Letter 10022

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Adrianus, notary of Sicily Date: ~600 AD Context: Gregory instructs Adrianus to punish the monks who committed a crime, and also to ensure that certain property is protected. Gregory to Adrianus, notary of Sicily. Two matters require your attention. First: the monks whose misconduct I have described to you are to be punished according to what their offense warrants. I leave the specific determination to you, with the instruction that the punishment should fit the crime — neither more severe than justice requires nor so light as to suggest that misconduct in a monastery is taken lightly. Second: the property situation I have described is to be protected and stabilized. Take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the church's interests in this property are secure. Report on both matters when they are resolved. Gregory

AD ADRIANUM NOTARIUM SICILLE. Agat quoque, tum ut puniatur supradictorum mona- chorum scelus, (um ne quis illorum bona invadat. Gregorius Adriano notario Siciliz. Eeisr. XXII [AL. 24]. —* Atna mons, vulgo Mon- tegibello, Sicilie maximus et notissimus ob ignes quos evomit, a Catana urbe 45 circiler imillibus passuum distans. GUSSANY. Talia. Sed et Rocchus Pirrus qui ex profess0 de omni- bus Siciliaz episcopis lraciavil, ubi de episcopis Cata- nensibus agit, ila de Leone loquitur : Leo Calanensis $ccessit Elpidio, de quo Gregorius epist. 21 lib; vii, nunc 22 lib. x. Gussanv. Regium Ms. non legit sane Gussanvillwus, ſavel enim nostrz lectioni, habelque nit, et miramur cur, $i veritate subsistit, YOSG cam - minime cognovisli. Veniens autem ad nos Martianus, monachus monasterii_ sancti Viti, quod in monte Ztna est positum, oblala nobis petitione questus est inter alia, ita monachos ejusdem monasterii perverse ac nequiter vivere, ut mulieres $ibi sociare, quod dici nefas est, audeant. De qua re quia fratri et coepiscopo noslro Leoni scripsimus, ut, requisila veritate, $i ila repererit, districtissima * hoc studeat severitate cor- - rigere, necesse quoque est ut in hac re tua $e expe- rientia ad. investigandam veritatem, et puniendum lantum scelus omnimodo sollicite debeat exhibere, ut neque remisse, neque negligenter agi aliquid vi- deatur. In aliis vero utilitatibus memorati monasterii B Solatia tua in quantum ratio poposcerit z#quitalis impende, quatenus et $i quid ei, sicut dicitur, inva- $um est, secundum juslitiam reſogmetur, et de c:etero przjudicium illic aliquod contra Dei timorem et le- gum ordinem nullo modo generelur.