Quote from Letter 4,21 - to Venantius, bishop of Luni. May 594
It has reached us through the reports of many that Christian slaves are being kept for servitude by Jews living in the city of Luni. This matter has seemed to us all the more bitter, as the patience of your Fraternity carried it out. Indeed you were obliged, out of respect of your position and with regard to the Christian religion, to leave no opportunity for simple souls to be slaves somehow to the Jewish superstition, not so much through persuasion as through the right of ownership.
Therefore we exhort your Fraternity, in accordance with the tenor of the most pious laws, not to allow any Jew to keep a Christian slave under his control.
(..) In all of these matters, therefore, we want you to apply yourself wisely so that you are not on trial as pastor of a dismembered flock, and your lack of zeal does not make your Fraternity reprehensible in our view.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 303
Showing posts with label slave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slave. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Care For A Soul
Letter 3,39 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Campania. June 593
"Furthermore, since the defender Felix is said to own a female slave called Catella, who is seeking the robe of a religious life with many tears and most ardent desire, although her aforesaid master does not allow her to be converted, we therefore want your Experience to go and see the aforesaid Felix and to carefully examine the mind of the same slave-girl, and send her over here with some responsible people, to be placed in a convent, with God's help. But do this in such a way that the soul of the aforesaid slave-girl does not sustain any loss in her desire though your sluggish action."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 261.
"Furthermore, since the defender Felix is said to own a female slave called Catella, who is seeking the robe of a religious life with many tears and most ardent desire, although her aforesaid master does not allow her to be converted, we therefore want your Experience to go and see the aforesaid Felix and to carefully examine the mind of the same slave-girl, and send her over here with some responsible people, to be placed in a convent, with God's help. But do this in such a way that the soul of the aforesaid slave-girl does not sustain any loss in her desire though your sluggish action."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 261.
Justice Must Be
Letter 3,37 - to Libertinus, praetor of Sicily. May 593
"But he [the Jew Nasas] is said to have both purchased Christian slaves, and allotted them to his own service and advantage. While he ought therefore to have been punished most severely for such great crimes, the glorious Justin, besmeared with the balm of avarice, as we have been informed, putt off punishing this injury to God.
But let your Glory inquire into all of this with a strict examination, and if you find that there is proof of this sort of crime, you must quickly inflict on this same wicked Jew so strict a corporal punishment, that you may obtain the grace of our God for yourself in this case.
Thus, by these examples you may show yourself to be worthy of imitation by future generations, for the reward you receive. But give their freedom of any of those Christian slaves clearly bought by him, as the law requires, without any ambiguity, so that the Christian religion is not polluted (Heaven forbid!) in subjection to Jews, Therefore correct everything so very carefully and hastily that we may not only give thanks to you for this discipline, but also provide a proof of your goodness wherever it should be necessary."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 260.
"But he [the Jew Nasas] is said to have both purchased Christian slaves, and allotted them to his own service and advantage. While he ought therefore to have been punished most severely for such great crimes, the glorious Justin, besmeared with the balm of avarice, as we have been informed, putt off punishing this injury to God.
But let your Glory inquire into all of this with a strict examination, and if you find that there is proof of this sort of crime, you must quickly inflict on this same wicked Jew so strict a corporal punishment, that you may obtain the grace of our God for yourself in this case.
Thus, by these examples you may show yourself to be worthy of imitation by future generations, for the reward you receive. But give their freedom of any of those Christian slaves clearly bought by him, as the law requires, without any ambiguity, so that the Christian religion is not polluted (Heaven forbid!) in subjection to Jews, Therefore correct everything so very carefully and hastily that we may not only give thanks to you for this discipline, but also provide a proof of your goodness wherever it should be necessary."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 260.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
A Peculiar Gift
Letter 3,18 - to Theodore, his counselor. January 593
"Those really exerting themselves over ecclesiastical services deserve the pleasure of ecclesiastical remuneration, so that those who of their own volition subject themselves to the voluntary hardships of their obedience, deserve to be repaid in our dispensations.
And so, since we have discovered that you, Theodore, a most eloquent man and our counselor, have been bankrupted due to your administration of the slaves, for that reason we instruct that a slave-boy called Acosimus, a Sicilian by birth, be given and handed over to your legal control."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 248.
"Those really exerting themselves over ecclesiastical services deserve the pleasure of ecclesiastical remuneration, so that those who of their own volition subject themselves to the voluntary hardships of their obedience, deserve to be repaid in our dispensations.
And so, since we have discovered that you, Theodore, a most eloquent man and our counselor, have been bankrupted due to your administration of the slaves, for that reason we instruct that a slave-boy called Acosimus, a Sicilian by birth, be given and handed over to your legal control."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 248.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Monstrous Crime
Letter 3,1 - to Peter, sub-deacon of Campania. September 592
"We have therefore sent our sub-deacon Epiphanius there [to the Castle of Lucullus], so that he can join the aforesaid governor in investigating who instigated the sedition, and who took part in it, and can find them out and requite them with a worthy punishment.
And so your Experience must find quick relief in this case, with all your courage, so that the truth can be found out, and so that punishments can proceed against the culprits. Since therefore they say that slaves of the glorious Clementina took part in this same crime, and made statements to stir up the sedition, if that is so, threaten them with submission to severe punishment. Do not let your severity be too lenient towards any person of that woman, because they need to be chastised all the more fully as being of that woman, who have committed a crime due to nothing but arrogance.
But you must also inquire into the following with a careful examination, as to whether the aforesaid woman participated in such a monstrous crime, or if it was perpetrated with her knowledge, so that all might learn from our defense, how dangerous it is to assault a priest not only with one's hands but with words also."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 235.
"We have therefore sent our sub-deacon Epiphanius there [to the Castle of Lucullus], so that he can join the aforesaid governor in investigating who instigated the sedition, and who took part in it, and can find them out and requite them with a worthy punishment.
And so your Experience must find quick relief in this case, with all your courage, so that the truth can be found out, and so that punishments can proceed against the culprits. Since therefore they say that slaves of the glorious Clementina took part in this same crime, and made statements to stir up the sedition, if that is so, threaten them with submission to severe punishment. Do not let your severity be too lenient towards any person of that woman, because they need to be chastised all the more fully as being of that woman, who have committed a crime due to nothing but arrogance.
But you must also inquire into the following with a careful examination, as to whether the aforesaid woman participated in such a monstrous crime, or if it was perpetrated with her knowledge, so that all might learn from our defense, how dangerous it is to assault a priest not only with one's hands but with words also."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 235.
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