Church Discipline

Quote from Letter 5,18 to Constantius, bishop of Milan. November 594

But as for the ex-priest Vitalian, about whom you write that he should be strictly guarded, we shall have him sent to Sicily, so that, with the hope of escape from there removed, he can at least restrict himself then to the laments of penitence. We also decreed that Jobinus, one-time deacon and abbot in Porto Venere, should be deprived of his office, and wrote that another deacon should be ordained in his place. Similarly we also decreed that the three sub-deacons who had lapsed, as reported by your Fraternity, should be deprived and without their office forever, and be provided with Holy Communion as if they were lay people. However, we have ordered the ex-priest Saturninus to make a sworn statement that he will never presume to apply for a ministry of holy orders. And we want him to remain in the same island in which he was deprived of holy orders, allowing him to have and show care and concern for the monasteries there, since we believe that, even from his lapse, he had been more cautious, and is guarding the monasteries entrusted to him now with even more concern.



Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, translated by John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMPS, 2004), II, 336

Negligence

Quote from Letter 5,4 to Victor, bishop op Palermo. September 594.

No reason at all allowed the bearer of this Letter, Gregory, once abbot and priest of the monastery of Saint Theodore, to have the right to be in charge of the place any longer, following the almost total lapse by that community.
For one who has led so many disciples to Hell through his negligence ought not to be put in charge of those left at any time. But because here in Rome there is a long period of penitential suffering, it is necessary for your Fraternity to receive him in the aforesaid monastery and to appoint him to his position, but in such a way that Urbicus, put in charge of my monastery, ought to provide someone from the servants of God to become his supervisor, so that what is neglected by the lack of care by that man, may be preserved through the concern of this appointee.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II: 325

Vanity of Clerics

Quote from Letter 5,1 to John, bishop of Ravenna. September 594.

It has come to my attention that, in your Fraternity's church, some places consecrated long ago for monasteries have been turned into dwelling-places for clerics, or even for members of the laity. For while those who are in the churches pretend that they are living in a religious manner, they strive to be put in charge of the monasteries, and through their way of life the monasteries are being destroyed. For nobody can both do service to ecclesiastical obedience and persist also in the monastic rule in due manner (...). And so let your Fraternity be quick to correct this habit, wherever it has occurred. For I do not put up in any way with sacred places being destroyed through the vanity of clerics.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II: 323

Warning

Quote from Letter 4,40 to Abbot Valentinus. August 594.

It has come to our attention that women are appearing everywhere in your monastery, and, what is even more serious, your monks are making the women their consorts. As a result, they are having incautious unions with them. Therefore, in case the enemy of the human race uses this opportunity to deceive them with his cunning (Heaven forbid!), we give you this warning accordingly in the course of this order. Do not permit women to appear in your monastery hereafter, with any sort of excuse, and do not allow your monks to make them their consorts.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 320

Against Neglect

Letter 4,18 - to Maurus, abbot of Saint Pancras. March 594

(But) we have learnt that the church of Saint Pancras [in Rome], which was entrusted to priests, has frequently suffered from neglect, to the extent that when people came on a Sunday to celebrate solemn Mass, they found no priest, and returned home muttering.
And so, after due deliberation, we have settled on this decision. We should remove the priests and establish a community of monks in the monastery adjacent to the same church, by the grace of Christ, so that the abbot in charge there should have total control and concern for the aforesaid church.
We have also decided that you, Maurus, should be put in charge, as abbot of the monastery. And we make it a condition that the lands of the aforesaid Church, and whatever has entered there or has accrued from tis financial returns, ought to be directed to the aforesaid monastery of yours, and should apply there without any reduction.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 301

Last Will And Testament

Letter 4,10 - to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari. September 595

"But so that your zeal should not be weakened by the intervention of any sort of relaxation, we have decided that you should be especially encouraged concerning these duties. For indeed, we have heard that that magnificent man, Stephen, while he was departing from this life, directed that a monastery should be founded, by a clause in his last will and testament. It is said that his desire has so far been postponed thanks to a delay of his heiress, the honorable lady Theodosia.
Therefore we exhort your Fraternity to make every effort over the aforesaid case, and to warn the lady mentioned above that she ought to establish the convent within the space of a year, as she was ordered, and to construct everything according to the will of her dead husband, without any dispute."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 294

