Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 724

Gregory to Urbicus the abbot. Let your Dilection know that I have been greatly saddened because I have learned that so great a confusion has arisen in the community of our monastery, that while you were arranging something concerning the ordaining of an abbot in the Lucusian monastery, you made not one but almost two abbots: in the morning, as I hear, Domitius the presbyter, but in the evening the bearer of the present letter, Bonus, the servant of God. From which matter I perceive how dissolved is the rule of the monastery, since neither were the monks of that same monastery ready to obey you, nor were you able to arrange anything with constancy. Wherefore I groan vehemently, because I find our monastery to be otherwise than I thought. Which!

could arise from no other cause save that your Dilection is disordered in his governance, nor is able to arrange anything with gravity; but at one moment is eager weakly to flatter those who sin, at another to be angered inordinately and beyond measure excessively. For if he had been able to hold himself in the reason of his own mind, both his very maturity could have been held in reverence, and discipline and order could have been preserved in the monastery. But I think this deed to be worse, that you presumed, without my order, to take the aforesaid Bonus, a monk, from the monastery which he built—especially because I suspect it to be inexpedient even for his age, that he should be able to preside in governance.

And therefore we will that Domitius the presbyter ought to be abbot of the Lucusian monastery, and that Lucifer the monk be made provost to him, in whose decision he can rest at ease. Therefore by our authority we command you to arrange these things, God helping. And if anyone shall presume to be ungrateful toward this arrangement, let him without doubt be transmitted to us. Having therefore received our writings, let your Dilection invite our brother and fellow-bishop Victor to the Lucusian monastery, so that he himself may there celebrate the solemnities of the Masses, and may, God being the author, ordain the aforesaid Domitius as abbot; lest, while we follow your counsel, we be led into error like blind men. For your Dilection wished Catellus the monk in the Lucusian

monastery to be made provost. But after we ordered this to be done, we recognized that he is not a monk. For out of the small blessing-gift which Bonus the monk received, he did not in the least fear to make contention on the journey by demanding a share. From how great a bitterness of heart this proceeded, your Dilection could know, if he had been willing to know the rule of monks. But from your own disciple we have learned that you, who are called an abbot, do not yet know how to be a monk. And I believe that Lucifer the cellarer, whom we said should be made provost, is not of a disparate mind in this division either. But it is more tolerable to bear an older brother than a new and a boy.