad regnum usque lusti- niani, non fuit officiaHs titulus, sed tantum honoris comitatisve vocabulum, quod communiter modo viris primi ordinis tribuebatur. Sed substituens spectabilis voci, proprius titulus magistratuum alterius dignitatis effectus est post medium s. vi. Cf. P. Koch, 0 . c., p. 23; 33; cf. insuper M. Bridgbt, 0 . c., p. 50; 152; 149-150. Tunc temporis spectabilis epithetum fere evanuit et, mutatione omnino peracta, magnifici titulus iam amplius non datur — nisi raro prorsus modo — inlustvi ulli, ita ut, exeunte s. vi, iam nulli inlustvovum neque honorariorum aut vacantium tribuitur. Quoad spectabiles, cf. V. ChapoT, Spectabiles, in Daremberg-Saglio, t. IV, 2, p. 1421; EnsSLIN, Spectabilis, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. III^, c. 1552-1568; E. S^TBIN, Histoire ..,, passim (cf. p. 893^). uenisset: Ex ep. 25 (ubi episcopus Syracusanus iam consecratus apparet, cuius episcopi consecratio, sicut ostenditur ep. 33, 4-5, a relatione praetoris Eeonis dependit: unde inter utrumque epp. 23 et 25 saltem 25 flu¬ xisse dies necesse fuerit) recte coniecit auctor praesentem epistulam non esse posteriorem initio m. februarii a. 559, nam ep. 25 conscribi debuit non post finem dusdem m. februarii. Quam probe diem quo haec ep. 23 data fuit coniedsset auctor, mirum in modum ostendit adnotatio eiusdem did, quam inveni in codd. Coli. Caesaraugustanae, In eundem sensum quo auctor scripsit E. Stbin, Chronologie ..,, l. c., p. 132; Idem, Histoire ..., p. 679 (n. 3, p. 678). PEIyAGII I PAPAE idcirco, sicut dictum est, Helpidium diaconum ad nos facite pro- 20 , perare, nec expectetis ulterius ut ainmonitio ad eum nostra debeat destinari. Quem tamen hoc per uestram dilectionem praesenti 6 iussione specialiter ammonemus, ne cui se aliquid uel dare uel daturum esse promittat; sed nec de ecclesiasticis praeteritis cau¬ sis aliquam securitatem cuiquam facere audeat siue promittere, aut quasi factus episcopus ea quae direpta sunt non repetat, sed apud eos a quibus direpta sunt permanere libere patiatur; sciens quod, si tale aliquid uel fecit uel fecerit, nec a nobis omnino permittitur ipsa ualere promissio, et ctun iudicii nostri quod de ipso habuimus damno, pastoralis consecrationis ordinem promereri non poterit. 30 Data IIII Nonas Februarias. iccirco B Eg, om. H sicut... est] om. H helpidium] D 2 E 3 H: hespedium B, elpidium E 20 ut] ex aut E^ ammonitio] B (cf. infra 22) : amonitio H, admo¬ nitio Di E nostra ad eum B 22 ammonemus] B E 0 0^^ S^: amonemus Cj C 4 , admonemus D^E^P Si aliquid uel dare] B E i aliquid dare Ci H 0 Oi® PS, dare aliquid C, dare P* 28 esse] om. Cj C 3 C 4 promitat B praeteritis] B D^ E H: om. C 0 Oi^ P S 24 cuiquam] om. P S siue promittere] uel promittat Cg C 3 C 4 aut] B Ci D 2 E H Oi^: ut C 0 P S 25 episcopus] om. O 4 ea] ex (?) Pg, om. E 2 directa S* sed] ex se B aput B Pj Pg 26 libere permanere 0 27 ueP] om. CgPg nobis] uobis C» C 4 omiuo B permititur P, permittetur PS 27-28 om¬ nino ualere permitt. ipsa C 3 , omn. ual. permitt. illa Cg, ual. omn. permitt. illa C 4 , omn. permitt. ual. ipsa 0 O^^P S 28 de] seq. se expunct. in £4 habuimus] habebimus ^8 C 4 29 damno] E^ S : dampno cet.y add. ad P 3 pastorale Ci, pastoralem C, pastoris 0 « ordinem] ordinari O4 . promereri] promoneri Pj P3, om. O4 poterit] patimur Pg 80 data... febr.] C: om. cet. EPISTUEAE »23,5-6; 24,1 Ad loannem patricium queribundus scribit Pelagius quam male se gesserint schismatici praesules in regionibus Venetiae et Istriae. Falsa est omnino eorum incusatio, se adversus synodos egisse; ipse vero eorun¬ dem caput arguere potest de perversa eius ordinatione, contra canones et legitimos mores peracta. Ne igitur velit loannes communionem habere cum iis qui ab una Ecclesia, Christi sponsa, excesserunt.