To Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna, on the Freedom of the Monastery at Classis

Gregory to Marinianus, and so on. [a] You know from the office you once held, governing a monastery, how necessary it is to provide for the quiet of monasteries and to take steps for their lasting security. We have learned that the monastery of the blessed John and Stephen in the city of Classis, over which our common son the abbot Claudius is known to preside, has suffered many injuries and grievances from your predecessors. So it is right that your fraternity’s provision should make wholesome arrangements for the quiet of those who live there in the future, so that, living there in the service of God, with his grace also helping them, they may persevere with a free mind. But in case anyone at any time should presume to cause trouble there, on the strength of a custom that ought rather to be corrected, the points we have taken care to list below must be guarded by your fraternity’s careful attention, so that no occasion for disturbing them can be found in the future. [b]

Let no one, then, dare any longer, by any kind of inquiry whatever, to take anything away from the revenues or title deeds of this monastery, or of any place belonging to it in any way, or to attempt any kind of seizure or trickery. But if a dispute should happen to arise between the church of Ravenna and this monastery, and it cannot be settled amicably, let it be concluded without deliberate delay before God-fearing men chosen by the parties, after an oath has been taken on the most holy Gospels.

Further, when an abbot dies, let no outsider be ordained, but one whom the congregation chooses for itself, of its own free will, from the same congregation, and who has been chosen without any fraud or bribery. But if they cannot find a suitable person among themselves, let them in the same way wisely choose for themselves, for ordination, someone from another monastery. And once an abbot is appointed, let no one at all, on any occasion whatever, be put over him in his own monastery, unless perhaps, which God forbid, in the case of crimes that are shown to be punishable under the sacred canons.

This rule too must be no less carefully kept: monks are not to be taken from there against the abbot’s will, whether to supply other monasteries, or for holy orders, or for any clerical office. But where there are plenty of monks, enough for singing praises to God and meeting the needs of monasteries, let the abbot devoutly offer, from those who can be spared, such as he can find worthy in the sight of God. But if he has enough and refuses to give any, then let the bishop of Ravenna take some of those who can be spared, to supply other monasteries. Even so, let no one be taken from there for a church office except those whom the abbot of the place, when notified, offers of his own accord. And anyone from this monastery who has reached any order of the church is from then on to have neither any authority there nor leave to live there.

It is also to be observed that no inventory of the property and title deeds of this monastery is to be drawn up by clergy, if circumstances ever require one. Rather, let the abbot of the place, with other abbots, make the inventory of the property. Further, whenever the abbot wishes to go or to send to the Roman pontiff in the interest of his monastery, let him have complete freedom to do so.

Furthermore, although monasteries should look forward with longing to the visits of bishops, it has been reported to us that in your predecessor’s time this monastery was burdened by having to provide entertainment. So it is right that your holiness should regulate this fittingly, so that the prelate of the city may have access to the monastery as often as he pleases, for visiting and exhorting. But let the bishop fulfill the office of love there in such a way that the monastery bears no burden. Now this abbot not only does not fear your fraternity’s frequent visits to the monastery, but even longs for them, knowing that it is quite impossible for the monastery’s property to be burdened through you. Given in the month of April, in the first indiction. [c]