Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 2356
In his letter to Gregory the Great Bishop John of Ravenna defends the use of the mappulae by his presbyters. He claims that they traditionally wore them during the ordinations of the bishops of Ravenna in Rome. John of Ravenna, Letter to Gregory the Great (also known as Gregory the Great, Letter 3.54a), AD 593.
Epistula Iohannis episcopi Ravennatis ad Gregorium apostolicum papam de usu pallii et de mappulis
 
Bishop John defends his use of the pallium.
 
Nam quod de mappulis a presbiteris et diaconibus meis praesumptum apostolatus uester scripsit, uere fateor, taedet me exinde aliquid commemorare, cum per se ueritas, quae apud domnum meum sola praeualet, ipsa sufficiat. Nam cum hoc
minoribus circa urbem constitutis ecclesiis licitum sit, poterit etiam apostolatus domni mei, si uenerabilem clerum primae apostolicae sedis suae requirere dignatur, modis omnibus inuenire, quia quotiens ad ordinationem episcopatus seu responsi sacerdotes uel leuitae Rauennatis ecclesiae Romam uenerunt, quod omnes in oculis sanctissimorum decessorum uestrorum cum mappulis sine reprehensione aliqua procedebant. Quare etiam eo tempore, quo istic a prodecessore uestro peccator ordinatus sum, cuncti presbiteri et diaconi mei in obsequio domni papae mecum procedentes usi sunt.
 
Bishop John attaches to his letter the documents which prove the rights of Ravenna’s clergy and awaits Gregory’s final judgement.
 
(ed. Norberg 1982: 1097–1099)
The letter of John, bishop of Ravenna, to Gregory, apostolic pope, concerning the use of the pallium and mappulae
 
Bishop John defends his use of the pallium.
 
Your Apostleship wrote about the mappulae adopted by my presbyters and deacons (presbyteri et diaconi). As for that, I truly confess that I am upset having to talk about it any more. For the truth that prevails alone in my Lordship’s abode should be sufficient in itself. For, not to mention that this practice is allowed for smaller churches established around Rome, my Lord's apostle, if he allows the venerable clergy of his first apostolic see to look into it, will be able to discover the following in every way: whenever priests or deacons (sacerdotes uel leuitae) of the church of Ravenna have come to Rome, for the ordination of a bishop or to make reports, they have all proceeded with mappulae in full view of your most holy predecessors, without any reprimand. Therefore, even at the time when I, a sinner, was consecrated in Rome by your predecessor, all of my presbyters and deacons (presbiteri et diaconi) used the mappulae in obedience to their Lordship, the pope, while proceeding with me.
 
Bishop John attaches to his letter the documents which prove the rights of Ravenna's clergy and awaits Gregory's final judgement.
 
(trans. Martyn 2004: 276, slightly altered and summarized by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

This letter can be found in the appendix to the Norberg's edition of Gregory's letters. It was sent in all likelyhood shortly after John of Ravenna had received an epistle from Gregory dated to April 593 and before the next of Gregory's letters, dated to October 594.
 
This letter demonstrates that it was customary for the bishops of Ravenna to be ordained in Rome, and that their ordination was witnessed by the presbyters of this see.
 
It is far from clear what a mappula was. Du Cange (s.v. "Mappulas") considers it a piece of an ornamental garment used particulary by the Roman clergy. This letter, along with the Gregory the Great's letter to which John of Ravenna here responds (see [2349]), suggest that it was worn particulary during official processions. Martyn, Carole Straw (1988: 82), and Thomas F.X. Noble (2017: 51) assert, further, that this was a "linen saddle-cloth", but they do not point to the source of this claim.
 
It is also possible that mappula is to be identified with a maniple.

Place of event:

Region
  • Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia
  • Rome
City
  • Ravenna
  • Rome

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;
 
C. Straw, Gregory the Great: Perfection in Imperfection (Transformation of the Classical Heritage 14), Berkeley and Los Angeles 1988;
 
Th.F.X. Noble, "Theological Perspectives on Law and Consensus in the Writings of Gregory the Great" in: Recht und Konsens im frühen Mittelalter (Vorträge und Forschungen 82), Konstanz 2017, pp. 47–62.

Categories:

Food/Clothes/Housing - Clothes
    Travel and change of residence
      Functions within the Church - Urban presbyter
        Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
          Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
            Attributes of clerical status
              Ritual activity - Liturgical vestments
                Ritual activity - Procession
                  Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
                    Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2356, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2356