Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 559

Gregory to Fantinus, defensor of Palermo. Some time ago we wrote to our brother and fellow bishop Victor, that, since certain of the Jews, by a petition given to us, complained that the synagogues situated in the city of Palermo, together with their guest-houses, had been unreasonably occupied by him, he should — until it could be ascertained whether it had been justly done — hold back from their consecration, lest perhaps it should seem to rest upon his will alone, to the prejudice of their case. And indeed the respect for his priesthood did not easily permit us to believe that our aforesaid brother had done anything unfitting. But because, by the report of Salerius our notary, who was afterward found present there, we have learned

that there existed no cause on account of which they could reasonably be occupied, and that they were consecrated inconsiderately and rashly, therefore we charge your Experience that — since what has once been consecrated may no longer be restored to the Jews — insofar as the synagogues themselves, together with the guest-houses that are beneath them or adjoin their walls, and the gardens joined to them there, shall have been appraised by our glorious sons the patrician Venantius and the abbot Urbicus, it be the care of your zeal that our aforesaid brother and fellow bishop pay the price; so that what he caused to be occupied may pass into the right of that same Church, and that they may in no way seem to be oppressed or to suffer any injustice. But let the books or ornaments likewise carried off be sought.

And if these are manifestly proven, we wish them too, without any ambiguity, to be restored; because, just as they ought not to have licence to do anything in their synagogues beyond what is decreed by law — as we too wrote before — so neither ought any prejudice nor any loss to be inflicted upon them against justice and equity. (See Book XI, Letters 48 and 49.)