Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 843

Gregory to Alcyson, bishop of Corcyra. To brethren who come to their senses and turn to salutary counsel, kindness must not be denied, lest fault should seem to have more power in the minds of bishops than charity. Accordingly, when Peter, lector of the Church of Euria, came to us with the writings of our brother and fellow-bishop John, we received him in the presence of your Charity's legates; and after the writings which he had brought had been read over again, we took care to ask him whether he had anything to say against the allegation of those same legates of yours.

But since he declared that nothing else at all had been enjoined upon him, nor had he anything further to answer, beyond what his bishop's own letter contained, we decreed without delay, God being our authority, those things which accorded with the canons. But after a long time the aforesaid Peter produced a document which he asserted had been given to him by his bishop, and for that reason he sustained the delay of the cause.

But since in that same document the aforementioned prelate was read to have hoped that in the church of blessed John, which is situated within the fortress called Cassiope, he might have license to lay away the holy and venerable body of blessed Donatus, saying that he was prepared to issue to your Charity a guarantee that, because it is proven to be your diocese, no prejudice should thereby be generated for you: for that reason we did not foresee that his petition should be left without effect, since he thus desires provision to be made for himself in a time of necessity, in such a way that he professes to preserve in all things the jurisdiction of your Church.

Moved therefore by this reasoning, we exhort your Fraternity by the present writings that, without any delay or excuse, you grant in the aforenamed church of blessed John the faculty of laying away the above-mentioned venerable body of the saint; yet so indeed that a writing first intervening should safeguard you, to the effect that he shall never, under whatever pretext, claim for himself in the aforesaid church or fortress any jurisdiction or privilege as though he were the proper bishop, but shall inviolably keep all right and power there for your Church, since to it the parish belongs.

Likewise also it is fitting for you to reply, as this same brother of ours has requested, that at the time when, by God's mercy, peace being restored, he shall have license to return to his own place, he may have the right to carry away with himself the aforesaid venerable body without any objection.

Concerning which matter, lest what is transacted should seem to be merely personal, and lest occasion be found whence renewed contention might again be stirred up, your successors also are in all respects to be included in this promise for the preserving of all things; so that, this precaution going before, neither shall he thenceforth presume to defend for himself anything in your diocese against equity and the decrees of the sacred canons, nor shall the right of your Church ever, on any account, sustain any prejudice from this concession. (See above, letters 7 and 8.) Gregory to Felix, subdeacon and rector of the patrimony of Appia.

Although all the things which this apostolic church of the blessed Peter and Paul possesses here, in whose honour and by whose benefits they were acquired, are, God being their author, held in common, yet there ought to be in the administration of affairs a diversity of persons, so that in the things assigned to each a more diligent care may be applied.

Since therefore due solicitude admonished us on behalf of the church of the blessed Apostle Paul, lest that same herald of the faith, who filled the whole world with the light of his preaching, should be seen to have less light there, and it seemed very unfitting and most harsh that that possession should not specially serve him in which, receiving the palm of martyrdom, he was beheaded that he might live: we judge it useful to assign the same estate which is called Aquae Salviae, with all its farms — that is, the wine-cellar, Antonianum, the villa Pertusa in the Priulian forum, Cassianus, Sison, Cornelius, Thesselata, and Corntelianum — with all its right, equipment, and instrument, and everything generally pertaining to it, to the lights, with the grace of Christ.

Adding also, to give assurance to the grant, two gardens between the Tiber and the portico of that same church, on the right hand as one goes from the city gate, which the river Almo divides, among the boundaries of the garden of the monastery of Saint Stephen, which belongs to the handmaids of God, situated at Saint Paul's, and up to the borders of the possession of Pissinianus; together also the small plots of land which are called Fossa Latronis, situated there beside the same portico as one goes;

likewise on the left hand, up to the gate where vineyards have now been made, which small plots adjoin on one side the possession of Eugenius, formerly a scholasticus, and on the other side the possessions of the monastery of Saint Edistus; all which things, with God's help, we will to be administered through the provosts of the aforesaid church who shall serve at their several times, and from the present seventh indiction. And whatever shall accrue from thence, we will that it be expended on its lights, and that they render accounts thereof.

Therefore we charge your Experience that you should be bound to strike out and remove the above-written estate of Aquae Salviae, with all its aforenamed farms, and also the gardens and small plots which are contained above, from your registers, and hand over all of them into the name of the aforesaid church of the blessed Apostle Paul; so that the provosts serving there, henceforth lacking every excuse, may take care to attend to its lights without any solicitude on our part, in such a way that no negligence can ever exist there. And when the handing-over of all the above-written things has been made, we will that your Experience restore this precept into the archive of our church.