Letter 10024: When your Fraternity pays too little attention to the monasteries that are under you, you both lay yourself open to reproof, and make us sorry for your laxity. Now it has come to our ears that one Mauricius, who lately became a monk in the monastery of Barbacianus, has fled from the same monastery, taking other monks with him. In this case the h...

Gregory to Fortunatus, Bishop of Naples. When your Fraternity pays too little attention to the monasteries under your care, you invite reproof and make me sorry for your negligence. I have heard that a certain Mauricius, recently tonsured as a monk at the monastery of Barbacianus, has fled that monastery and taken other monks with him. In this case, the abbot Barbacianus is deeply at fault in my eyes -- he rashly tonsured a layman without any prior probation. Did I not write to you to test him first, and only then, if he proved fit, make him abbot? Even now, keep close watch on the man you chose. His failings become your failings, if he is proving himself unfit to govern his brothers. More broadly, your Fraternity must impose a strict rule on all monasteries: no one received for monastic profession may be tonsured until they have completed two full years of monastic life. During that time, their character and conduct must be carefully examined. It is a serious matter to place untested men under any master's obedience -- how much more serious to attach unproven men to the service of God? Furthermore, if any soldier wishes to become a monk, no one may accept him without my consent or without first reporting the matter to me. If this rule is not carefully observed, know that all the guilt of those under you falls on you, since your negligence about them will be self-evident.

Book X, Letter 24 To Fortunatus, Bishop of Neapolis (Naples). Gregory to Fortunatus, etc. When your Fraternity pays too little attention to the monasteries that are under you, you both lay yourself open to reproof, and make us sorry for your laxity. Now it has come to our ears that one Mauricius, who lately became a monk in the monastery of Barbacianus, has fled from the same monastery, taking other monks with him. In this case the hastiness of the aforesaid Barbacianus inculpates him exceedingly in our sight, in that he rashly tonsured a secular person without even previous probation. Did we not write to you that you should prove him first, and then, if he were fit, should make him abbot? Even now, then, look well after him whom you chose. For you are delinquent in his delinquency, if he has begun so to demean himself as to show himself unfit to have the government of brethren. Further, let your Fraternity more strictly interdict all monasteries from venturing by any means to tonsure those whom they may have received for monastic profession before they have completed two years in monastic life. But in this space of time let their life and manners be carefully proved, lest any one of them should either not be content with what he had desired or not keep firm to what he had chosen. For, it being a serious matter that untried men should be associated under obedience to any master, how much more serious is it that any who have not been proved should be attached to the service of God? Further, if a soldier should wish to become a monk, let no one for any cause whatever presume to receive him without our consent, or before it has been reported to us. If this rule is not diligently observed, know that all the guilt of those that are under you redounds on yourself, seeing that you prove yourself by the very facts of the case to be too little anxious about them. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360210024.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.