Letter 9039

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Romanus, defender of Sicily Date: ~599 AD Context: Gregory instructs Romanus to provide six solidi annually to the destitute Gaudiosus. Gregory to Romanus, defender. The man Gaudiosus is destitute and without resources to support himself. You are to provide him with six solidi per year for his sustenance. This payment is to be made regularly and without interruption. The care of the poor is not optional, and the fact that Gaudiosus has no particular claim on the church's attention beyond his need makes his claim stronger rather than weaker. The poor who have no patron are exactly the poor the church exists to support. Make the payments. Keep records. And let me know if his situation changes in ways that require a different level of support. Gregory

AD ROMANUM IN SICILIA DEFENSOREM. Gaudioso inopi 8olidos 8ex singulis annis tribuat. B Gregorius Romano deſensori Sicilize. Divinorum nos admonent eloquia preceptorum necessitaten patientibus ecclesiasticung prebere sub- Sidium. Quia ergo dilectissimus filius Hoster Cypria- aus diaconus, Gaudiosum defensorem $edis noswe, qui Syracusis degere comprobatar , pauperia'is as- zerit inopia cnnstringi, idcirco experientize tuz pre- zenti auctoritate mandamus ut a presenti secunda indictione sex $Solidos annis $ivgnli3 ei dare non dif- ſeras, ut et ille hujus remedii s0latio poliatur, et tu quod dederis tuis $ine dubio noveris rationibus im- putandum. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l. 1, c. 55.) EPISTULA XL. AD ROMANUM DEtENSOREM. Ui, omni cunclatione et excusatione abjecta, id exse- quatur quod 8upra epist. 2V, ſucrat mandatum. Gregorius Komano deſensori. Mense Novembriv preventis secunde indictionis tur, Eersr. XXXVIII [AL. 37]. — * Siliquas viginti quatuor habebat solidus. Centum igitur solidos lucri causa pro quadringentorum $olidorum mercibus pro- wiserat Felix, emissa Seu scriplo data cautione du- plici, de quadringentis et quiuquaginla una, aliera de quinquaginla solidis. © [n Vatic. Det in Audoeno ac Lyrano emisze, sed perperam. « Probiberi jure divino, canonico et Civili usuras avllus est qui non ſateatur, quas el quibus non per- inde couveniunt. Io concil. tt Aurel. an. 538, can. 2: Ut clericus a diaconatu et supra pecuniam non commodet ad usuras; nec de prevtitis beneficiis qui4- quum amplius quam datuy, speret; neve in exercendis negotiis, ut publici qui ad populi responsum negolialu- res cbservantl, lurpts lucri cupiditate verselur, aut 8ub olieno nomine interdicla negotta audect exercere, (Juod 8s quis adversum 8latula vrnire presumpserit, commu- one concessa, ab ordine degradetur. ldew fere legi- lur Can. apostol. 44, nec abludit Nicenum, Cc. 17, uo sunt quz vbservo, a d:aconatu et Supra, necnun communione concessa. Sidonius Apollinaris, epi-t. 24 lib. iv, Turno 840, Wulla de usuris profert, quiz le- ctori atlento negutivin ſaces8ent. Lega'ur caput Per resiras, exira., de donationibus inter virum et mulie- rem ; et Gregorius Turon., lib, 11, c. £2, de episcopo irdunen-i : Pecuniam | (vam 8i commodare pl vet, cum usuris legitinis reddemus. Non diulius 10uworor, ut Calixeno filio Stephaniz domum Catiaze pogses- Sionis, quam Ammonia avia ejusdem Calixeni Eccle- 8/2 nostre gancla devotione contulerat, reddere ei donationem eamdem taudem debuisses. Quod bac, ut dicitur, excusatione ſacere distulisti, quia » notitia cjusdem donationis non esset de polyptycis * cha- raxata. 9S7 Quod incongrue le dixis8e cognoscas , dun ad munitionem tuam precepti nostri pagina posset valde suflicere. Proinde presenti auctorilate Suscepta, predictam dumum et donationem anteſato Calixeno orphano $ine mora restitue. Nam quod jus- tum et ipse senlias novimus, et nos tlamen pradicto eidem orphano supradicitaw domum ex benignitate largimur. | |