E06399: A letter of Pope Gregory the Great (Register 9.166) of 599, to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples, mentions the foundation and consecration of a monastery dedicated to *Hermes (martyr of Rome, buried on the via Salaria vetus, S00404), *Sebastianus (martyr of Rome, S00400), *Cyriacus (presumably the martyr of Rome, S00678) and *Pancratius (martyr of Rome, S00307) in Naples (southern Italy). Written in Latin in Rome.

Pope Gregory the Great, Register of Letters 9.166


Full text of the letter:

GREGORIVS FORTVNATO EPISCOPO NEAPOLITANO
Fraternitati uestrae esse non putamus incognitum quia Romanus clarissimae memoriae uir per ultimae suae uoluntatis arbitrium in domo iuris sui, quae in ciuitate uestra sita est, aedificari monasterium deputauit. Et quia Deo miserante defuncti noscitur uoluntas impleta, sanctitas uestra illic ingrauanter accedat et, si nullum ibidem corpus constat humatum, locum ipsum in honore sanctorum Hermes, Sebastiani, Cyriaci atque Pancratii sollemniter studeat absque missis publicis cum ueneratione debita consecrari, ita ut in eodem loco numquam baptisterium construatur nec presbyterum constituas cardinalem. Sed quotiens missas sibi degentes illic monachi fieri uoluerint, a dilectione uestra presbyterum nouerint postulandum, quatenus nihil tale a quolibet alio sacerdote ullatenus praesumatur.


‘Gregory to Fortunatus, bishop of Naples
We think that your Fraternity is well aware that Romanus, a man of most distinguished memory, through the decision of his final will, decreed that a monastery should be built in a house, legally his, situated in your city. And because the dead man’s will is known to have been implemented, with God’s mercy, let your Holiness go there willingly, and if it is certain that no human body has ever been buried there, you should solemnly take care to consecrate the place itself in honour of Saints Hermes, Sebastianus, Cyriacus and Pancratius, doing so without public masses and with due veneration, so that no baptistry is ever built in that place and you do not consecrate its own priest there. But whenever the monks living there want masses to be held for them, they will know that they will need to request a priest from your Beloved, so that nothing of this sort is ever presumed by any other priest.’


Text: Norberg 1982, vol. 2, 724-5. Translation: Martyn 2004, vol. 2, 648, lightly modified.