A letter from John VIII, pope (876, October )

Translated letter:

Bishop John to the Emperor and Empress. While no less showing to delinquents a consideration of mercy than exercising severity of judgment to the bad, almighty God wished to raise the glory of your serenity to imperial rank; we think it worthy, administering with pastoral care to one who has set out, to intercede with the total striving of the mind, and to impart mercifully the need of consolation to those seeking it in as much as it is permitted to the excellence of your majesty for the salvation of many, or indulgence of life, and especially of those who, committing unspeakable acts by diabolic impulse, moved by divine piety hasten to come to the threshholds of the apostolic princes your patrons Peter and Paul, and implore mercy with humble prayer. Whence for this man, namely Madelgero, who killed a certain Odelric, who incited him with hostile words, we have suggested, dearest of sons, for the love of God and our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy apostles, to whose threshhold said Madelgero came, we pray your majesty with the love of our paternity which you have most sincerely to us, for his safety, the integrity of all his members, and the restitution of his things; that you not disdain to restore him to your full grace: and if those things are accepted by your serenity, that he may accept fruitful penance for his excesses, by which he can wash away the harmful filth of the committed crime, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord [1Cor.5:5], from the avenging punishment of the giver to all. For because of the very harsh labor of such a trip which he suffered in coming, as we believe, he merited some indulgence for the crime perpetrated, helped by the intercessions of him who was told by the Lord: I shall give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven [Matth.16:19]. Which, if it be so, we pray also that you order him to make peace with the relatives of the one who died, so no further evil, that might harm the souls of many, be perpetrated. Dated on the first Kalends of November, 10th Indiction.

Original letter:

Joannes Episcopus ad Imperatorem et Imperatricem. Dum non minus pro misericordiae intuitu delinquentibus exhibendo, quam judicii severitate in improbos exercenda, omnipotens Deus gloriam Serenitatis vestrae Imperiali voluerit sublimare decore; dignum profecto esse rati sumus pastorali cura fungentes, apud Majestatis vestrae excellentiam pro multorum salute, vel vitae indulgentia, et praecipue illorum, qui diabolico licet instinctu nefanda committentes, ad Apostolorum principum Petri et Pauli fautorum vestrorum limina, divina tamen pietate commoti, venire festinant, et misericordiam humili prece implorant, toto mentis annisu intercedere, atque pro viribus consolationis opem, in quantum fas est, petentibus impartiri clementer. Unde pro hujus viri, Madelgeri videlicet nomine, qui adversario incitante quemdam hominem Odelricum vocabulo peremit, salute, membrorum omnium integritate, et rerum suarum restitutione, Majestati vestrae suggessimus, filiorum carissime, et pro amore Dei et Domini nostri Jesu Christi sanctorumque Apostolorum, quorum limina praefatus Madelgerus adiit, nostraeque paternitatis, quam sincerissimam erga nos habetis, dilectione precamur; quatenus gratiam vestram plenariam ei reddere non dedignemini: eaque cum vestrae Serenitatis respectu accepta, pro suis valeat excessibus poenitentiam fructuosam accipere, qua commissi possit piaculi noxias sordes abluere, ut spiritus salvus sit in die Domini [1Cor.5:5], de omnibus ultricem dantis vindictam. Nam pro tanti itineris labore durissimo, quem veniendo perpessus est, sicut credimus, aliquantulam de peracto scelere indulgentiam meruit, ejus utique intercessionibus adjutus, cum dictum esse a Domino constat: Tibi dabo claves regni coelorum, et quodcumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in coelis; et quodcumque sovleris super terram, erit solutum et in coelis [Matth.16:19]. Quod cum ita sit, precamur etiam ut eum cum parentibus ejus, qui defunctus est, paciscere jubeatis, ne majus deinceps malum, quod multorum animae noceat, perpetretur. Data pridie Kal.Novembris, Indictione X.

Historical context:

The pope asks the imperial couple to forgive a certain Madelgero who had committed homicide and come to Rome for mercy.

Printed source:

HGF 7.468; MGH, Ep.Kar.Aevi 5.11, Johannis VIII, Papae Epistolae, ep.12.

Date:

876, October