A letter from Gregory I, pope (12/0603)

Translated letter:

Gregory to queen Theodelind. The writings which you sent us a short while ago from Genova let us share in your joy because the grace of almighty God had given you a son and what is very praiseworthy in your excellency, we know he is associated/baptized in the catholic faith. Nothing else was to be believed from your christianity than that you would be zealous to fortify one you had received by divine gift with the help of catholic rectitude, so our redeemer would know that you are his devoted servant and would nourish the new king of the Lombard people happily in fear of him. Wherefore we pray almighty God that he keep you in the way of his commands and make his most excellent son, our Adaloald, advance in his love so that as he is great here among men he may be more glorious by his good actions before the eyes of our God. What your excellency wrote, that we should respond in more detail to our beloved son abbot Secundus: who would postpone his request or your desires which he knows will be beneficial to many, if sickness had not intervened? But such infirmity of gout took hold of us that not only could we not dictate, but not even rise to speak, as your legates, the bearers of the presents [the letters] know, who found us sick when they came and left us in the highest danger and critical moment of life when they departed. But if I recover, with almighty God disposing, I shall answer in detail everything he wrote. But I did send the synod which occured at the time of Justinian of pious memory through the bearers of the presents so that my foresaid most beloved son can learn by reading it that all the things he may have heard against the apostolic see or the catholic church are false. [God] forbid that we accept the perception of any heretic or deviate in anything from the book of our predecessor of holy memory, Leo; but whatever was defined by the four holy synods we accept and whatever they rejected we condemn. We have taken care to send phylacteries to our son king Adaloald, that is a cross with wood from the holy cross of the Lord and a reading of the holy gospel enclosed in a Persian sheath. To my daughters, his sisters, I also sent three rings, two with jacinth and one with albula, which I ask you to give them so our love may be cultivated in them by your excellency.(1) Discharging the office of greeting with paternal love, we ask moreover that you thank in our name our most excellent son the king your spouse for the peace he made and that you incite his spirit, as you are accustomed, to peace in the future in all things, so that among the other good things you do you can find the mercy of the innocent people who might perish in temptation before the face of God.

Original letter:

Gregorius Theodelindae Reginae. Scripta quae ad nos dudum a Genuensibus partibus transmisistis gaudii vestri nos fecere participem, propter quod omnipotentis Dei gratia et filium vobis donatum et, quod valde est, excellentiae vestrae laudabile, catholicae eum fidei cognovimus sociatum. Nec enim de christianitate vestra aliud credendum fuerat, nisi id studere vos, ut quem divino munere suscepistis, catholicae rectitudinis auxilio muniretis, ut et redemptor noster familiarem te suam famulam cognosceret et Langobardorum genti novum regem in timore suo feliciter enutriret. Unde oramus omnipotentem Deum, ut et vos in mandatorum suorum via custodiat et eundem excellentissimum filium nostrum Adulouualdum in suo faciat amore proficere, quatenus, sicut hic inter homines iam magnus est, sic quoque et bonis actibus ante Dei nostri oculos sit gloriosus. Illud autem, quod excellentia vestra scripsit, ut dilectissimo filio nostro Secundo abbati ad ea quae scripsit respondere suptilius deberemus, quis vel illius petitionem vel vestra desideria, quae multis esse profutura cognoscit, si aegritudo non obsisteret, duceret postponenda? Sed tanta nos podagrae infirmitas tenuit, ut non solum non dictare, sed etiam nec ad loquendum possimus adsurgere, sicut et praesentium portitores legati vestri cognoverunt, qui nos et venientes infirmos invenerunt et discedentes in summo vitae periculo atque discrimine reliquerunt. Sed si omnipotente Deo disponente convaluero, ad cuncta quae mihi scripsit suptiliter respondebo. Eam tamen synodum quae piae memoriae Iustiniani tempore facta est per latores praesentium transmisi, ut praedictus dilectissimus filius meus ipsam relegens agnoscat, quia falsa sunt omnia quae contra apostolicam sedem vel catholicam ecclesiam audierat. Absit enim nos cuiuslibet heretici sensum recipere vel a tomo sanctae memoriae Leonis prodecessoris nostri in aliquo deviare; sed quaecumque a sanctis quattuor synodis sunt definita, recipimus et, quaecumque reprobata sunt, condemnamus. Excellentissimo autem filio nostro Adulouualdo regi transmittere filacta curavimus, id est crucem cum ligno sanctae crucis Domini et lectionem sancti evangelii, theca Persica inclausum. Filiae quoque meae sorori eius tres anulos transmisi, duo cum iacinthis et unum cum albula; quae eis poto per vos dari, ut apud eos nostra caritas ex vestra excellentia condiatur. Paterna praeterea caritate solventes salutationis officium petimus, ut excellentissimo filio nostro regi coniugi vestro pro nobis de facta pace gratias referatis atque eius animum, sicut consuistis, ad pacem et de futuro per omnia provocetis, quatenus mercedem populi innocentis, qui in scandalo perire potest, ante conspectum Dei inter multa bona quae agitis invenire possitis.

Historical context:

The pope rejoices in the birth and baptism of Theodelind's son, and sends a report of the synod under Justinian [second council of Constantinople, 553] to make sure he learns the orthodox faith.

Scholarly notes:

(1) The two daughters of Theodelind and Agilulf we know of were Gundiberga, who later became queen of the Lombards when her brother was deposed and her husband Arioald made king in his place (Fredegarius, Chronicle, PL 71, ch. 49) and another who was captured along with her husband and children, and later released but died in childbirth (Paul the Deacon, HL 4.20, 28).

Printed source:

MGH, Greg I Reg 14.12, 2.431-32, dated December, 603.

Date:

12/0603