To Januarius, Bishop of Cagliari, on Stephen’s Monastery

Gregory to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari. We do think that your position may be enough in itself to compel you to be diligent in carrying out devout duties. But so that no kind of slackness may come in to weaken your zeal, we have thought it right to urge you about them in particular. Now we have learned that your Stephen, when he was leaving this life, directed in his last will and testament that a monastery should be founded. But his wish is said to be still unfulfilled because of delay on the part of the honorable lady Theodosia, his heir. So we urge your fraternity to give this matter your fullest attention, and to admonish this lady to establish the monastery within a year, as was directed, and to build everything without dispute according to the will of the departed. But she may put off completing the plan out of negligence or cunning. For instance, she may be unable to found it in the place appointed, and it may be thought fit to put it elsewhere, and then the matter is neglected in the delay that follows. In that case we want it to be built by your fraternity’s diligence, and, when everything has been put in order, the goods and revenues that were left are to be assigned by you to this venerable place. In this way you will both escape condemnation for slackness before the dread Judge, and, in keeping with our most religious laws, you will be carrying out with a bishop’s zeal the devout wishes of the departed, which had been disregarded. [a]