To Januarius, Bishop of Cagliari

Gregory to Januarius, and so on. [a]

Know that your fraternity’s care has pleased us, since you have shown, as was right, a shepherd’s watchfulness in guarding souls. For it has been reported to us that you have forbidden a monastery to be founded in the house of the late Epiphanius, a reader of your church, as his will directed. Your reason was that the house stood next to a monastery of handmaids of God, and souls might be led astray as a result. And we praised you greatly for guarding, as was fitting for you, with proper foresight against the snares of the ancient enemy. But we have been told that the religious lady Pompeiana wishes to take the handmaids of God away from that same monastery, return them to their own monasteries from which they had been taken, and establish a community of monks there. If this is done, the dead man’s directions must be kept in every respect. But if it is not done, then, so that the testator’s will may not seem to be wholly defeated, this is our wish. The monastery of the late abbot Urban, outside the city of Cagliari, is said to be left so destitute that not even one monk remains there. We wish, I say, that John, whom Epiphanius appointed to be abbot of the monastery he had resolved, as has been said, should be founded in his house, be ordained abbot of the late Urban’s monastery, provided only that nothing stands in his way. [b]

And let the relics that were to have been placed in the house of Epiphanius be placed there instead, and let whatever Epiphanius had given for the monastery planned in his own house be applied in every way to the other. Then, even though, for the safeguard written of above, his will is not carried out as to the place, the good he intended may still be kept unbroken. Let your fraternity, together with the defensor Vitalis, arrange all this, and take pains to order it so well that you may have a reward both for your praiseworthy prohibition and for your good settlement of the case. Lastly, though it may be needless to commend this monastery to your fraternity, we urge you strongly to hold it as commended to you, as is fitting for you, with due regard for justice. [d]