Letter 10124

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Fantinus, defender [in Sicily] Date: ~600 AD Context: Gregory instructs Fantinus to investigate and resolve a dispute between bishops Sabinianus and Theodorus about hospitality expenses, and also about property. Gregory to Fantinus, defender. A dispute has arisen between the bishops Sabinianus and Theodorus about expenses incurred for hospitality, and also about some property matters. I direct you to investigate both aspects of this dispute carefully and to work toward a resolution. Get the facts straight first. What happened, in what sequence, and who incurred what expenses for what purposes? What is the property in dispute and what are the competing claims to it? Once you have the facts, work toward a resolution that is fair to both parties. If the dispute can be settled by agreement, facilitate that agreement. If one party has a clearly stronger legal and canonical claim, apply it. Report your findings and your proposed resolution to me. Gregory

AD FANTINUM DEFENSOREM. Causas Sabinianum inter et Theodorum episcopum , tum de impensis in hospites, tum de alits 8u0 judicio definiat. Gregorius Fantino deſensori, Sabinianus vir clarissimus, prasentium lator, no- bis indicavit hanc olim jbi consueludinem convenisse, ut, diversis supervenientibus , cives ejusdem Ci- lilatis * de proprio expensas impenderent. De qua re dum $e quererentur aſſligi, hoc illis cum Theo- Ecclesia ejus eerlz portiones $ubstantiz suz Jdona- tione conscribereatur, et hoc in Se onus SuSCiperet, atque, Securis eis redditis, ip+e de Ecclesia quidquid essel necessarium , erogaret, Se vero per tertiam decimam et primam indictiones, quibus predieiz ci- vitati deſensoris officium tenuit, absente episcopo,, de proprio expendisse quod de Ecclesia puterat ero- gari. Et quia $ibi quod expendit postulat debere re- $lilui, idcirco experientie luz pracipimus ul reveren- dissimo fratri et coepiscopo nostro Decio $tndeat imminere, quatenus aut pacifica, $i ita est, cum eo ordinatione decidat ; aut certe $i qua $e ratione a restitutione expensarum credit deſendere posse, Þ in judicio tuo assislat. Et exquisila LOGO diligentius B veritale, ita quidquid Ubi zquitatis ordo suaserit, mora poslposila delinito , ut et rationabiliter causa finem accipiat, elpartesapud tenulla ſatiget *in observatione dilatio. Si autem donationes, de quibus dictum est, Ecclesizz $uxz ess& Onerosas Cxistimat , et reddere eas donatoribus forlasse voluerit , si qui ex eis qui cas recipiunt clerici Sunt, a le Similiter moneantur ut aut 8ecundum portiones $uas quze erant $oliti dare persolvant, aut certe si causari voluerint, contentio- nes parlium tua necesse est Cognitione disLlingui , ut nulla se pars inaudita queratur prajudicium $usti- nere. Alias vero causas quas cum memoralo reve- rendissimo viro ſraltre nostro suprascriptus portitor habere prasentes 8e asserit, tuo similiter volumus , mediis 8acris Evangeliis, judicio deſiniri.