A letter from Gregory VII, pope (1074, October 26)

Translated letter:

Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Albert, count and his wife, greetings and apostolic benediction. We give thanks to God that both laymen and women lift up their minds to the Lord, willingly adopt the cultivation of religion and strive to keep it in their understanding. For those who are called and appointed bishops to acquire souls and who should teach their subjects the way of truth by word and example, in these times have been seduced by the devil, and not only do they abandon God’s law but with every effort they ceaselessly attack and subvert it. Therefore it is little wonder if those lower orders do not prevent wrongdoing, whose ordination was heretical or whose life has been buried in crimes and every impurity; they, who neither pay attention to nor correct their own crimes in themselves, also bear the sins of their subjects either by negligence or in fear of their own conscience. Regarding this, the prophet rightly says: Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and their back always bent [Psalm 68:24]. Accordingly, whatever they chatter against you, or rather against justice, and in defense of their wickedness whatever they cast against you, who are not learned, as you persist in the purity and constancy of your faith, believe and uphold firmly what you have received from the apostolic see concerning bishops and priests who are simoniacal or lying in fornication. Dated at Rome, seven kalends of November, thirteenth indiction.1

Original letter:

GREGORIUS episcopus servus servorum Dei Alberto comiti et eius uxori salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Gratias Deo referimus, quod vel laici et mulieres ad Deum mentes erigunt et cultum religionis libenter intellectu capiunt et tenere contendunt. Nam illi, qui propter lucrandas animas episcopi vocati et constituti sunt et subditos suos verbo et exemplo viam veritatis docere deberent, his temporibus seducti a diabolo non solum legem Dei deserunt sed inpugnare et omni conatu subvertere non desistunt. Quo minus mirandum est, si ipsi inferiores ordines a delicto non prohibent, quorum aut ordinatio fuit heretica aut vita omni inmunditia et facinoribus cooperta, qui dum in semet ipsis propria scelera nec corrigunt nec adtendunt, subditorum quoque crimina aut per neglegentiam aut timore proprie conscientie portant. De quibus recte per prophetam dicitur: 'Obscurentur oculi eorum, ne videant, et dorsum eorum semper incurva.' Quapropter, quicquid illi contra vos immo contra iustitiam garriant et pro defendenda nequitia sua vobis, qui inlitterati estis, obiciant, vos in puritate et constantia fidei vestre permanentes, que de episcopis et sacerdotibus symoniacis aut in fornicatione iacentibus ab apostolica sede accepistis, firmiter credite et tenete. Data Rome VII. Kalendas Novembris. Indictione XIII.

Historical context:

The pope urges the count and countess to persevere in their faith and to enforce apostolic injunctions against simony and clerical fornication.

Scholarly notes:

1 Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.

Printed source:

Register Gregors VII, MGH, EpSel, ed. Erich Caspar, ep.1.11, p.17-18; translation, Ephraim Emerton, The Correspondence of pope Gregory VII, Records of Civilization, Columbia University Press, 1932, ep.2.11.

Date:

1074, October 26