A letter from Gregory VII, pope (1076)

Translated letter:

Bishop Gregory, servant of the servants of God, to countess Adela of Flanders [sends] greetings and apostolic blessing. It has come to our knowledge that some of your people are in doubt whether or not priests and deacons and other servants of the sacred altar, if they persist in unchastity, may lawfully celebrate the office of the Mass. To these we make answer, by authority of the holy fathers, that servants of the sacred altar continuing in unchastity may on no account celebrate Mass but are to be expelled from the choir until they shall give satisfactory evidence of repentance. Wherefore we enjoin upon you by our apostolic authority that you admit no one to the celebration of the holy mystery who persists in his criminal conduct ["scelus"], but that you bring in from whatever source you can men who will serve God in chastity. When those others have been completely removed from all church offices, pay no attention to the words of Archdeacon Hubert [of Terouanne] nor show favor to any utterances of his whatsoever, because, as I have heard, he has fallen into heresy through his wicked arguments and was publicly convicted by Hubert, legate of this Holy Roman See at Montreuil.

Original letter:

Gregorius episcopus servus servorum Dei Adile Flandrensi comitisse salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Pervenit ad aures nostras, quod quidam vestrum dubitant, utrum necne sacerdotes ac levite seu ceteri, qui sacris altaribus administrant, in fornicatione persistentes misse debeant celebrare officium. Quibus ex auctoritate sanctorum patrum respondemus nullo modo ministros sacri altaris in fornicatione manentes misse debere celebrare officium, quin etiam extra choros esse pellendos, quousque penitentie dignos fructus exhibeant. Unde apostolica tibi auctoritate precipimus, quatenus nullos eorum, qui in scelere perdurant, ad sacrum misterium celebrandum suscipiatis, sed, undecunque poteris, tales ad missas celebrandas acquiratis, qui caste Deo deserviant. His talibus prorsus ab omnibus ecclesie beneficiis procul expulsis neque Huberti archidiaconi verba suscipiatis seu aliquibus suis sermonibus faveatis, quia, ut audivi, in heresim lapsus est suis pravis contentionibus et ab Huberto legato huius sancte Romane sedis apud Monasteriolum publica est convictus. [D]ata Rome IIII. Idus Novembris, [I]ndictione XV.

Historical context:

Pope Gregory tells the countess not to allow priests or deacons who persist in fornication to celebrate the mass and to pay no attention to a heretical archdeacon.

Scholarly notes:

(1) Translation from The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII, Selected Letters from the Registrum, trans. Ephraim Emerton, Records of Civilization (New York: Columbia University Press, 1932, repr. 1990). Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

Printed source:

MGH, Epistolae Selectae, Das Register Gregors VII, ed. Erich Caspar, ep.4.10, p.309; also HGF 14, p.598-99. Translation from The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII, Selected Letters from the Registrum, trans. Ephraim Emerton, p.110(1)

Date:

1076