A letter from Hugh bishop of Die, archbishop of Lyon ()

Translated letter:

To Matilda, most beloved sister in Christ and unique daughter of St. Peter, Hugh, servant of the holy church of Lyons, greetings in unfeigned charity. Though we know, venerable lady, that you know only, you eagerly desire only what pertains to the honor of God and the apostolic see; yet we can not pretend not to admonish your piety out of abundance that we join the zeal of our smallness to your holy desires. And indeed though we dissented about the recovery of the election of the lord abbot of Montecassino by certain bishops and cardinal priests of the holy Roman church (about which we openly gave our reasons for seeing it differently to some of them even at Capua), yet we want you to know that we have not departed from their unity, nor will we depart in perpetuity, if God is merciful, that we have made an agreement to serve St. Peter in the divine office, our intention is to serve in all ways the purpose of the holy see. Moreover, we notify your excellency that we have suffered so many aggressions and injuries from Cluniac monks that we can in no way bear them with equanimity. And indeed last year, before we went to Rome, we learned that the abbot of St. Parasceve(1) was publicly celebrating the prayers he had been accustomed to offer for the emperor, which was now prohibited by lord pope Gregory since the excommunication and deposition of Henry. When we questioned him about it he answered, deficient in conscience, that he said that prayer for any emperor. When we continued that by the circumstance of that prayer it pertained particularly to the Roman empire which by the judgment of the apostolic see was now vacant, he, weighed down by the truth, was silent, but he did not emend his recognized error with due penance. After our return, when they tried to resist the uncontrolled invasion of their monks, he presented certain letters to us which he said were addressed to him by pope Urban in which it was stated that he and his holy brothers should take care to abstain from communion with us and Richard of Marseilles, so that he could restrain our injuries by pretence of letters. Which letters, prepared in opposition to apostolic moderation and gravity, contain obvious lies. For from the time of the election of the abbot of Cassino to the assembly at Capua they protested that a whole year had gone by, which it in no way had. Among other things they mentioned one most shamelessly, that we had separated ourselves from the communion of the Roman church of our own will. But our conscience is our witness, and the charity by which we are joined in the Lord, that we not only did not avoid that communion, but resisted all those persuading us to do so. We took counsel with our brother bishops and set up through them a discussion with the abbot, but when he understood that we would not make peace with him unless he, having recognized his guilt, interrupted the foresaid prayer he refused to submit to judgment with us, and excused himself on many occasions. Our discord was however modified somewhat by the bishops who were present and mitigated by a truce up to the time set. We have communicated these things about us to your charity, asking in return that if there is anything our humility can do to serve you, you assign it to us without hesitation. If indeed the bearers of the presents should lose the occasion or the ability of going to Rome we ask, trusting greatly in your kindness, that you have the letters which we committed to them delivered quickly to the bishops, sons of the holy church of Rome, and to the cardinal priests. For the rest, we commend to your nobility as necessary for the good of the holy church, our beloved brother lord Roger, cardinal subdeacon of the apostolic see of the holy church who says he will soon come to Rome, asking that you give him safe-conduct and help in other things in which he can use the counsel of your kindness, for the grace of St. Peter and ours. When he tells you, you will fully know our matters.

Original letter:

