A letter from Gregory VII, pope (4/15/1074)

Translated letter:

Gregory [bishop servant of the servants of God] to D[uke] Beatrice and her daughter, Matilda, greeting [and apostolic benediction]. The prophet bears witness that Almighty God, whom we are commanded to imitate, despises not the humble and contrite heart, and so we, sinner though we be, and though we cannot clearly enough perceive contrition in the hearts of others, ought not to conceal or treat as of no importance what has come to our knowledge. Werner, bishop of Strasbourg, after he had shamefully disgraced the dignity of his order by his sins and was summoned for reproof by our lord Pope Alexander of reverend memory, alone of all the bisbops in Germany, of whom many, befouled not only by carnal offenses but also by the plague of Simony, had been summoned likewise, presented himself at the threshold of the Apostles, begged for a judgment in humble attitude and, fearing the apostolic scourge, declared and confessed his sins and prostrated himself upon his face. Smitten by the apostolic judgment he is now on his way hither to ask the apostolic mercy, having shown his repentance and his obedience by such self-discipline, fasting and pilgrimages that my colleagues felt and declared him worthy of our compassion as far as the circumstances of the time would allow. Now, although we have not granted him restoration to his episcopal dignity as he desired, still what good would it do to enforce the full rigor of the canon law upon him at this crisis when perhaps if he were removed no successor could be found except one who was able to pay heavily for the place? But I beg you to consider what you did against him, how dishonorable it was to you, what a cause of shame to me and of offense against St. Peter and the Apostolic See that hidden peril should lurk in these parts for pilgrims for whom there ought to be especial protection, and that we who have forbidden this to other rulers should be charged with complicity on account of our intimate relations with you, especially since we commended our brother to your protection with the greatest confidence. Wherefore we earnestly beg and warn Your Excellencies to mitigate his wrongs as far as you can, with all kindness and open display of regard, allowing him to go on his way and, as we requested in our above-mentioned letter, to give him safe-conduct to Sir Erlembald of Milan, understanding that we have given him warning by letter to refrain from any hostile action toward you or yours in this affair. To Dionysius of Piacenza and to the other Lombard bishops who came to us we have allowed no part of their episcopal functions except the confirmation of children in case of necessity, but we have held the reins of the whole situation in our hands so that there may be room for repentance to those who are set right by our indulgence or [even] to those who are obstinate. But since we suspect that you, out of your affection and reverence for the Holy Roman Church, are criticizing us for this action, we have remembered that St. Peter, our father and prince of the Apostles, did not disdain to give satisfaction to the disciples who were murmur-ing against him, and therefore we have been willing to give you an acccunt of our actions, seeing that we have not up to the present time given you more positive assurances of the affection in which we are bound to you. Nor has it escaped our notice how various the opinions and judgments of men about us are; for in the same cases and regarding the same actions some accuse us of cruelty while others think we are too lenient. To these critics we know no better answer than that of the Apostle: "With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment." And now may Almighty God, the true searcher of hearts, teach both us and you to do his will and bind his law upon our hearts.1 Dated at Rome, 17th kalends of May, Indiction 12.

Original letter:

Gregorius episcopus servus servorum Dei duci Beatrici et eius filie Mathildi salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Cum propheta testetur, quod omnipotens Deus, quem imitari iubemur, cor contritum et humiliatum non spernat, nos quidem, qui peccatores sumus, etsi contritionem cordium in aliis non satis plene respicimus, cognita tamen dissimulare et quasi pro nihilo computare non debemus. Guarnerius Argentinensi episcopus, postquam peccatis facientibus decorem sui ordinis indigne tractavit, vocatus ad correctionem a domino nostro venerande memorie Alexandro papa solus inter omnes Teutonice terre episcopos, quorum multi non solum carnali scelere, sed etiam symoniaca labe fedati itidem vocati sunt, apostolorum limina petiit, locum iudicii in humilitatis forma prevenit et veritus apostolicam virgam aunnuntiando et confitendo pro peccatis suis in faciem procidit. Apostolica igitur tum censura correptus iam nunc apostolicam venit experiri clementiam et cum tanta fatigatione, sicut audivimus, ieiunando pariter et plerumque pedes eundo compunctionem suam et obedientiam demonstravit, ut confratres nostri pro competentia horum temporum miserendum sibi fore dignum estimarent et decernerent. Cui quamquam episcopali officii redintegrationem ad vota sua non concessimus, exercere tamen in illo rigorem canonum hoc in tempore quid referret, cum fortasse hoc amoto locum eius non alius possideret, nisi qui plurimum pecunie dare posset. Ceterum, quod vos fecistis in eum, quam in honestum vobis quam mihi verecundum quamque beato Petro et apostolice sedi contumeliosum sit, queso, cum animis vestris reputate, ut, in quibus peregrinorum his in partibus tutissima debet esse defensio, inopinata pericula lateant et nostra, qui hoc aliis principibus prohibemus, in hac re quasi consentanea pro familiaritate vestre dilectionis voluntas arguatur, presertim cum eundem fratrem per litteras nostras non sine magna fiducia vobis commendaverimus. Quam ob rem nobilitatem vestram multum rogamus et ammonemus, ut iniurias eius quantum potestis demulcentes cum omni benivolentia et manifesta caritatis exhibitione eum abire dimittatis et, sicut in supra memoratis rogavimus litteris, tutum sibi usque ad domnum Erlembaldum Mediolanensem ducatum prebeatis, scientes eum per epistolam nostram esse commonitum, ut nullatenus super hac re contra vos aut vestros aliquid moliatur adversi. Dionisio vero Placentino et aliis episcopis Langobardie, qui ad nos venerant, nihil de episcopali officio nisi confirmare pueros pro necessitate concessimus; sed totius negotii frena ita retinemus in manu, ut aut correctis de venia aut pertinacibus non sit desperandum de pena. Quia vero ex caritate et pro reverentia sancte Romane ecclesie vos de talibus adversum nos murmurasse credimus, memores domni et patris nostri beati Petri apostolorum principis, qui murmurantibus adversum se discipulis satisfacere non dedignatus est, vobis quoque rationem de factis nostris non inviti reddimus in eodem, quo, quanta sit vis dilectionis, qua vobis astringimur, non alia vobis adhuc certiora signa dedimus. Neque vero nos fugit, quam diversa de nobis hominum opinio sit et iudicium, dum in eisdem causis et actibus alii nos crudeles, alii nimium mites esse dicunt. Quibus profecto nil verius, nil rectius respondendum videmus, quam quod ait apostolus: "Mihi autem pro minimo est, ut a vobis iudicer aut ab humano die." Deus autem omnipotens, qui verus inspector est cordium, doceat nos et vos facere voluntatem suam et ponat legem suam in medio cordis nostri. Data Rome XVII. Kalendas Maii, Indictione XII.

Historical context:

Gregory addressed this and several other letters to Matilda and her mother Beatrice, who ruled jointly until Beatrice's death. Gregory explains his clemency to and apparent compromise with simoniac bishops, and criticizes the perhaps overzealous action taken by Beatrice and Matilda against one who had shown himself repentant.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Translation reprinted with permission of the publisher.

Printed source:

Register Gregors VII, MGH, EpSel, ed. Erich Caspar, ep.1.77; translation from The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII, Selected Letters from the Registrum, trans. Ephraim Emerton, pp.33-34(1).

Date:

4/15/1074