Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 2298
Gregory the Great sends Bishop Benenatus of Misonum to supervise the nearby bishopric of Cumae. The clergy and people of Misonum should choose a local cleric to become a new bishop. The candidate is to travel to Rome with a letter bearing the signatures of all members of clergy. Gregory the Great, Letter 2.22, AD 592.
Letter 2.22 to Bishop Benenatus of Misenum (March 592)
 
Gregorius Benenato episcopo uisitatori Cumas
 
Quoniam Cumanae ecclesiae Liberius quondam antistes de hac luce migrasse cognoscitur, propterea uisitationis destitutae ecclesiae fraternitati tuae operam sollemniter delegamus. Quam ita te conuenit exhibere, ut nihil de prouectionibus clericorum, reditu, ornatu ministeriisque uel quicquid illud est, a quoquam praesumatur ecclesiae. Et ideo caritas tua ad praedictam ecclesiam ire properabit, et assiduis adhortationibus clerum plebem que eiusdem ecclesiae admonere te uolumus ut, remoto studio, uno eodem que consensu talem sibi praeficiendum expetant sacerdotem qui et tanto ministerio dignus ualeat repperiri, et a uenerandis canonibus nullatenus respuatur. Qui dum fuerit postulatus, cum sollemnitate decreti omnium subscriptionibus roborati et dilectionis tuae testimonio litterarum ad nos sacrandus occurrat.
Commonentes etiam fraternitatem tuam ut nullum de altera eligi permittas ecclesia, nisi forte inter clericos ipsius ciuitatis in qua uisitationis impendis officium nullus ad episcopatum dignus, quod euenire non credimus, potuerit inueniri. Prouisurus ante omnia ne ad cuiuslibet conuersationis meritum laicae personae aspirare praesumant, et tu periculum ordinis tui, quod absit, incurras.
 
(ed. Norberg 1982: 108–109)
Letter 2.22 to Bishop Benenatus of Misenum (March 592)
 
Gregory to Benenatus, bishop visiting Cumae
 
Since it is known that Liberius, once bishop of the church of Cumae, has departed from this life, for that reason we solemnly delegate to your Fraternity the task of visiting his destitute church. It is appropriate for you to carry out this task in such a way that nothing about promotions of clergy, about revenue, about ornaments and holy vessels, or anything whatsoever, should be assumed by anyone of that church. And for that reason your Beloved will hurry to go to the aforesaid church, and we want you to advise the clergy and people of the same church with continual exhortations that they should put aside partisanship, and with one and the same consensus, seek out a priest to be appointed over them. He must be found both worthy of such an important ministry, and must in no way be rejected by venerable Church canons. At such a time as he should be accepted, let him come to us to be consecrated, with the solemnity of a decree corroborated by the subscriptions of all of the clergy, and by the testimony of your Beloved's letter.
We warn your Fraternity also that you should not permit anyone to be elected from another church, unless perhaps no one can be found from among the clergy of that same city, in which you fulfill the office of visitor, who is worthy of bishopric, which we believe unlikely. You will take care before all else that they do not presume to support the merit of a layman, whatever his way of life, or you too must face the danger for your position, Heaven forbid!
 
(trans. Martyn 2004: 206-207)

Discussion:

Finding a suitable candidate for the bishopric of Cumae proved to be indeed difficult as in the second letter to Benenatus (2.37), dated to July 592, Gregory informs him that he was appointed a bishop of both Cumae and Misonum (these cities were located very close to each other). He was to hold full episcopal control over both dioceses, including the ordination of new clergymen.

Place of event:

Region
  • Italy south of Rome and Sicily
  • Rome
  • Italy south of Rome and Sicily
City
  • Cumae
  • Rome
  • Misenum

About the source:

Author: Gregory the Great
Title: Letters, Epistulae, Epistolae, Registrum epistularum, Registrum epistolarum
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
Gregory, later called the Great (Gregorius Magnus), was born ca 540 to an influential Roman family with some connection to the ancient gens Anicia. His great-great-grandfather was Felix III, who served as the bishop of Rome from 526 to 530. Possibly, Agapetus I, pope between 535 and 536, was his relative as well. Little is known about his early career, but in 573 Gregory ascended to the high office of city prefect. Shortly afterwards, however, he resigned from his post and adopted the monastic way of life. He founded a monastery dedicated to St. Andrew within his family estate on Coelian Hill, next to the library established by Agapetus and Cassiodorus. Six other monasteries were founded in the estates his family owned in Sicily. Soon after his monastic conversion, he started to be given various tasks by Popes Benedict I (575–578) and Pelagius II (578–590). At that time, he was ordained a deacon. Between 579 and 585/6, Gregory acted as Pelagius` envoy in Constantinople. In 590, he was elected Pelagius` successor to the bishopric of Rome. The registry of his letters contained copies of Gregory`s papal correspondence up to his death in 604. The scope of Gregory`s original registry is still the subject of scholarly speculation. There are 854 extant letters gathered in fourteen volumes, most of them (686 letters) originating from the collection compiled at the time of Pope Hadrian I (772–795).
 
It is worth remembering that the majority of Gregory’s correspondence was jointly produced by the pope and his subordinates, see Pollard 2013.
Edition:
D. Norberg ed., S. Gregorii Magni Registrum Epistularum, Corpus Christianorum: Series Latina 140, 140A, Turnhout 1982.
 
Translation:
The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. J.R.C. Martyn, Mediaeval Sources in Translation 40, Toronto 2004.
Bibliography:
R.M. Pollard, A Cooperative Correspondence: The Letters of Gregory the Great, in: M. Dal Santo, B. Neil (eds.), A Companion to Gregory the Great, Leiden-Boston 2013, pp. 291–312.

Categories:

Further ecclesiastical career - Bishop
    Described by a title - Clericus
      Ecclesiastical administration - Election of Church authorities
        Shortage of clergy
          Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2298, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2298