Letter 5014

From: Pope Gregory I To: The Clergy of the Church of Capua Date: ~595 AD Context: Gregory informs the clergy that Gaudentius has been assigned to visit them Brothers, I have assigned Gaudentius of Nola to conduct a visitation of your church. He carries my full authority and I ask you to receive him with complete openness and cooperation. A visitation is not a punishment — it is an act of pastoral care by this see. Cooperate fully, answer honestly, and support his work.

AD CLERUM ECCLESIE CAPUANE, De visitatione Eeclesic Capuance Gaudentio commigsa, Gregorius clero Ecclesias Capuan#. degenti Nea- poli. * Quoniam Fuscus Capuanze Ecclesiz episcopus hic positus de hac lice migravit, cure nobis ſuit desti- lute Ecclesiz visitationem ſralri, et coepiscopo no- sIro Gaudentio Nolanz civitatis episcopo solemniter delegare, cvi dedimus in mandatis ut nibil de pro- vectiombus clericorum, reditu, ornatu, minisleriis- que a quoquam usurpari patiatur. Cujus vos as8iduis adbortationibus convenit obedire, quatenus in eccle- SiasSLico ob-equio, alque in Dei laudibus vigilanti de- beatis cura persisfere , moresque vestros 8ub digna ecc'esiaslici regiminis disciplina componere. . Nec quisquam vestrum ejus audeat praceptionibus ob- viare, Sed onini lam ecclesiaslica observatione, quam etiam Ecclesiz vestra custodia , ejus provisionibus obedientiain exbibere , quatenus dum ejius regimini epist. 44, et lib. vin, epist. 7, necnoun in epist. ad Augustinum olim 51 lib. x1, nunc lib. x1, 64. Quar- D tain hanec portionem. concedit sanctus Gregorius epis- copo Ecclesir Agrigentinz visitatori, hac in Eccle- sia Omnia munia epi>copalia oheunti. In hac epistola mutavimus multa ex unanimi Mss. consensn, de qui- bus non monuimus, quod sensns jdem remaneat. Eetisr. XII. — * Festus legitur , vel Sixtus, in Editis, $ed perperam. epist. 25; infra, lib. v1, epist. 21, ete. Cirea unde- cimum 8xcnlum , decedentium episcoporum hona a laicis rapiebantur ; nec obstabant heredes, quod. ad eos nihil pertineret. Hunc abnsum multis cantonibus coerceri oporiuit, ut testatur Petrus Dainiani, lib. v, epist. 6, alque alibi passim ; cans. 12, q. 2. Legesis c. 45, 46, 47, 48. In Chalcedon., c. 22, patet hanc quere'/am non ſuisse novam, quandoquidem id fuerit praxcedentibus canonibus vetitum. In <exta synodo, c. 55, prohibetur metropolitanus involare in res ec- clesize vel episcopi mortui. AUGET, SANCTI GREGORY MAGNI 736 vextra ſuerit obedientia commodata, et Ecclesiz ve- A bt, et require ubi hodie $tat, et cognosces quia Ee- sire in nullo negligatur ulilitas, et ejus it cura propensior.