Letter 9022

From: Pope Gregory I To: Romanus, Defender of Sicily Date: ~598 AD Context: Gregory orders action against unauthorized "defenders" in Sicily and against those who tonsure others improperly I have received troubling reports about abuses of the defensorship in Sicily — men who have arrogated to themselves the title and authority of defender without proper appointment from this see. This must stop. The office of defender exists to protect the poor and the Church's interests, not to be usurped as a tool of personal advantage. I am directing you to identify and discipline any who have assumed this role without authorization. Additionally, I must address the matter of those performing tonsures: no one is to be tonured without proper investigation of the candidate's suitability. The monastic habit and the clerical tonsure are not to be distributed carelessly. Take action on both matters without delay.

lerTenit ad noa* tonsuratos*' ^ in Sicilia prava' sibi praesnmptiono dofensorium^ auraere atqne eos non eolum utilitatibue ecclesiasticis esse utilea, eed etiam hac occa- ) f) dulenderitCl. 9.4. ■)pol«ritC3. t>)martC4. l^)non^C4. i)aaC4. 1) Mllmriiii Mitem Lnojfenun C4. IX, 3t in tiluio: U. abbate C; item etdem C* 1. ■) (olidoc 01. 7.3. >>) monaaterio C2. ") pro qnsdragint*; lUta C3. *) &ater om. C4. ') ita eodd. n.; led forU eum ed. M. terih.: abbati •onun codd. n., »ed eorr. C3; nomeo defeniorum ler. ed. M. IX, 31 uMa cerU cum praeeed. ep. traMnwsM. — Ht Urinoo cf. ep. praeced. — i) Lkm, ut videluT, in ep. IX, 38 tt in ep. XUI, 37 oomnttmoraliir. 3} De hoc cf. ep. V, 13 k. a 1X,33. Ik Bomano d^enaore ef. tp. U, 38 n. L IX, 15 n. i tt IX,S9; ex qua epiatuia intdlegi poteit ^igtuiai eiutdein mengit non todem anJme m TtgiitTvm relatai tsie, quo icriptae tttent. ij In ep. II, 38 ,GoogIe 5^ GREfJOB <H<rri*: TfjijJu ift'l^'-]{>!;nata wmmittcre. I ^TWi:i\i\nvL-.. ut (((|f; d,iii:(;nt'.-r tnfjuirat" *:y'M'ih%: fjaU;ijl. (j'*c <ii;rjuo nomL-n^ u» *>«n(fr-^:at. Hi ri;r'j 'juo-dam btrenub.s a r';m. i!'j|jiilii';r «'jIji» d»; hii tJ; renunriar iiJ'li';';lniJ«. I'ra';I':r'ra a Fortunaf»' rie hitt qua Hjrj'. fti ■taii"fa'.-lif oniDiliuit quae re de ji'rli'/fj<:tn aliijiiam e';<;leniae nii)4trae traniiii a'I »irt (jervmit. exhiljuit, ut commtinc a I'ra';t':r';a iiunliatum n<jtfiM ent Ma a'l*ritnjt»it, fralri ';t wfjpittcopo noMtro lo rainiiH. exhili<;r(; olioedivntiam dixtuliHHe. tatiir, ut ex euiut <;f;(;Ie«iae honorc «ibi l ijciiiH niinime ottocIiMMC impunihim mbi 'jtii' ordinutioni momorati fratris nostri eim ulti'jnem iiiodiH omnibuH vindicabis. I (Irriioriun I. j»i/M, htter l^rtuiUxtam t mii J'anormi(/inl, fjwu^ di: pmiicssi^tiibui w:rnul, i:a rulti lialml. (''flil. H tt q: Imtktio I. II. cap. 41. 1-M. M: IMi. IX. ej> i7; O: lAb. VIL m GUEGOmUl (|uotiitt)H in quibusdam conventionil vciiiiiiit (|une (^iTUiitur*, ratihiibitiu " ca l'r(iiiidii «logiKmccntoB ', (]uid inter dilecti (ic rcctorem patrimonii partium Panormit •) iwi„\M»m.C4. f) («i om.C4. s) . raiiiiiilinri 01; IiIh le roiiuiillnri t''J. ^) ut om. ' n'iliv<.rn C 1. 3; roilIvi>rlc C-J. ■>) iiormittiil 02. hie ailit, 04, <l) vigiiuBunt iiuti uni. codd, n. nlliiuiiiiii 04. IX, J.1 1)1 titiUv: in rroeieclii corr. nigro ah - iiliiiilrl nilil. If I. ») quieruiilur (pru quae g "•) ila icrr.; rafW m rai..' !!.■; K /; rali p/. p'/; r (I* /. <l) |«rliiiiii, tnl i ■» roK. U 1, ") lii tinliiU H I. ') iigiiiiiii'i>iit«8 pJ. B) Paiionuii f;i. i:iH n. 4) scribit tnwfer lU taici» ut tonsorari H I'K. H.l« (llnliuii Mise. III, H) effici jiolest coli Vf. Diurn. f. TO; ep. Xnduiriae pajiac (taffi bibl. •J) Sril, drfrtmoria: cf ep. V, 26. TX, 97. inlrr l^ifriiiHum (rf r}>. IX, « n. 1) tt liomanii\ riiMiir. IX, M. frarifiia qHoe rit , rf rp. III. .-..l H. IV, 43 n. I» consliil. ,GoogIe petentibus in masBa Leucas'' et Samanteria in provincia Sicilia' territorio Panormitano et domo in Panormitana civitate sita, quam ecclesiae nostrae dudum titulo donationia optulcras, noBtnim in his adcommodamus assensum atque omnia, eicut^ inter vos gesta Bunt, per huius ratihabitionis ' paginam confirmamus nec quiequam eorum a nobis suc- cessoribuBque nostris deduci in irritum profitemur, quia valde ecclesiasticae est mode- ratioui conveniena, ut, quae" ordinata fuerint vel decisa, nuUa in posterum debeant refragatione turbari.