Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 485

Gregory to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna. Some time ago it had reached us by the report of many that the monasteries established in the region of Ravenna are altogether oppressed by the domination of your clergy; so that, on the pretext as it were of governance, they possess them—which is grave to say—as though in ownership. Grieving not a little for them, we sent letters to your predecessor, that he should amend this in every way. But because he was too quickly overtaken by the term of his life, lest this burden should remain upon the monasteries, we recall that we wrote these same things to your Fraternity. And because, as we have learned, up to now there has been a ceasing from the correction of this matter, we have thought fit to direct these writings to you again.

We exhort you therefore that, all delay and all excuse being removed, you be zealous so to relieve those monasteries from oppression of this kind, that henceforth no clerics, nor those who are established in sacred orders, may have in them, for any other reason, license of access, except only for the sake of praying, or if perchance they be invited to perform the sacred mysteries of the Mass. But lest, through the promotion of any monk

or abbot's promotion the monasteries perchance sustain some burden, you must strive that, if any of the abbots or monks from any monastery whatsoever should attain to the clerical office or a sacred order, he should have there no longer any power, as we have said, lest the monasteries, under the veil of this occasion, be compelled to sustain the burdens which we forbid. All these things, therefore, let your Holiness, being now admonished a second time, not delay to amend with vigilant care; lest, if after this we should perceive you to be negligent—which we do not wish—we be compelled to provide otherwise for the peace of the monasteries. For be it known to you that we do not suffer the congregation of the servants of God to lie subject any longer to so great a necessity.

But lest any excuse concerning monks should arise for you, let your Fraternity send hither a person whom it shall have foreseen to be useful, and we will assign to him monks who may come with him to you; whom, when you have looked them over, you ought to ordain in the monasteries—provided, however, that they are such places as have the means whereby they may there subsist.