A letter from Anastasius IV (1153)

Translated letter:

Anatasius bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved daughter in Christ, Eleanor, duchess of the Normans, greetings and apostolic blessing. Our beloved son, Richard, abbot of St. Michael "in danger of the sea" (Mont Saint Michel) who came to the mercy of the apostolic see, fully demonstrated the violence and injury which he had long suffered from your husband, the duke of the Normans, to our predecessor of holy memory, pope Eugene [III], and to us, who have been put in his place by the disposition of the Lord [in 1153]. Recognizing that his cause is supported by justice and reason, we have confirmed him in the abbacy of the foresaid monastery, with God as author, and we have absolved from the chain of excommunication the one who was intruded into his place through the power of your husband, with the oath taken that ought to be by our mandate, and we have ordered that he should presume in no way to trouble that abbot under the charge of that oath. Since there is a participant of mercy, who shows [her]self a helper in good works, we command, admonish, and exhort your nobility by these writings in the Lord that you strive to suggest to your renowned husband, the duke, diligently and efficaciously that he permit that abbot to return to his monastery in peace and carry out his office in the regular way and do no harm to him about anything or permit harm to be done by his men. Which if he do not, we cannot fail in justice to this abbot and the foresaid duke should fear lest he feel the grave vengeance of St. Peter over it. Given at the Lateran, 2nd Kalends of August.

Original letter:

Anastasius episcopus servus servorum Dei dilecte in Christo filie Alienor Normannorum ducisse salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Dilectus filius noster R[ichardus] abbas S. Michaelis in periculo maris ad apostolice sedis clementiam veniens violenciam et injuriam, quam a viro tuo Normannorum duce iam diu passus est, et predecessori nostro sancte memorie pape Eugenio et nobis, qui in locum eius disponente Domino subrogati sumus, plenius demonstravit. Cognoscentes itaque ipsius causam iustitia et racione fulciri, eum in abbatem predicti monasterii Deo auctore confirmavimus et illum, qui in locum eius per potentiam viri tui intrusus fuerat, prestito iuramento, quod nostro deberet stare mandato, a vinculo excommunicationis absolvimus et, ut ipsum abbatem de cetero nullatenus inquietare praesumat, ei sub debito ipsius iuramenti precepimus. Quia ergo particeps mercedis existit, qui se bonorum operum exhibet adiutorem, per presentia scripta nobilitati tue mandamus, monemus et exhortamur in Domino, ut memorato viro tuo duci diligenter et efficaciter suggerere studeas, quatenus abbatem ipsum ad monasterium suum in pace redire et ipsum regulariter ordinare permittat et nullam ei de cetero molestiam inferat vel a suis hominibus inferri permittat. Quod si non fecerit, et nos iustitie ipsius abbatis deesse non poterimus et antedicto duci timendum erit, ne gravem propter hoc in se b. Petri sentiat ultionem. Datum Lateranis II Kalendas Augusti.

Historical context:

The pope sent this letter to Eleanor shortly after her marriage to Henry, and before he became king of England, asking for help with her husband in a church-state conflict over the removal and replacement of an abbot. The same letter was sent to Henry's mother, see empress Matilda, S. Loewenfeld, ep.216 (Epistolae 207.html). I am grateful to Anne Foerster for supplying the Latin name of Mont Saint Michel.

Printed source:

S. Loewenfeld, Epistolae Pontificum Romanorum ineditae (Graz: Akademische Druck, 1959) ep.215

Date:

1153