Silent Diplomacy

Letter 3,64 - to Theodore, physician. August, 593

" For he [the emperor] has decreed that nobody should be allowed to become a monk who has had a public occupation (..). If our most serene Lordship did this because perhaps many soldiers were becoming monks and the army was decreasing, did almighty God subjugate the empire of Peria to him through the courage of his soldiers at all? was it not that his tears alone were heard, and by that order which our Lordship knew not, God subjected the Persian empire to his empire? It seems very harsh to me that he prohibits his soldiers from the service of God, who has provided him with everything, and who allowed him to be ruler not only of troops but of priests also.
If his intention is to save property, how were those same monasteries, which had taken in the soldiers, unable to pay off their debts, and keep the men just simply for a religious way of life?
I have suggested to the same Lordship that this greatly upsets me. But would your Glory offer my suggestion to him privately, at an opportune moment? I do not want it to be given by my emissary in public, because you who serve him as a friend can say more openly and freely what is the good of his soul."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 285.

Seduction And Punishment

Letter 3.40 - to Pantaleo, notary. June 593

"Evangelus, deacon of the church of Siponto, has complained to us that his daughter (terrible to relate!) has been seduced by Felix. Concerning this matter, it is necessary for you, supported by the authority of this order, to set out for the city of Siponto, and you will take pains to learn the truth with all care, with the support of the learned men there. And if you find that it is so, he must either accept the woman he has seduced as his wife, providing nuptial provisions, or you will be quick to give him corporal punishment in the monastery, and deprive him of communion, placing him in a monastery where he may carry out his penance, so that he has no license to leave that place in any way, unless perhaps you should allow it."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 262.

The Abbot Of Saint Martin's

Letter 3,23 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Campania. March 593

"We therefore order your Experience with the the power of this authority to remove the above-mentioned Secundinus from the office of abbot, and to see that Theodosius, whose community has itself asked for him to be ordained, is appointed abbot in the monastery of Saint Martin, with due solemnity, through him whom it concerns.
Thus in caring for a community subject to him, with the help of God, he may be vigilant with provident concern. But defend the possessions and gardens of this same monastery with Church protection, as fat as is reasonably allowed."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 251.

Hire The Expert

Letter 1,67 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Sicily, August 591.

"Just as it is fitting that it is part of our desire to remove monks from the state's legal system, so that they may piously and wisely pay attention to divine ministries, even so it is necessary for us to arrange with our foresight how their businesses should be settled, so that a mind over-strained through various worries over legal cases should not break down and become dull and weak in the celebration of its usual offices.
And thus the bearer of this letter, the abbot John, has asserted that he has a great deal of business at his monastery. For this reason we ask your Experience with the order in this letter, that you should speak with Faustus, who was court secretary to Romanus, a magnificent gentleman and ex-preator. If your find that he feels favorable to this matter, your ought to commend the business of that monastery generally, and to arrange a salary."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 182.

Festivities

Letter 1,54 to Sub-deacon Peter. July 591.

"We indicate to you that with our Lord's help we have decided that in the month of August, the oratory of the blessed Mary, which was recently built in the monastery of the brethren where the abbot Marinianus is recognized as the superior, is to be dedicated with the greatest care. Thus what we set in motion is to be brought to a conclusion, with the assistance of God.
But because the poverty of that monastery demands that we must cooperate with you on the festival day itself, for that reason in celebrating the dedication, we want you to give ten gold coins to relieve the poor, and thirty amphorae of wine, two hundred sacks of corn, two large jars of olive oil, twelve rams and a hundred chicken."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 176.

A Safe Place

Letter 1,50 - to the defender Symmachus. June 591.

"My son Deacon Boniface has said to me that your Experience had written that the monastery once founded by Lavinia, a religious woman, exists fully prepared and that monks ought to be ordained therein. I have certainly applauded your forethought. But I wish that another place should be provided besides that place which has already been freed for this purpose.However, I want this to be done in such a way that a place should be sought over the sea, considering the uncertainty of the time, a place which is either protected by the disposition of the place, or could certainly be fortified without great labor.
Thus we can send monks there, whereby the island itself, which had not had a monastery until now, ought to be improved even in the following of this Christian way of life.
To implement and provide for this establishment, we have sent Abbot Orosius, bearer of the present order, with whom your Experience may go around the coast of Corsica. And of whatever private person such a place can be found, we are ready to pay a just price for it, so that we can make some lasting establishment."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 174.

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.