E02007: A fragmentary Latin letter attributed to pope Gelasius I (492-496), to a bishop Victor, mentions a church dedicated to *Agatha (virgin and martyr of Catania, S00794) 'in Caclano fundo'. Written in Rome.

Pope Gelasius I, Letters, Fragment 12 ('Dudum de sanctae', JK 681/JH 1324)

Gelasius Victori episcopo
Dudum de sanctae Agathae basilica, quae in Caclano fundo olim noscitur constituta, processionem sub nostra consultatione suspenderas, asserens possessionis dominum omnia, quae illi conferebantur, accipere et suis usibus applicare, nec illic posse ministrorum dei aliquos ad processionem venire, cum nulla illic alimenta susciperent.

Sed nuper vir spectabilis Petrus noster nobis rationabiliter intimavit, hoc quod in culpam venerat, se taliter ordinasse, ut universa, quae in ecclesia supradicta diversorum fuerint oblatione collata, ad episcopum aut ad eum, cui basilicam deputaverint, universa pertineant, ita ut ex hoc compendio sarta tecta ecclesiae procurentur.

Et ideo, frater, saluberrimae dispositionis professione suscepta processionem supradictae ecclesiae te convenit ordinare'.


'Gelasius to the bishop Victor,
Recently you suspended, following our advice, liturgical celebration (processio) at the basilica of saint Agatha, which is known to have been long established in the fundus Caclanus, stating that the master (of the estate) received and assigned to his own use all the possessions that were collected for it, and that no ministers of God could come for the liturgy, as they received no sustenance there.

But recently our Peter, of spectabilis rank, rightly told us that this (business), which had slipped into error, he had set right, so that all those things that were given as the gifts of different people to the above mentioned church would belong to the bishop or to the one to whom the basilica was allocated, so that from that profit the roof of the church might be repaired.

And so, brother, having received news of this highly satisfactory ordering of affairs, you should re-establish the liturgical celebrations of the above mentioned church.'


Text: von Glanvell 1905, 318. Translation: M. Pignot.