To Montana and Thomas, Setting Them Free

Gregory to Montana, and so on. [a]

Our Redeemer, the Maker of every creature, was pleased to take on human flesh for this purpose: that by the grace of his divinity he might break the chain of slavery that held us, and restore us to our original freedom. So it is a wholesome deed if men whom nature brought forth free in the beginning, and whom the law of nations has put under the yoke of slavery, are restored by the benefit of manumission to the freedom in which they were born. And so, moved by kindness and by consideration of this case, we make you, Montana and Thomas, who are servants of the holy Roman church, which with the help of God we serve, now free from this day and Roman citizens, and we release to you all your private property. [b]

And since you, Montana, declare that you have set your mind on the monastic profession, we therefore this day give and grant you the two twelfths of the estate which the presbyter Gaudiosus is known to have left you, by naming you an heir in the disposition of his last will. This is on condition that it all goes in every respect to the benefit of the monastery of Saint Lawrence, over which the abbess Constantina presides, and in which, by the mercy of God, you are about to make your profession. But if it should come to light that you have in any way concealed any part of the property left by Gaudiosus, named above, the whole of it must without question be transferred into the possession of our church. [c]

To you also, Thomas, named above, whom we wish to serve among the notaries as well, to add honor to your freedom, we in the same way this day give and grant by this charter of freedom the five twelfths of the estate which the presbyter Gaudiosus, already mentioned, left you by his last will by right of inheritance, together with the dowry he had given your mother. This is under the following law and condition. If you die without legitimate children, that is, children born in lawful marriage, all that we have granted you is to return, without any reduction, into the possession of the holy Roman church. But if you have children, born in marriage, as we have said, and recognized by the law, and leave them living after you, then we decree that you shall remain owner of this same property without any condition, and we give you full power to make a will concerning it. Know, then, that we and our successors will keep without any hesitation these things which we have decreed and granted by this charter of freedom. For the rule of justice and reason suggests that one who wants his own orders kept by his successors should himself, without question, hold to the will and decrees of his predecessor. We have dictated this charter of freedom to the notary Paterius to be written out. For the fullest security we have signed it with our own hand, together with three chief presbyters and three deacons, and we have delivered it to you. [d]

Done in the city of Rome.