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| To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari).
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Epistle XXV.
To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis
(Cagliari133
).
Gregory to Januarius, &c.
Know ye that your Fraternity’s solicitude has pleased us, in that you have evinced, as was right, pastoral
vigilance for the guardianship of souls. For indeed it has been
reported to us that you have forbidden a monastery to be founded in the
house of the late Epiphanius, a reader of your Church, in accordance
with his will, for this reason; lest, seeing that this house was
adjacent to a monastery of hand-maidens of God134
,
deception of souls should thence ensue. And we praised you
greatly for guarding, as became you, by suitable foresight against the
snares of the ancient foe. But, since we have been informed that
the religious lady Pompeiana is desirous of taking away the handmaidens
of God from this same monastery, and restoring them to their own
monasteries whence they had been taken, and establishing there a
congregation of monks, it is necessary that if this be accomplished,
the disposition of the deceased should in all respects be adhered
to. But, if this should not be done, that the will of the
testator may not seem to be entirely frustrated, we will
that—inasmuch as the monastery of the late abbot Urban, situated
outside the city of Caralis, is said to be left so destitute that not
even one monk remains there—we will, I say, that John, whom the
said Epiphanius appointed to be abbot in the monastery which, as has
been said, he had determined should be founded in his house, be
ordained abbot (i.e. of the late Urban’s monastery),
provided only that there be no impediment against him.
And let the relics which were to have been deposited in
the house of the aforesaid Epiphanius be deposited there, and let whatever the same Epiphanius had contributed for the intended monastery
in his own house be in all ways applied to the other; that so, even
though for safeguard, as above written, his will is not carried out
with regard to the place, the benefit intended may nevertheless be
preserved inviolate. And indeed let your Fraternity, together
with the guardian (defensore) Vitalis, arrange all this, and
endeavour to order it so advantageously that you may have your reward,
as for your praiseworthy prohibition, so also for your good settlement
of the case. Lastly, though it may be superfluous to commend this
monastery to your Fraternity, yet we abundantly exhort you that, as
becomes you, with due regard to justice, you hold it as commended to
you135
| 135 For further reference
to the subject of this letter, see XIV. 2. It appears there that
Epiphanius, mentioned in this letter, had been a son-in-law of
Pompeiana. It appears further that this lady afterwards accused
both the bishop Januarius and the defensor Vitalis of having
unjustly withheld her son-in-law’s pious bequest, notwithstanding
the admonition contained in this letter. | .E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
