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| To certain Bishops of Sicily.
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Epistle XVIII.
To certain Bishops of Sicily.
Gregory to Leo, Secundinus, John, Donus, Lucidus,
Trajan, bishops of Sicily.
Even as we are admonished through the speech of the apostles to impart one to another spiritual aids,—so, in
matters that by God’s ordering we may have to settle in virtue of
the government imposed on us for administration of the affairs of the
poor, it is fit that priestly succour be not wanting. Accordingly
in sending the bearer of these presents, Adrian our
Chartularius209
| 209 Adrian, who had already
been commissioned as notarius Siciliæ (X. 23), had now been
made rector patrimonii, being succeeded as notary by Pantaleo
(XIII. 34). | , to govern the
patrimony of our Church, to wit in the Syracusan district, we have
thought it necessary to commend him to your Fraternity, that, wherein
custom may demand it, you may afford him your succour, to the end that,
while he is supported by you with bodily aid for doing his work, and
with the spiritual aid of your prayers for carrying out with facility
whatever he may undertake, he may be able, God also working with him,
to accomplish prosperously what has been by us enjoined on him.
But, as for yourselves, you should so acquit yourselves in good works
before the face of Almighty God that there be not found in your doings
anything that may be smitten by the judgment of God, or for which you
may be accused by any man whatever lying in wait against you. For
we have charged our aforesaid Chartularius that, if he should
come to know of any inordinate doings on the part of our most reverend
brethren the bishops, he should first himself take them to task by
private and modest admonition; and, that, if such things are not
amended, he should inform us of them speedily.
Furthermore, it has been reported to us that in the times of our predecessor of holy memory it was arranged by the
deacon Servusdei, who then had charge of the ecclesiastical patrimony,
that the priests210
| 210 Sacerdotes,
meaning here apparently parish priests, though more commonly, in
Gregory’s epistles, denoting bishops. The abuse complained
of seems to have been that of charging priests of parishes unreasonably
for the remuneration of the clerici who attended the bishops on
their confirmation progresses. | of your several
dioceses, when you go forth to seal infants211
| 211 Ad consignandos
infantes; i.e. for confirmation, cf. IV. 26, note 6. | ,
should not be immoderately burdened. For a certain sum had been
fixed, and this, as I hear, with your consent, to be given by the same
priests for the services of the clerks (clericorum). And
this, which was then approved of, is said to be by no means kept to
now. Wherefore I admonish your Fraternity to endeavour not to be
burdensome to your subjects, and, if they have any grievances, to abate
them, seeing also that you ought not to have departed from what had
once been determined. For you will be seeing to your own interest
both in the future and the present life, if you keep those who have
been committed to you free from grievance.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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