To Castorius, Bishop of Rimini, on the Privileges of Monasteries

Gregory to Castorius, bishop of Rimini.

The pitiful pleas that Luminosus, abbot of the monastery of Saint Andrew and Saint Thomas in the city of Rimini, has poured out to us can be seen from the text of the petition attached below. In this matter we urge your fraternity that, when the abbot of this monastery dies, your church shall not on any pretext interfere in making an inventory of the monastery’s property, whether already acquired or still to be acquired, or in taking charge of it. And we want you to ordain as abbot of this monastery no one but the man whom the whole community, by common consent, asks for as worthy in character and fit for monastic discipline. Further, we entirely forbid public masses to be celebrated there by the bishop, so that no occasion may be given for popular gatherings in the retreats of God’s servants, and so that too frequent a coming in of women may not become a cause of scandal (which God forbid), especially to the simpler souls. Further, we decree that this document we have written shall be carefully held to, and kept in force and unaltered for all time to come, by you and by the bishops who will be ordained after you. Then, with God’s help, your church may be content with its own rights and no more, and the monastery, subject from now on to no jurisdiction but the general or canonical one, and free from all annoyances and harassment, may carry out its divine work with the utmost devotion of heart.

In some manuscripts the following letter, with the attached document on the privileges of monasteries, is found in place of the letter given above.

Gregory to Castorius, bishop of Rimini. The pitiful pleas that Luminosus, abbot of the monastery of Saints Andrew and Thomas in the city of Rimini, has poured out to us can be seen from the text of the petition attached below. For we learn from his account that in a great many monasteries the monks have suffered much harm and annoyance from prelates. It is therefore your fraternity’s duty to provide for their future quiet by a sound arrangement, so that those who live their lives there in God’s service may, with the help of his grace, persevere with minds free from disturbance. But so that no one may presume, on the strength of a custom that ought to be corrected rather than continued, to cause the monks any kind of annoyance, the things we have had listed below must be so carefully observed by the brotherhood of bishops that no occasion for bringing in disquiet can be found in the future.

On the privileges of monasteries.

We therefore prohibit, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and forbid by the authority of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, in whose place we preside over this Roman church, that any bishop or layman should from now on presume in any way to invent pretexts for interfering with the revenues, property, or documents of monasteries, or of the cells or country estates belonging to them, or resort to any tricks or exactions. But if a case should happen to arise over land in dispute between their churches and any monasteries, and it cannot be settled in a friendly way, let it be brought to an end without deliberate delay before chosen abbots and other fathers who fear God, sworn on the most holy Gospels. Also, when the abbot of any community dies, let no outsider be ordained, nor anyone but a member of the same community whom the fellowship of the brothers has elected of its own accord and unanimously, and who has been elected without fraud or bribery. But if they cannot find a suitable person among themselves, let them in the same way elect someone from another monastery to be ordained. Nor, once an abbot has been installed, is anyone at all to be set over him on any pretext, unless perhaps (which God forbid) crimes come to light that are shown to be punishable under the sacred canons. Likewise the rule is to be kept that monks are not to be taken from their monasteries without the abbot’s consent, whether to found other monasteries, or for sacred orders, or for any clerical office. We also forbid bishops to make church inventories of a monastery’s property. But if, as circumstances may require, the abbot of a place has questions with other abbots over property that has come into his possession, let the matter be settled by their counsel or judgment as well. Also, when an abbot dies, let the bishop not meddle on any pretext in making an inventory of the monastery’s property, whether acquired, given, or still to be acquired, or in taking charge of it. We also entirely forbid him to celebrate public masses in a monastery, so that no opportunity may be given for popular crowds in the retreats and places of refuge of the servants of God, and no unaccustomed coming in of women may follow, which would do their souls no good at all. Nor let him dare to set up his episcopal chair there, or hold any power of command at all, or perform any ordination, even the most ordinary, unless the abbot of the place asks him to do so, so that the monks may always remain under the authority of their abbots. And let no bishop keep a monk in any church without a letter of testimony and permission from his abbot, or promote one to any rank without that permission. We decree, then, that this document we have written be kept for all time to come, in force and unaltered, by all bishops, so that they may be content with the rights of their own churches and no more, and the monasteries may be subject to no church conditions, or forced services, or obedience of any kind to secular authorities (saving only canonical jurisdiction), but, freed from all harassment and annoyances, may carry out their divine work with the utmost devotion of heart. [b]