Letter 1,42 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Sicily. May 591.
"It has also come to our notice that in case of the farmer's marriages, immoderate taxes are being collected. On this matter we order that no marriage tax should ever exceed the sum of one gold coin. If some are poor, they ought to pay even less, but if some are rich, they should never pay more than the sum of the aforesaid gold coin.
We in no way want this marriage tax to be credited to our account, but rather to augment the profits for the tenants.
We have also learnt that as certain tenants are on their deathbed, their own parents are not permitted to have access to them, but their property is dragged of for Church use.
On this matter we advice that the parents of those dying who live on a Church property, ought to have access to them as their heirs, and that nothing else should be subtracted from the fortune of those dying.
But if someone leaves poor young sons, until they reach such an age that they can control their own property some sound people should be selected, and the property of the boy's parents should be handed over to them to watch over.
(...)
Read all of this again with great care, and put aside all that customary negligence of yours. See that the writing I have sent about the farmers are read throughout all the Church domains, so that they know how they should defend themselves through our authority against violent acts done to them, and let them be given the originals or copies of my writings"
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 162.
Thursday 29 July 2010
Sunday 25 July 2010
Dearest Friend
Letter 1,41 - to Leander, bishop of Spain. April 591.
"I have sent codices to your Fraternity, so very dear to me, and I have inserted a note below about them. But those things which had been said in my Exposition on the blessed Job, and which you write should be sent to you, because I had made these remarks with words and senses that flow through my Homilies, I was keen anyway to change them into the form of books, which are now still being written down by the copyists. And if the haste of the letter's carrier had not restricted me, I should have wanted to send all of it to you without any restriction. Most of all because I wrote this work itself for your Reverence, so that I might seem to have worn myself out on my work, for him whom I love before all others.
Furthermore, if you know how to allow yourself some time from your ecclesiastical occupation, you know how it is now. Although still absent in body, I always see you present before me, because I carry an image of your face imprinted in the depth of my heart.
May God guard you in safety, my most dear and reverend brother."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 160..
"I have sent codices to your Fraternity, so very dear to me, and I have inserted a note below about them. But those things which had been said in my Exposition on the blessed Job, and which you write should be sent to you, because I had made these remarks with words and senses that flow through my Homilies, I was keen anyway to change them into the form of books, which are now still being written down by the copyists. And if the haste of the letter's carrier had not restricted me, I should have wanted to send all of it to you without any restriction. Most of all because I wrote this work itself for your Reverence, so that I might seem to have worn myself out on my work, for him whom I love before all others.
Furthermore, if you know how to allow yourself some time from your ecclesiastical occupation, you know how it is now. Although still absent in body, I always see you present before me, because I carry an image of your face imprinted in the depth of my heart.
May God guard you in safety, my most dear and reverend brother."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 160..
Wednesday 21 July 2010
No Wandering Monks
Letter 1,40 - to sub-deacon Anthelm. April 591.
"(S)ome monks from monasteries located in the diocese of Sorrento are changing their abodes from monastery to monastery. With the desire for secular things, they are abandoning the rule of their own abbot. Moreover, individuals are applying themselves to their personal gain, which is known to be illegal.
For that reason we command your Experience with the present order not to allow any monk to move his abode from monastery to monastery any further, nor to permit any one of them to have any personal interests.
But if anyone should presume upon this, he must be returned with due coercion to the monastery where he became a monk, and back under his abbot's rule, from which he fled. Otherwise, if we leave such great sin uncontrolled and unamended, the souls of those perishing may be examined by the soul of their superiors (..). For in this way you will please the eyes of God and will be found participant in full recompense."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 121.
"(S)ome monks from monasteries located in the diocese of Sorrento are changing their abodes from monastery to monastery. With the desire for secular things, they are abandoning the rule of their own abbot. Moreover, individuals are applying themselves to their personal gain, which is known to be illegal.
For that reason we command your Experience with the present order not to allow any monk to move his abode from monastery to monastery any further, nor to permit any one of them to have any personal interests.
But if anyone should presume upon this, he must be returned with due coercion to the monastery where he became a monk, and back under his abbot's rule, from which he fled. Otherwise, if we leave such great sin uncontrolled and unamended, the souls of those perishing may be examined by the soul of their superiors (..). For in this way you will please the eyes of God and will be found participant in full recompense."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 121.
Wandering Monks
Letter 1,39 - to sub-deacon Peter. March 591.
"The venerable gentleman Paulinus, bishop of the city of Taurum, in the province of Calabria, has told us that his monks were dispersed by barbarian incursions, and are even now wandering through the whole of Sicily, and being without a bishop, are neither taking care of their souls nor maintaining the discipline of their habit.
On this matter, we order you to search out those same monks with all care and concern, to bring them together as one, and locate them with the aforesaid bishop and their ruler in the monastery of Saint Theodore, set in the city of Messina.
Thus those who are there now, whom we have found to lack a bishop, and those from his community, whom you will find and bring back, can with his leadership serve the almighty God in unity."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 159.
"The venerable gentleman Paulinus, bishop of the city of Taurum, in the province of Calabria, has told us that his monks were dispersed by barbarian incursions, and are even now wandering through the whole of Sicily, and being without a bishop, are neither taking care of their souls nor maintaining the discipline of their habit.
On this matter, we order you to search out those same monks with all care and concern, to bring them together as one, and locate them with the aforesaid bishop and their ruler in the monastery of Saint Theodore, set in the city of Messina.
Thus those who are there now, whom we have found to lack a bishop, and those from his community, whom you will find and bring back, can with his leadership serve the almighty God in unity."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 159.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Spice Your Humility
Letter 1,38a - to sub-deacon Peter. 16 March 591.
"(I)f you see anything that can justly comply with Church law, be careful in case you are ever keen to protect it with force, especially as I have also issues a decree with anathema added to it, that our Church should never place titles on estates in the city of in the countryside.. But whatever supports the poor with reason, should be defended with reason, so that, when something good is not being done well, what we justly complain about, even before almighty God, is not unjustly refuted.
However the noble laymen and the glorious praetor should love you for your humility, and not shrink from you due to your arrogance.
And yet when you realize that those men are perhaps doing unjust deeds against any destitute people, then turn your humility into pride at once, and always when they behave badly. But act in such a way that your humility is not remiss, nor your authority rigid, so that rectitude adds spice to your humility and your humility adds sweetness to your very rectitude."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 157.
"(I)f you see anything that can justly comply with Church law, be careful in case you are ever keen to protect it with force, especially as I have also issues a decree with anathema added to it, that our Church should never place titles on estates in the city of in the countryside.. But whatever supports the poor with reason, should be defended with reason, so that, when something good is not being done well, what we justly complain about, even before almighty God, is not unjustly refuted.
However the noble laymen and the glorious praetor should love you for your humility, and not shrink from you due to your arrogance.
And yet when you realize that those men are perhaps doing unjust deeds against any destitute people, then turn your humility into pride at once, and always when they behave badly. But act in such a way that your humility is not remiss, nor your authority rigid, so that rectitude adds spice to your humility and your humility adds sweetness to your very rectitude."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 157.
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