Pope Gregory II writes to Donatus, the patriarch of Grado, to Duke Marcellus of Venice, and to the clergy and populace of Venetia et Histria, informing them that he has heard their lamentations regarding the actions of the “Friulian bishop” (the patriarch of Aquileia) and that he has undertaken appropriate measures, ordering the invaders to remain within the confines of their jurisdictions.
Gregorius episcopusa, servus servorum Deib, dilectis fratribus Donato patriarchec et episcopis etd Marceloe duci et plebi Venetie et Ystrief.g
Quamquam ex ministerio, quod miseratione superna gerimush, quicquidi provide deliberandumj peragere absque obstaculo conveniat, verum nec frustra iudicium egissek [videamur]l, illa cupimus prosequim, quęn non ad lesionem cuiusquam, sedo potius ad imunitatemp respiciant etq illa satagere, unde nonr ex potestate divinitus concessas suppliciat, sed premia sperentur. Convenit enim, ut, cum unius votis paremus, alterius iura non fraudentur.
Quia igitur missa relatione nos a Deo salvata communitas vestra petiit, contra Foroiulensemu antistitem agentes, quod cupiat invadere ditionemv Gradensis patriarchae, et ut numquam excederew terminum vel iura invadere aliena, sed nec vellex in ea quę hactenusy possedissetz esse contentum: cui etiama' in presenti, ne atemptetb' ex auctoritate apostolica interdiximus; eique concessum palleumc' subd' hace' esse conditionef', dilectissimi, sciatis; cui denuo, ne presumat excedere, precipimus. Ne ergo incuria quadam aut discidiog' locum gens eorum insidiando, ut assolet, invadat, pervigiles cavete, potius sollicitih' de vestra post divinum presidium percogitate salutei', quia illud non occasionej' agitur, sed ubi possunt, Deo eis non resistente, virtutek' perpetrarel' nituntur. Optantes vos de reliquo in amore domini nostri Iesu Christi pollere et ab omni immunesm' adversitaten' manere.
Bene valete.
a) om. B. b) seq. episcopus add. B. c) patriarchae ed. Gundlach et Cessi et saepe sic -e seu -ę in -ae mutaverunt. d) atque D. e) Marcello em. Gundlach et Cessi. f) Istrie ed. Gundlach; seq. et cetera add. D. g) dilectis fratribus Donato patriarche et episcopis et Marcello duci et plebi Venetie et Ystrie] universis episcopis Venetiensis seu Hystrię vel plebi eiusdem B; universis episcopis Venetiae seu Histriae vel plebi eiusdem ed. Cessi. h) D; regimus B. i) quidquid D et ed. Cessi. j) D; deliberando B. k) verum nec frustra iudicium egisse] D; om. B. l) om. BD; em. Gundlach et sic ed. Cessi. m) D; persequi B. n) que D et undique -e loco -ę seu -ae. o) D; verum B. p) D; munitatem B; immunitatem ed. Gundlach et Cessi. q) om. D; om. ex emendatione Gundlach. r) D; om. B. s) seq. non add. B. t) suplicia D. u) Foroiuliensem D et ed. Cessi. v) dictionem D. w) accedere D. x) nec velle] om. D. y) actenus D. z) posedit se D. a') ecciam D. b') D; ea temptet B. c') sic B; pallium ed. Cessi. d') concessum palleum sub] consensum ob D. e') hanc D. f') conditionem D. g') dissidio D. h') soliciti D. i') salutem D. j') occassione D. k') virtuti D. l') optemperare D. m') D; inmunes B. n') D; aversitate B; seq. valere subsignavit pro deletione D.
See doc. 723_GS.
Kretschmayr (cited above) declared the letter a historical forgery based on the addressee being Duke Marcellus and the syntagm Gradensis patriarcha instead of Gradensis presul (as in doc. 723_GS).
Kehr (cited above), viewed the letter as merely suffering from later interpolations, but authentic in its main part – the pope reassuring the Chruch of Grado that he has warned the Aquileian patriarch not to encroach on their territories. According to Kehr, besides the “improved” addressees as featured in ms. hereby dubbed D, the following line is interpolated: quod cupiat ⟨invadere ditionem Gradensis patriarche et ut numquam excedere terminum vel⟩ iura invadere aliena.
Cessi (cited above), kept both options open (either that the letter is wholly spurious or that it suffered from later interpolations). According to Cessi, the original addressee line would be the following: dilectis fratribus universis episcopis Venetiae seu Histriae vel plebi eiusdem.
In essence, the letter’s contents are merely a repetition of the letter the pope had dispatched to Patriarch Serenus on December 1, 723 (see it edited here). The letter thus forms part of the series of sources attesting to quarrels between the two patriarchs – of Aquileia and Grado – regarding their ecclesiastical jurisdictions and metropolitan rights, a dispute that started in 607 and concluded only in 1180 (see more on that here).