Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 608

Gregory to Virgilius, bishop of Arles. Since the desire of a pious will and the aim of praiseworthy devotion should always be aided by priestly zeal, care and solicitude must be applied so that those things which have been ordained for the quiet of monks and for a religious manner of life may neither be neglected through indifference nor disturbed by any presumption. But just as it was fittingly and usefully defined what reason required, so what has been defined ought not to be violated.

Therefore Childebert of glorious memory, king of the Franks, inflamed with love of the catholic religion, establishing (as we find in writing) a monastery of men within the walls of the city of Arles for the good of his soul, granted certain things there for the sustenance of those dwelling in it. And lest his will should ever be brought to naught, and lest those things which had been arranged for the quiet of the monks be disturbed, he sought by his letters that whatever he had conferred upon the rights of that same monastery be confirmed by apostolic authority; adding this also to his petition, that certain privileges be likewise granted to that monastery both in the disposal of its property and in the appointment of an abbot.

For he knew that such reverence is shown by the faithful to the apostolic see, that whatever had been arranged by its decree should thenceforth be shaken by no annoyance of unlawful usurpation. Wherefore, since both the royal will and a matter greatly desired demanded effect, letters were sent by our predecessor Vigilius, bishop of the Roman see, to your predecessor Aurelius, in which all that the zeal of his embraceable will demanded were willingly confirmed with the full endeavour of apostolic authority, since a matter so sought could suffer no difficulty. But that your fraternity may know what was decreed at that time, we have taken care to attach the writings of our aforesaid predecessor to these present writings.

Having run through these by reading, we exhort you to preserve all things inviolate with priestly zeal, as is fitting, and to permit nothing there of undue burdens to be imposed, nothing of unlawful things, nor to suffer them to be plucked apart by any usurpation. For although those things which have once been sanctioned by the authority of the apostolic see lack no firmness, yet out of abundance we again confirm by our authority in all respects all that has been established by our predecessor for the quiet of this matter. Let your fraternity therefore so show itself in guarding these things as both to shut out every occasion of disquiet and to persuade others to do the same, while showing itself, as is fitting, careful and devoted in guarding the most pious will of the deceased.