Mathildi dilectissimae in Christo sorori ac unicae filiae B. Petri, Hugo sactae Lugdunensis ecclesiae servus, salutem in caritate non ficta. Quamvis sciamus, venerabilis domina, hoc solum te sapere, hoc solum inhianter te quaerere, quod ad honorem Dei et apostolicae sedis pertineat; tamen dissimulare non possumus quin ex abundanti pietatem tuam admoneamus, ut sanctis desideriis tuis parvitatis nostrae studia adjungamus. ... Et nos quidem, licet de recuperatione electionis domni abbatis montis Casini a quibusdam sanctae ecclesiae Romanae episcopis et cardinalibus presbyteris dissenserimus (unde aliquibus illorum, cur nobis aliter videretur, etiam apud Capuam palam rationes reddidimus); tamen scire vos volumus ab unitate eorum, qua in corpore sanctae ecclesiae ad serviendum B. Petro divina dignatione compacti sumus, nec discessisse, nec in perpetuum, Deo miserante, discessuros, immo habere propositum apostolicae sedis profectibus modis omnibus deservire. Praeterea notificamus unanimitati vestrae a monachis Cluniacensibus nobis tantas supergressiones et injurias inferri, ut nullo modo eas aequanimiter sustinere valeamus. Et quidem anno praeterito, antequam Romam tenderemus, compertum nobis fuerat abbatem in sancta Parasceve, orationem quam pro Imperatore facere consueverat, quae nunc pro excommunicatione et depositione Henrici, a domino Papa Gregorio facta, imterposita est, publice celebrasse; de quo cum eumdem ad rationem posuissemus, conscientia debilitatus respondit, orationem illam pro Imperatore quolibet se dixisse. Cumque ex circumstantia ipsius orationis ad Romanum eam specialiter pertinere imperium prosequeremur, quia ex apostolicae sedis judicio nunc vacaret, veritate oppressus conticuit, neque tamen debita poenitentia errorem cognitum emendavit. Post reditum vero nostrum, cum effrenatae invasioni monachorum suorum resistere conarentur, objecit nobis quasdam literas, quas dicebat a Papa Urbano sibi directas, in quibus continebatur ut tam ipse quam sancti fratres sui a communione nostra et Richardi Massiliensis abstinere curaret, ut sub praetentione literarum nostras injurias retineret. Quae literae contra apostolicum moderamen et gravitatem conditae, manifesta mendacia continebant. A tempore enim electionis quae de abbate Casinensi facta est, usque ad conventum Capuae habitum, integri anni spatium protestantur exactum, cum verum sit in eo spatio nullatenus annum integrum evolutum. Inter alia autem unum impudentissime mentiuntur, quia a communione Romanae ecclesiae nos sponte nostra sejunximus; cum testis nobis sit conscientia nostra, et caritas qua in Domino copulamur, nos non solum communionem eorum non evitasse, sed omnibus hoc persuadentibus restitisse. Adhibito ergo nobis confratrum et coepiscoporum nostorum consilio, et per eorum manum inter nos et abbatem colloquio constituto, cum intelligeret nos aliter cum illo concordiam non adhibituros, nisi culpa cognita praefatam orationem interponeret, judicium nobiscum subire, praetensis multis occasionibus, recusavit; episcoporum tamen qui aderant studiis discordia nostra aliquantulum modificata est, et per inducias usque ad praefinitum terminum mitigata. Haec de his quae circa nos sunt caritati vestrae communicavimus, invicem postulantem ut, si quid vobis de servitio humilitatis nostrae placuerit, sine haesitatione nobis hoc summopere cupientibus assignetis. Si vero praesentium portitoribus Romam eundi occasio aut facultas defuerit, de benignitate vestra plurimum confidentes, rogamus ut literas quas illis perferendas commisimus, episcopis sanctae ecclesiae Romane filiis, et cardinalibus presbyteris celeriter dirigi faciatis. De caetero, dilectum fratrem nostrum domnum Rotgerum, sanctae ecclesiae apostolicae sedis cardinalem subdiaconum, qui in proximo Romam per vos ad utilitatem sanctae ecclesiae venturum se dicit, nobilitati vestrae sicut necessarium commendamus, rogantes ut in conductu, et in caeteris in quibus benignitatis vestrae consilio indiguerit, pro gratia B. Petri et nostra subveniatis; quo referente, de his quae circa nos sunt plenius cognoscetis.

Historical context:

Hugh complains to Matilda that the abbot of Cluny is saying prayers for the excommunicated emperor and spreading lies about him [Hugh].

Scholarly notes:

(1)The word parasceve normally refers to the eve of the Sabbath, or more specifically to good Friday.

Printed source:

HGF 14, ep.12, p.790