A letter from Alexander III, pope (1162)

Translated letter:

Bishop Alexander, servant of the servants of God, to his dearest daughter in Christ, the illustrious queen of the French, greetings and apostolic benediction. The glorious memory lives in the holy Roman church of your progenitors, who were always so devout and fervent in their obedience to St. Peter, as the benefits confered on said church by them so fully declare. Wherefore we, keeping these things always before the eyes of the heart without forgetting, give thanks incessantly to almighty God who reserved such an heir of theirs for us, from whose magnificence the holy Roman church expects even greater benefits. That is why we ask your highness by apostolic writing, we admonish and exhort in the Lord, that as you strive to show yourself such to the church of God and us by contemplation of the supernal divinity, you laudably imitate those you succeed in posterity of brightest blood, by praiseworthy example of faith and devotion, with God inspiring. May you be zealous therefore and labor to so readily encourage and sollicitously confirm our dearest son in Christ Louis, illustrious king of the French, your lord and husband, in devotion to St. Peter and us that that affection of sincerity which we in no way doubt he has towards us and the church of God may progress from good to better through you and advance further from day to day as we trust it will. We want especially to let your wisdom know that though we had intended to send our venerable brothers B[ernard], bishop of Ostia and I[acinto] cardinal deacon of St. Mary-in-Cosmedin to the king for the business of the church, after we learned more fully the state of that land from the report of our beloved son Odo cardinal deacon of St. Nicholas-in-the-Tullian-Prison when he came back, and perceiving that it was important to him, we changed our counsel and decided to send our venerable brothers Henry, archbishop of Reims, the bishops of Langres and Senlis, and our son the abbot of Granselve to the royal presence. Whence we sollicitously impress on your magnificence however much we can that you strive to induce the king and willingly exhort him that he believe without doubt and receive benignly what is proposed to him on our part by them and that, as we hope from him, he not delay to carry it out with useful thoroughness. Given at Montpellier, 11 kalends of May.

Original letter:

Alexander episcopus, servus servorum Dei, charissimae in Christo filiae illustri Francorum reginae, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Vivit in sacrosancta Romana Ecclesia, gloriosa tuorum progenitorum memoria, qui, quam devoti et ferventes in obsequio beati Petri semper exstiterint, beneficia praedictae ab Ecelesiae eisdem plenissime collata declarant. Unde nos ea semper prae oculis cordis sine aliqua oblivione tenentes, gratias omnipotenti Deo incessanter exsolvimus, qui talem illorum nobis reservavit [f. te servavit] haeredem; de cuius magnificentia sacrosancta Romana Ecclesia maiora etiam beneficia praestoletur. Inde est quod sublimitatem tuam per apostolica scripta rogamus, monemus, et exhortamur in Domino, quatenus supernae Divinitatis intuitu talem te circa Ecclesiam Dei, et nos ipsos, studeas exhibere, ut eos quibus clarissimi sanguinis posteritate succedis, laudabili etiam fidei et devotionis exemplo auctore Domino probabiliter imiteris. Studeas igitur et labores, charissimum in Christo filium nostrum Ludovicum illustrem Francorum regem virum et dominum tuum, ita in devotione beati Petri ac nostra fovere propensius, et sollicite confirmare ut illa sinceritatis affectio, quam eum circa nos et Ecclesiam Dei gerere nullatenus dubitamus, de bono in melius parte [ser. per te] confortata perficiat, et se de die in diem, sicut confidimus, ad ulteriora perducat. Specialiter autem prudentiae tuae volumus innotescat, quod cum venerabilem fratrem nostrum B. Portuensem episcopum, et I. Sancta Atariae in Cosmedin diaconum cardinalem ad praedictum regem pro negotiis Ecclesiae destinare disposuerimus, postea statum terror illius ex relatione dilecti fili nostri 0.S. Nicolai in Carcere Tulliani diaconi cardinalis ad nos redeuntis plenius cognoscentes, et ei charum admodum esse percipientes: mutato consilio venerabiles fratres nostros Henricum Remensem archiep. Lingonensem, et Silvanectensem episcopos, dilectum etiam filium nostrum abbatem Grandis Silvae, ad regiae dignitatis praesentiam duximus destinandos. Unde magnificentiam tuam modis quibus possumus sollicite commonemus, ut praedictum regem inducere studeas, et propensius exhortari, ut quod ab eis sibi fuerit ex parte nostra propositum, credat indubitanter, et benigne suscipiat; illud, sicut de eo speramus, utili complemento perficere non postponat. Datum apud Montempessulanum, 11 Kalend. Maii.

Historical context:

The pope urges the queen to remain devoted to the papacy and to influence the king to do the same. Alexander wrote to the king and the queen separately about following the new orders of his legates, exhorting her to persuade Louis, perhaps feeling more need for her support since he [the pope] was aware of a serious problem in the country, cf. PL200, ep.68.

Printed source:

PL 200, ep.69, c.139-40 and HGF 15 ep.69, p.776; same text, except 'per te' in HGF, 'parte' in PL, with alternate 'per te.'

Date:

1162