Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 698

Gregory to Anthemius the subdeacon. Donatus, the bearer of these presents, recounting that he is burdened there with various oppressions, has sought to be upheld by ecclesiastical protection. Wherefore we command your experience by this authority that you defend the same Donatus, equity being preserved, and permit him to be subjected to no grievances or damages against justice, so that, with your help, there may be no necessity for him to return hither. Gregory to Scholasticus the defensor. We recall that some time ago we commanded your experience that, because our most reverend brother and fellow-bishop Calumniosus asserted that he was suffering necessity in the matter of supports, you ought to have assigned to the Church, from its own right, one farmstead.

But because that farmstead is said to hold a small vineyard belonging to the right of the same our Church, and he asks that the same vineyard ought likewise to be leased to him, we command you by this authority that, deeds being drawn up, you lease that vineyard to him for three golden siliquae; so that he himself may thence obtain some relief, and the right of the Church may be preserved without any diminution. Moreover, our above-written most reverend brother has complained to us that you have hitherto detained the episcopal residence of that Church, and that you flatter him with the occasion, so that you may appropriate to yourself the garments of the bishop your father, or other things which were found in the episcopal residence.

And therefore, if it is so, we command both that you withdraw from the episcopal residence without delay, and that you not take away whatever the aforesaid your father shall be found to have acquired for the Church from its own resources during the time of his episcopate; because it is known to have been defined even by the sacred laws of the canons, that in those things which a prelate has acquired during the time of his episcopate, none other, but the Church alone, should succeed. He asserts also that a certain Ferocinatus, a testament having been drawn up, instituted our Church his heir, and left to the Church of Saint John, which is situated before the gate of the city of Hortona, two farm-parcels of an estate through Ausinianus under the title of a legacy, and that these are now detained by our Church.

Since he asks that these ought to be handed over to him according to the will of the deceased, your experience, the series of the testament having been read, if it shall find it to be so, and there is nothing which can reasonably be objected on the part of our Church, shall not delay to hand over the aforesaid farm-parcels to our above-written brother; because, since it befits us to impart to such men even from our own, in no wise do we allow that which belongs to them to be unreasonably retained by our people.