教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 552 章

Gregory to John, bishop of Syracuse. Some time ago our son Felix, a glorious man, complained to us by his letters that the bounds of certain of his possessions had been violently invaded by the men of your Church, and that he could find no justice with you. But it seemed incredible to us that this should either have been perpetrated while you were present, or, if it did come to your ears, that it had not been corrected. Yet, lest we should seem to pass over his complaint, we wrote to your Fraternity, that either, if these things were true, they should be checked, or else that you should cause the agents of your Church to undergo a hearing with him. But after this, sending a man to us with a letter, he indicated that you had been unwilling to do anything.

Concerning this matter, knowing the discretion of your Holiness, while our mind was in doubt, we found that it was he rather who had deferred it, for you had shown yourself ready that there should be, as there ought, a hearing. And although for this cause it was not necessary to write to you anew, since it is plain that you had wished to do what reason requires, nevertheless, lest we should perhaps seem to have neglected his complaint, we have for this reason sent this letter to you, exhorting that even now, without further delay, you send your men to the hearing with him, in which the question both of possession and of ownership may be settled, so that after this neither may he have anything to complain of, nor may your Church seem to hold anything prejudicially.

But because the man whom he sent to us produced a document of arbitration and judgment, in which it was read that the possession which is called Asinaria — which he lately asserted had been invaded by your men — had been restored by judgment in the times of your predecessor of revered memory, Maximian, we deemed it necessary to send a copy of it. And therefore, if you clearly recognize that it was so acted, that is, if that possession was restored with your predecessor consenting, and possessed by the aforesaid man, cause it to be restored without any strife, the question of ownership of course remaining, as was determined in that same judgment. But if it is otherwise, this too must likewise be distinguished by the settlement of a hearing.

All these things, therefore, let your Fraternity, with the tranquillity implanted in you, take care to have done without any delay, so that neither may a murmur of ill-will be stirred up against us, nor may the aforesaid man be forced again to prove troublesome. (See above, letters 13 and 44.) Gregory to Sergius the defensor. That the notary Pantaleo is occupied in ecclesiastical affairs, your Experience does not hold uncertain. And therefore, because John, the maternal uncle of Megas, the mother-in-law of the same man, no nearer kinsman existing, is reported to have died intestate and without children, lest through the absence of his son-in-law she should incur loss, if it is so,

the law is recognized as calling the aforesaid woman to the succession of her intestate uncle. By this present injunction we charge you to take to your aid our most reverend brother and fellow-bishop Vitalian, and Boniface the notary, and to note down under a brief inventory whatever things it shall be established that the deceased has left behind, and to do this diligently and in full until the aforesaid Pantaleo returns. And that you may be the better able to accomplish this, take also to your aid our son, the memorable man John the tribune, in like manner. Concerning whom we are wholly confident that, if you disclose our will to him, he will not refuse to lend himself to you devotedly.

Let it likewise be part of your care that, since the aforesaid John is said to have had certain consecrated vessels of ministry in his keeping, you both diligently inquire after them, and with all caution place them in safety, and subtly indicate to us whatever shall be found. So then let your Experience hasten to do and to see to these things which we have written carefully, that you may not be found blameworthy. For if you prove negligent, know that you will so incur our displeasure that you can afterwards defend yourself by no excuse. Given in the month of April, in the second indiction. (See letter 26 of Book VIII.)