A letter from Frothar, bishop of Toul (826-840?)

Translated letter:

I make known to your clemency, most serene empress, I Frothar humble bishop, that your envoys committed certain injustices in our parish, that is namely that they ordered churches appointed to us according to ecclesiastical disposition [appointed] elsewhere and took away from certain churches what justly and reasonably pertained to them. But also your men took from the church of this priest half his land [mansum] and half his tithe and gave them to a layman against canonical statutes and against the ministry and our will. Yet we know that your order and your will was that they should do right and justice and presume nothing against the sacred ministry. For which reason if it is your will that it be emended, [so] charge us and according to your command we will so emend all these things so that your charity will grow from it and eternal mercy will be increased. Always defend the church of God and exalt ecclesiastical law so the omnipotent Lord may protect you from all harm and lead you happily to the exaltation of the heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Original letter:

Innotesco claemenciae vestrae, serenissima imperatrix, ego Frotharius humilis episcopus, quod quasdam iniusticias fecerunt in nostra parrochia missi vestri, id est nom. illis, quia alias ecclaesias a nobis secundum ecclesiasticam dispositionem ordinatas aliter ordinaverunt et abstulerunt de quibusdam ecclesiis hoc, quod ad illas iuste et racionabiliter pertinebat. Sed et de ecclaesia istius presbiteri vestri tulerunt dimidium mansum et dimidiam suam decimam et dederunt homini laico contra canonica statuta et contra ministerium ac voluntatem nostram. Nos autem scimus, quod vestra iussio et vestra voluntas fuit, ut rectitudinem et iusticiam facerent et contra ministerium sacrum nihil praesumerent. Quamobrem si vestra voluntas est, ut emendetur, mandate nobis, et nos secundum vestrum praeceptum haec omnia ita emendabimus, ut vestra exinde crescat elymosina et merces augeatur aeterna. Semper ecclaesiam Dei defendite et ecclaesiasticam legem exaltate, ut vos omnipotens Dominus ab omni malo defendat et ad exaltacionem caelestis regni feliciter perducat. Amen

Historical context:

Bishop Frothar of Toul asks the empress to order amended what her envoys did unjustly in his diocese. The editor's note cites the Chronicon of the monastery of Sens by Richerius (SS XXVC, 271) saying "Et a tempore illo abbates huius cenobii ab episcopo Mettensi temporalia, ab ipso vero episcopo Tullensis spiritualia receperunt": "And from that time the abbots of this monastery received temporal things from the bishop of Metz and spiritual from the bishop of Toul."

Printed source:

MGH Epistolae Karolini Aevi, v.3, ed. E Dummler, 1899, repr. 1978, 295-96, Frotharii episcopi Tullensis epistolae, ep.29.

Date:

826-840?