A letter from Gregory I, pope (601, June)

Translated letter:

Gregory I to Berta, queen of the Angles Whoever after earthly power seeks to acquire the glory of the heavenly kingdom must labor more zealously for the benefit of his creator so that he may ascend on the steps of his labor to that which he desires, as we rejoice that you have done. Therefore, our most beloved son Lawrence, priest, and Peter, monk, returning, reported how your glory behaved toward the most venerable brother and our co-bishop Augustine and with how much attention and what sort of charity you extended to him. And we have blessed Almighty God, who propitiously deigned to reserve the conversion of the race of Angles for your reward. For just as he had inflamed the hearts of Romans to the Christian faith through Helen to be preserved in memory, mother of the most pious emperor Constantine, so also we trust that his mercy will work for the race of Angles through the zeal of your glory. To be sure, with the goodness of your wisdom, as a true Christian you should have already inclined the heart of our glorious son your spouse to follow the faith that you cherish for the salvation of his kingdom and his soul, so that both from him and through him by the conversion of the whole race worthy recompense might arise for you in heavenly joys. For since, as we have said, your glory is strengthened by right faith and learned in letters, this should have been neither slow nor difficult for you; and since by God’s will now is an appropriate time, proceed so that with divine grace cooperating you can make reparation with increase for what has been neglected. Therefore strengthen with constant exhortation the mind of your glorious spouse in love of the Christian faith, let your solicitude pour into him increase of love for God and thus inflame his heart even for the fullest conversion of the people subject to him, so that from the zeal of your devotion you may offer a great sacrifice to the almighty Lord, and the things related about you may both grow and be proved to be true in every way, because your good deeds have become known not only to the Romans, who have prayed fervently for your life, but also in various places and up to the most serene prince of Constantinople. So just as the consolations of your Christianity have brought us delight, so may your completed work bring joy to the angels in heaven. Thus employ yourself devotedly and with all your strength in support of the above-noted most venerable brother and our co-bishop and of the servants of God whom we have sent there for the conversion of your people, so that you may both rule here happily with our glorious son your spouse and after long duration of years also receive the joys of the future life, which know no end. Therefore we pray that with the fire of his grace almighty God both inflame the heart of your glory to carry out what we have mentioned and that he grant you the fruit of eternal reward for work pleasing to him.1

Original letter:

GREGORIUS BERTAE REGINAE ANGLORUM. Qui post terrenam potestatem caelestis regni gloriam cupit adquirere, ad faciendum lucrum creatori suo debet enixius aborare, ut ad ea quae desiderat operationis suae gradibus possit ascendere, sicut vos fecisse gaudemus. Remeantes igitur dilectissimus filius noster Laurentius presbyter et Petrus monachus qualis erga reverentissimum fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Augustinum gloria vestra extiterit quantaque illi solacia vel qualem caritatem impendent, retulerunt. Et omnipotentem Deum benediximus, qui conversionem gentis Anglorum mercedi vestrae dignatus est propitius reservare. Nam sicut per recordandae memoriae Helenam matrem piissimi Constantini imperatoris ad christianam fidem corda Romanorum accenderat, ita et per gloriae vestrae studium in Anglorum gentem eius misericordiam confidimus operari. Et quidem iam dudum gloriosi filii nostri coniugis vestri animos prudentiae vestrae bono, sicut revera christianae, debuistis inflectere, ut pro regni et animae suae salute fidem quam colitis sequeretur quatenus et de eo et per eum de totius gentis conversione digna vobis in caelestibus gaudiis retributio nasceretur. Nam postquam, sicut diximus, et recta fide gloria vestra munita et litteris docta est; hoc vobis nec tardum nec debuit esse difficile; et quoniam Deo volente aptum nunc tempus est, agite, ut divina gratia cooperante cum augmento possetis quod neglectum est reparare. Itaque mentem gloriosi coniugis vestri in dilectione christianae fidei adhortatione adsidua roborate, vestra illi sollicitudo augmentum in Deum amoris infundat atque ita animos eius etiam pro subiectae sibi gentis plenissima conversione succendat, ut et magnum omnipotenti Domino de devotionis vestrae studio sacrificium offeratis et ea quae de vobis narrata sunt et crescant et vera esse modis omnibus adprobentur, quia bona vestra non solum iam apud Romanos, qui pro vita vestra fortius oraverunt, sed etiam per diversa loca et usque Constantinopolim ad serenissimum principem pervenerunt. Unde sicut nobis de christianitatis vestrae solaciis laetitia facta est, ita quoque de perfecta operatione vostra angelis fiat gaudium in caelis. Sic vos in adiutorio suprascripti reverentissimi fratris ct coepiscopi nostri et servorum Dei quos illic misimus, in conversione gentis vestrae devote ac totis viribus exhibete, ut et hic feliciter cum glorioso filio nostro coniuge vestro regnetis et post longa annorum tempora futurae quoque vitae gaudia, quae finem habere nesciunt, capiatis. Oramus autem omnipotentem Deum, ut gloriae vestrae cor et ad operanda quae diximus gratiae suae igne succendat et aeternae mercedis fructum vobis de placita sibi operatione concedat.

Historical context:

The pope praises the queen for her help to Augustine's mission, and encourages her in her role in the conversion of the king and the Angles, comparing her to Helena, mother of Constantine.

Scholarly notes:

1 Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.

Printed source:

Gregorii I Papae Registrum Epistolarum, ed. Paulus Ewald and Ludovicus Hartmann (Berlin: Weidmann, 1887-91, MGH, 123-24, ep.11.35.

Date:

601, June