Letter 1015: The church of Populonia has been left destitute of priestly ministry — there is no one there to give penance to the...

To Balbinus, Bishop of Roselle. He directs him to visit the Church of Populonia and to ordain presbyters and deacons there. Gregory to Balbinus, Bishop of Roselle. It has come to our notice that the Church of Populonia is so bereft of priestly ministry that neither can penance be afforded to those who are dying there, nor baptism be administered to the infants. Moved, therefore, by the weight of this matter, so pious and so necessary, we enjoin your Charity that, being admonished by the authority of this injunction, [...] you go as visitor to the said Church, so that you may ordain there one cardinal presbyter and two deacons. And in the parishes of the aforesaid Church you are likewise to ordain three presbyters, such, however, as you shall judge worthy of so great an office by the reverence of their life and the gravity of their conduct, and against whom the canons established by ecclesiastical discipline in no way stand, so that with fitting precaution provision may be made for the holy Church.

AD BALBINUM EPISCOPUM ROSELLANUM, Ut Populonensem Ecclegiam visitet, ac preabyteros diaconosque ordinel, precipit. Gregorius Balbino episcopo * Rosellang. Pervenit ad nos quod Þ Populonensis Eeclesia ita - Sit $acerdotis officio destituta, © ut $@QJ nec penis - tentia decedentibus ibidem, nec baptisma possit C pr:rstari inſantibus. Hujus igitur lam piz rei tamque necessarize mole permoti, jubemus dilectiani tux, ut, hujus praceptionis auctorilate cCommonilus, memo- auri, ſormarum, riparum, dispositionum, matrone rum, morum, horreorum, thesaurorum, Palatiuus. Comitum originem reſert Spartianus ad Adrianum imper., qui cum Senatum in aulam $wam transtulis- Set, receplis $enatorun oplimatibus 1n amicorum cobortem, ita domesiicum quemdam $senatum has bere cepit, qui cemilatus Ce8aris appellatus es, et Senatores ipsl, comites. Eorum autem consiliis atque ope in bello et pace Augusli utebantur :; inde ſrequens ille comitum numerus, de quibus Supra, later quos eliam idem Sparliaaus in Adriano numerat comilem Sparthariorum , quem Greci TpwrooraIapay Nuns cupant, custoduw corporis regli prefectum. GUSSANY. © Palatinos hic intelligimus inferioris ordinis comm les, qui a comitibus priwi ordivis in provincias dirt gi svlebant. Ne wirisque tilulus est in utroque Codi- ce. De illis scholiastes Juliani Ante. essoris, cap. 82, Palutini dicuntur qui pertinent ad comilem rerum pris valarum , vel ad camitem gacrarum largiltionum. Hou rum etiam Palativorum mewinit Gregurius M., lib. 10, ep. 9, 26, 52, et lib. xi, epish. 20. Sidonius, lib. 1v, epist. 24. - - Eexsr. XIV. — * Hie poslea ob gravia crimina des positus est, ex Ep. 6. lib. u. | Eeist, XY. — * Roselle. vel Rugella, urbs olim Etrurizz episcopalis, eversa pridem, cujus rudera koiie Rosclie vulgo Gicla , duabys Circiter williarh bus a Ko-euo civiiale eplscopali dislans, Senas ver- SUS. GUSSANVY. Eiruriz, ubi hodie Populonia dewruite, in ora wart EPISTOLARUM LIN. LE — INDICT. IX. — EPIST. XVII. ralze Ecelesiz 4 visitator accedas, ut unum © cardi- A alind quod per seientiam perpetrator. Et nos $i qui- nalem illic presbyterum, et duos debeas diacoues ordinare. In parochiis vero pr:efat;ie Eccle>iaz tres similiter presÞyieros, quos lamen-dignos ad tale of- ficium vYeneralione vitre et morum gravitate pratvi- deris, et quibus in nullo obvient conslitula canonicze discipline, ut Sanclz cum digna cautela pravidealur Ecclesiz.