Letter 1012: Agapitus, abbot of the monastery of St. George, informs us that he endures many grievances from your Holiness; and not only in things that might be of service to the monastery in time of need, but that you even prohibit the celebration of masses in the said monastery, and also interdict burial of the dead there. Now, if this is so, we exhort you...
Book I, Letter 12
To John, Bishop of Orvieto [a town in central Italy].
Gregory to John.
Agapitus, abbot of the monastery of Saint George, informs us that he suffers many grievances at your hands. You have not only withheld things the monastery needs in times of hardship, but you have even prohibited the celebration of Mass there and banned the burial of the dead.
If this is true, we urge you to stop this cruelty. Allow the dead to be buried and Mass to be celebrated there without further obstruction, so that the venerable Agapitus is not forced to bring new complaints to us about these matters.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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