To Maurus the Abbot, on the Church of Saint Pancratius

Gregory to Maurus, and so on. The care of churches, which plainly belongs to the priestly office, compels us to be so watchful that no fault of neglect may appear in them. Now we have learned that the church of Saint Pancratius, which had been entrusted to presbyters, has often been neglected, so that people coming there on the Lord’s day to celebrate the solemnities of the mass have gone back grumbling because they found no presbyter. So after careful thought we have decided to remove those presbyters and, with the favor of God, to establish for that church a community of monks in a monastery, so that the abbot who presides there may give care and attention to the church in every respect. We have also thought fit to set you, Maurus, over this monastery as abbot. We order that the lands of the church, and whatever has come into its possession or has accrued from its revenues, be assigned to this monastery of yours and belong to it without any reduction, but on the condition that whatever needs to be done or repaired in the church named above is done and repaired by you without fail. [b] But in case the church should seem to be left without provision for divine service once the presbyters who had charge of it before are removed, we command you by the terms of this authority to supply it with an outside presbyter to celebrate the sacred solemnities of the mass. He must, however, both live in your monastery and receive his keep from it. [c] But above all let this be your care, that the work of God is carried out there daily without fail over the most sacred body of the blessed Pancratius. These things, then, which by the terms of this order we entrust to you, we want not only done by you, but kept and fulfilled forever by those who will succeed you in your office and place, so that from now on no neglect can ever be found in that church. [d]