Letter 11025: Know 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, ...

Gregory to Januarius, Bishop of Cagliari [in Sardinia]. Your Fraternity's careful attention has pleased me -- you have shown, as was right, pastoral vigilance in guarding souls. You were reported to have forbidden a monastery from being established in the house of the late Epiphanius, a reader of your church, even though his will called for it. Your reason: the house stands next to a convent of nuns, and you feared the proximity could lead to spiritual danger. I praise you highly for guarding against the snares of the ancient enemy with such fitting foresight. However, I have now learned that the religious Lady Pompeiana wishes to transfer the nuns from that convent back to their original monasteries, and to establish a community of monks there instead. If she does this, then the will of the deceased should be fully honored -- there would be no danger of men and women living too close. But if this plan does not go forward, and the testator's will cannot be carried out in that location, here is an alternative so that his intentions are not entirely frustrated: I understand that the monastery of the late Abbot Urban, located outside the city of Cagliari, has been left so desolate that not a single monk remains. I direct that John, whom Epiphanius appointed as abbot for the monastery he planned in his own house, be ordained abbot there instead -- provided there is nothing to disqualify him. Let the relics that were to be deposited in Epiphanius's house be placed in Urban's monastery, and let everything Epiphanius had set aside for his intended foundation be applied to this one. That way, even though the location changes for safety's sake, the benefit he intended is still achieved.

Book XI, Letter 25 To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari ). Gregory to Januarius, etc. Know 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 God , 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 you . 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/360211025.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.